Selina rose, squaring her shoulders as she approached the black curtain.
As her fingers curled toward the fabric, she froze. Her hand hovered over the velvet that hid her from the world, a silent prayer flickering through her mind—a hope that this path wouldn't invite more chaos from her haunted past.
"Contestant 40!" The impatient call snapped her back to reality.
In that moment, she realized she could no longer hide. She had to step out. She found a strange comfort in the mask she wore; the makeup had transformed her so completely that she felt she could face the world without truly being seen.
Parting the heavy velvet curtains, Selina stepped directly into the searing glare of the spotlight. Before her lay a shimmering sea of expectant faces— gauntlet of A-list actors, idols and elites. Her eyes snagged on the stern, unyielding expressions of the judges, and a sharp, crystalline chill snaked down her back, momentarily grounding her in the gravity of the moment.
