We had to part ways.
Selene gave me one last smile before disappearing into the dispersing crowd, the soft glow of festival lanterns dancing in her silver hair. I turned around. There was still something left to do—one last duty before the night ended.
I had a stall to manage.
As I made my way through the buzzing lanes, something tugged at the back of my mind. 'Wait… I think I'm forgetting something.' A beat passed. 'Yeah, and I'm having a bad feeling too.'
I started walking faster. Then I saw it—a massive crowd gathered in the distance. My chest tightened. 'That's where my stall is.'
Panic gripped me. 'Did something happen? Is there a fight? Speaking of fights…'
A thought struck like lightning.
'Seraphina… oh no. Fuck. I forgot we had a date.'
My heart sank as I checked the time. The festival was almost over—barely ten minutes left.
'This crowd... is this because of her rage?'
But as I got closer, the truth was much more surprising.
