Livienne stood in the corridor, half hidden by the wall, and watched as Elara and Lyra walked into their dorm room. In their hands were shopping bags which seems to be from a notable boutique. Lyra was laughing softly, their voices low. The door closed behind them.
Livienne's lips curved, but not into a smile.
Her expression was cold.
There was no warmth. No softness. No gentle concern like the one she always showed in public.
She snorted quietly, as if she had just seen something foolish.
"Enjoy it while you can," she muttered under her breath.
Then she turned and walked back to her own room.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
The room was dim, the curtains half drawn. Livienne walked straight to the mirror, not stopping even once. She sat down on the chair in front of it, her movements smooth but stiff, like she was holding something back.
She stared at her reflection.
The smile she practiced so well was gone.
Just then, the bathroom door opened.
Kioyothe walked out, only wrapped in a towel, her hair still wet and dripping slightly onto the floor. She yawned and walked lazily toward the closet, opening it and staring inside with a bored look.
"They really did a lot of shopping," Livienne said flatly.
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
Kioyothe did not turn around. She already knew who Livienne was talking about.
"Hmph," Kioyothe scoffed. "They really think they can get to Starfall City."
Livienne's fingers tightened slightly on the arm of the chair.
For a moment, her face darkened.
Then suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I have a plan," Livienne said slowly.
Her lips curved upward.
This time, it was a real smile.
And the room felt colder because of it.
–
Lyra did not even wait for the door to close.
The moment her shoes were off, she rushed to her bed and placed the shopping bags onto it. After searching through it for some seconds, she found what she was looking for.
Her new dress.
"Heavens bless Lioren," she muttered grabbing the dress, and disappeared behind the thin curtain like she was afraid the dress might run away if she delayed for even one second.
Elara sat down slowly on her own bed and let out a long breath.
Her legs were tired. Her mind was even more tired.
Before she could finish arranging her thoughts, the curtain was pulled aside.
Lyra stepped out.
Elara almost laughed.
The dress was… very Lyra.
It was flashy, bright, and full of confidence. The color leaned toward deep blue with silver threads woven into it, so when Lyra moved, the light caught the dress in small shining lines. The skirt was layered and slightly puffy, not elegant in a quiet way, but bold, like it wanted people to notice it from far away. The top part hugged her waist tightly, making her look taller than she really was.
It was not something most trainee singers could afford.
And it was definitely not something Lyra would ever wear just to sit quietly in a corner.
Lyra stood in front of the mirror, lifted her chin, and turned left.
Then right.
Then left again.
She placed one hand on her waist and raised the other dramatically, as if she was already standing on a stage with bright lights shining down on her.
"What do you think?" Lyra asked, her eyes sparkling.
Before Elara could answer, Lyra nodded to herself.
"I know," she said proudly. "I look amazing."
Elara smiled faintly.
Lyra cleared her throat and suddenly began to sing.
It was the song she planned to sing for the competition. A popular song by a very famous singer. The kind of song everyone knew. The kind of song judges liked. Her voice was not perfect, but it was full of feeling, and she sang with her whole body, swaying slightly as if the mirror was her audience.
She missed a note.
She frowned.
She tried again.
This time, she sang louder.
Elara watched quietly from her bed.
The room was filled with Lyra's voice, Lyra's movements, Lyra's excitement. It felt lively, warm, a little chaotic. Very different from the silence Elara was used to in her past life.
Lyra stopped suddenly and pointed at her reflection.
"No, no," she muttered. "That line needs more emotion. More pain. Like… like my snack got stolen."
Elara chuckled softly.
Lyra practiced again, this time pressing her hand to her chest dramatically, almost tripping over her own feet.
Elara leaned back slightly, resting her hands on the bed.
Her smile slowly faded.
Her thoughts drifted.
The competition was close now. Very close.
And if nothing changed…
Livienne would surely come.
Elara looked down at her hands.
