Valen adjusted the strap of his guitar as he dragged himself through the hallway.
Dropping the Addams siblings into the suite had been harder than expected, Pugsley fought like a feral raccoon on withdrawal, and Wednesday… well, she simply stared at him the whole way back with the kind of look serial killers reserve for their favorite knives.
At least now they were tucked safely in the suite. Empty suite, actually. It seemed the Addams had already made their way to the festivities, his mother likely too.
Valen glanced once at the door. They won't burn the place down, right?
"Eh. Even if they do, Gomez is rich enough to buy the whole damn hotel. Wouldn't even scratch his wallet. Dude probably keeps a 'burn damage fund' in his coat pocket."
With that reassurance, he slung his guitar across his back and headed toward the arena.
He gradually picked up his pace, his mother was performing tonight, and missing that wasn't an option. He was a filial son after all.
*
The festival had changed since the last Parade.
Where earlier only Outcasts had filled the torches and sand, now everyone was here. Normies. Tourists. Turning the grounds into one massive, sweaty, chattering crowd.
Valen slipped through the main paths until he reached the elevated lounge deck, the "VIP" area. Which, in reality, was just a glorified playground for the affluent to gossip, flirt, and forge alliances while sipping overpriced wine. A political meat market disguised as hospitality.
Well, not that he cared. All he needed was a vantage point and maybe a chair that didn't smell like sunscreen.
When he stepped inside, the mood shifted... he could feel it in the air. The Barclays were there, glaring at him. Their eyes screamed, You humiliated one of ours. You should be dead! If looks could kill, Valen would have been stabbed, burned, buried, dug up, and killed again.
Valen's only reply was a shrug. "Yeah, love you too."
Then brushed past them like they were furniture.
His eyes found the Addams family near the railing. Morticia stood close to Gomez, her pale hand resting on his arm while he whispered to her in tones so poetic Shakespeare himself would've gagged.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Addams. Hey, Lurch."
"Hmmmm," Lurch replied, a deep rumble that shook like a broken washing machine.
Morticia's red lips curled into a smile. "Good evening, darling boy. Tell me… where are my little viper and my little bomb?"
"Oh, them? They got bored and went back. Don't worry, I dropped them off safe."
A pause.
"…I don't worry." Morticia's eyes glowed with a dangerous warmth. Valen was 99% sure she did worry.
"Splendid!" Gomez cried, spinning his cane in circles like he was about to fight a dragon. "And now… the goddess of the seas, the queen of song, the jewel of the festival, your mother, will take the stage!"
Valen stared. "…You practiced that, didn't you?"
Gomez winked. "Every hour on the hour."
*
The stage darkened. A single spotlight lit up the podium, and the Siren President waddled forward like a penguin in pearls. His sash sparkled so bright it looked like he mugged a jewelry store on the way here.
He cleared his throat, puffed his chest, and began his speech.
"Tonight, we celebrate the glory of our people, the triumph of our songs, the legacy of our-"
Valen raised an eyebrow. Why does this feel… off?? Speeches like this were definitely supposed to be boring. Not… whatever this is.
Then it clicked.
Wait a minute... I know why!!
The hand gestures, the dramatic pauses, the way his chin tilted up every time he said "Siren"… yeah.
Bro! you're goddamn one arm-raise away from reenacting World War II!
The man even had the mustache-twitch down the same.
And the crowd... oh, the way the crowd nodded along like they were hypnotized. Clapping at all the right spots. Siren powers?
Valen then leaned on the railing, chuckling and muttering to himself. "Man, this is either a festival or a rehearsal for world domination."
The inauguration finally ended, with way too much clapping... For a second, it felt like seashells might start getting handed out as military medals.
The MCs scuttled onstage next, trying a few jokes that made Valen want to drown himself in the nearest cocktail.
"Why don't sirens ever get lost? Because they always follow the current!"
Half the audience chuckled. The other half looked like they wanted to drown the MCs in the nearest toilet.
Valen sighed. "Haha, yeah. Very funny. Someone please bring me a harpoon."
And then the real show began.
The stage became a giant aquarium. A glass tank filled with seawater rose like a jewel, glowing with an otherworldly blue hue. Inside it, dancers swam gracefully, tails flashing silver in the refracted lights. And at the center… his mother.
Sarenya.
She stood in a gown of sapphire silk that rippled like liquid with every movement. The first note she sang shattered the air like crystal, rippling out across the arena.
Valen's breath caught. So beautiful.
This song... he knew it. No, not knew. He recognized it. But only from home. His mom had never sung it in public. Never recorded it. She kept it locked away, private, like a secret diary.
But now, she shared it with the world.
The Barclays stared, their smug faces twisted into silent jealousy. Even they couldn't deny her voice. It was too good. Their sneers trembled into clenched jaws, because nothing stings more than admiring the prodigy who left you.
Then something strange happened.
Beside him, Morticia was humming softly, the same melody.
"Wait… how do you know this song?"
Morticia's dark eyes softened, her lips curving into a smile, nostalgic, "Because my little knife, your mother and I wrote it. Back in Nevermore. I gave her the words. She gave me the tune."
Valen blinked. His brain short-circuited into a blue-screen. Mom was gatekeeping? Morticia was secretly a composer? Since when did the Addams family casually drop lore bombs like this?
"Dayumm," Valen muttered, impressed.
The final note rang out. Silence. Then thunder.
The arena exploded with cheers. Thousands of people roared, clapping, stomping, shouting her name. The sound shook the air.
Valen didn't even try to act cool. His chest swelled with pride, his fists clenched in excitement. That was his mom. His.
She walked back up to the VIP deck, cheeks glowing, eyes shining.
"Mom! That was amazing!" Valen blurted.
Morticia and Gomez gave their own praise. Gomez went as far as to swear he would "commission a marble statue taller than the Eiffel Tower in her honor."
Valen rolled his eyes but didn't argue.
Then he leaned close, "Dad missed it, huh?"
Sarenya's smile dimmed, just a little. "Yes… he must be very busy this time around."
"…Are you mad at him?" Valen asked.
She shook her head softly. "Not mad. Just... a little sad."
Valen didn't reply... just nodded.
Soon after, the stage shifted again.
The glass tank was lowered, the lights dimmed, and the MC announced it was time for the young sirens to perform, their first true debut into outcast society.
His mother kissed his forehead with good luck.
The Addams family stood nearby, their black silhouettes like shadows against the bright stage. Morticia smiled and touched his cheek once, soft and strange, like a blessing. Gomez threw his arms wide like he was making a speech to the heavens.
"Play as if the world itself is your audience, boy!" Gomez declared. "And if they do not applaud, I shall duel them all!"
With a smile, Valen headed backstage, guitar in hand, heart pounding harder with every step.
While backstage was chaos.
---
Bonus Chapter 1/3 is here! 🎉Regular chapter will be dropping in a few hours, stay tuned!