The day after the performance, interviews rolled in.
Kael's media team had already released edited clips of Lina's solo moments—perfect lighting, angles sharpened, her voice clean and haunting over the final beat:
> "I don't need to destroy you. I'll just outlive you."
It became a tagline overnight.
Her name trended beside "Ice Phoenix," a new moniker coined by a viral fashion blogger:
> "She walks like winter and burns like fire. The Ice Phoenix is real."
---
But the fame brought enemies closer.
That morning, Lina entered the makeup room to find the chair she always used had been soaked in foundation, her name tag scratched out.
The stylist looked at her nervously.
"I—I can clean it, Miss Vale—"
Lina shook her head. "No need."
She walked to the farthest corner. Picked the oldest chair.
Sat. Poised. Calm.
> [System Support: Emotional Suppression Active – Composure Maintained]
Sora strutted in seconds later, wide smile, sipping juice.
"Oh no," she gasped, fake-innocent. "Who would do that to your seat?"
Lina looked at her through the mirror.
"I don't sit where I'm not welcome. I take over where I belong."
Sora blinked.
Didn't reply.
Just sipped again.
Harder.
---
After rehearsal, Lina received a message.
No name.
Just a hotel room number.
And a single letter: M.
She knew who it was.
But she still went.
---
Mira stood by the window, hair perfectly done, expression unreadable.
"I missed you," she said.
"You missed lying to me," Lina replied.
Silence.
Mira turned slowly. "You've changed."
"No," Lina said. "You just stopped looking closely."
Mira stepped forward. "This version of you—it's… terrifying."
"Good."
Then: "What do you want, Mira?"
A pause.
"I want your spotlight."
There it was.
The old wound reopened.
But Lina only nodded. "Then step into the fire. Let's see who survives."
---
Outside the room, Kael leaned on the wall.
Waiting.
His eyes closed as he listened through a secure audio feed.
His phone buzzed.
Report: Mira Lin – suspected connections to illegal data broker circles. Surveillance activated.
Kael stared down the hallway.
"She came back for revenge," his aide whispered.
Kael's voice was low.
"She came back to lose."
---
Back at the set, Kieran found Lina sitting alone near the studio exit.
"You okay?" he asked.
"No," she admitted. "But I'm stable."
He laughed. "That sounds… depressing."
She smiled slightly. "It's growth."