This time, she would not pretend she did not see it coming.
This time, she would not stand still.
Lyra was still busy in front of the mirror, humming and posing, fully lost in her own world.
Elara looked up at her.
A small smile returned to her lips.
It was calm and thoughtful.
And it carried a quiet decision.
"Lyra," Elara called out.
Lyra paused mid-pose and turned around, one foot still lifted slightly in the air.
"Yes?"...
–
A villa stood majestically in a part of Lorien's business district. The lights in the villa were warm and soft, the kind that made everyone look a little better than usual.
Music played in the background, not too loud, just enough to fill the empty spaces between voices. Plates of food were passed around. Glasses clinked. People laughed, talked about scenes, joked about mistakes during filming, and complained about how tired they were.
It was one of those gatherings that happened after filming wrapped up for the day.
Not really a party. Not really work either.
Lioren Valoire sat on a couch with a glass in his hand, listening more than he spoke. His posture was relaxed, but his mind was not fully there.
Someone was telling a long story about how a prop sword broke during a dramatic scene. Everyone laughed. Lioren smiled too, at the right moment, but his smile faded quickly after.
His thoughts kept drifting.
The quiet boutique.
The girl who looked at him without excitement, without fear, without trying too hard.
Someone sat down beside him.
"Hey," a calm female voice said. "You look like your soul is somewhere else."
Lioren turned his head.
It was the lead actress of the film. She was dressed casually now, her hair tied up, her makeup light. On screen she was dramatic and tragic, but in real life she was sharp and observant.
"I'm fine," Lioren said automatically.
She raised an eyebrow.
"That's the face you make when you're not fine," she replied. "A penny for your thoughts."
Lioren gave a small laugh.
She leaned back slightly, studying him.
"Tell me what is it?"
Lioren hesitated for half a second.
He was not someone who liked to hide things for no reason. If someone asked sincerely, he usually answered sincerely too.
"I met someone today," he said.
The actress's eyes lit up instantly.
"Oh?" she said, her tone playful. "A man or a lady?"
Lioren sighed softly.
"A lady."
She let out a long, dramatic "ohhh," nodding her head like she had just discovered a great secret.
"I knew it," she said. "You've been smiling strangely all evening."
Lioren shook his head.
"It's not like that," he said quickly, already guessing where her thoughts were going. "She's the girl who saved me in Crelou."
That wiped the teasing smile right off her face.
Her expression turned serious at once.
"The one from the accident?" she asked.
"Yes," Lioren replied. "Her."
She straightened up.
"Did you thank her properly?" she asked.
Lioren opened his mouth.
He almost said, I paid for her dresses.
But the words stopped there.
Somehow, saying that out loud did not feel right.
"Yes," he said instead. "I thanked her."
The actress stared at him for a moment, as if she was trying to read what he did not say.
Then she nodded slowly.
"That's good," she said. "People like that don't help others for rewards."
Lioren lowered his gaze to his glass.
"I know," he said quietly.
They sat in silence for a moment, the noise of the gathering filling the space between them.
Then the actress suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Oh," she said. "I almost forgot."
She turned to him again, her tone lighter now.
"There's a talent show coming up," she said. "Tomorrow."
Lioren looked up.
"The Starhunt?" he asked. "I saw the posters everywhere."
"Yes," she said. "My younger sister is participating."
Lioren blinked in surprise.
"I didn't know you had a sister," he said.
"She is very timid," the actress replied with a smile. "She gets nervous easily. Better if she sees a familiar face in the crowd."
She hesitated slightly, then asked, "Would you like to come watch?"
Lioren did not think for long.
"Sure," he said easily.
Her face brightened.
"Really?"
"Yes," he replied. "I was planning to check it out anyway."
The actress laughed.
"Good," she said. "Then I won't be alone in the crowd."
Lioren nodded.
As the conversation moved on and the music grew louder, his thoughts quietly drifted again...