Livienne stayed where she was. Her posture was relaxed. Her hands rested lightly in front of her. Her face showed calm interest, the kind people praised as grace under pressure. Inside her head, she was already counting results.
Tears. Whispers. Embarrassment.
She believed Elara would panic. Or beg. Or borrow a dress that did not fit and look small on stage. Or worse, not go on stage at all.
That was how these things usually ended.
Then footsteps came fast.
Mrs Elopee pushed through the crowd with a staff member behind her. Her heels hit the floor hard. Her sharp eyes took in the box, the fallen fabric, Lyra's trembling hands, and Elara's still figure.
"What is going on here?" Mrs Elopee asked.
Lyra stepped forward immediately, like she had been waiting for this.
"Our dresses," she said, lifting the cut fabric with shaking hands. "They were ruined. Someone cut them badly."
Her voice cracked just enough to pull attention.
Mrs Elopee took the dress and looked closely. Her mouth tightened.
She turned to Elara. "Is this true?"
Elara nodded once. "Yes, ma'am."
Mrs Elopee let out a sharp breath, half laugh, half anger. "This is ridiculous."
She turned to the her trainees. "Which one of you did this?"
Her question was met with silence. The other trainees only looked down at the floor, as if it had become very interesting.
Someone whispered, "That's terrible."
Another muttered, "Who would do something like that?"
Livienne stepped forward slightly, her voice gentle and clear. "The person who did this is really evil, this is a competition, not a battlefield." She said with a raised voice. A few people nodded at her words.
Elara snorted. Though it was not very loud, it was sharp enough to be heard by people close to her. Some of them turned to look at her.
"Do you have something to say, Elara?" Mrs Elopee asked frowning.
Elara lifted her head fully. Her gaze passed over Mrs Elopee, over the staff member, and landed directly on Livienne's face. Livienne met her eyes calmly with her usual smile.
Elara did not say anything, neither did Livienne.
Then Mrs Elopee spoke again, irritation clear in her voice. "The main event is about to start. What do you plan to do like this? Do you expect us to delay everything?"
Lyra looked like she was about to cry again.
Elara was still staring at Livienne, then she turned back to Mrs Elopee.
"You don't need to worry, ma'am." she said sighing.
"What do you mean?" Mrs Elopee asked blinking.
"Thankfully, we have a spare dress," Elara replied.
"Actually, spare dresses." She added.
That made the staff member pause. "Spare?"
"Yes," Elara said. "These were not the dresses we planned to wear on stage."
Livienne's smile stiffened a little.
"These were just backups," Elara said, gesturing to the cut dresses, "We kept our real dresses elsewhere."
Murmurs ran through the hall.
"So she expected this?"
"Really?"
"They must have threatened her before,"
Mrs Elopee looked surprised. "You expected this?"
Elara sighed again, dramatically. "I hoped it wouldn't happen. But I prepared just in case."
Livienne's fingers curled slightly. Her smile was still plastered on her face, but it no longer reached her eyes.
Elara's gaze returned to her. The meaning was clear. She knew everything.
Livienne glared at Elara, not bothering to maintain her gentle facade.
She'll leave this hell of a place soon anyways, that's something that can't be changed.
Then she snorted quietly and walked away. The smile, now vanished from her lips.
Mrs Elopee was still staring at her trainees feeling disgraced, for there were outsiders there. She turned and handed the dress back to Lyra. "Go get your spare. Both of you. Quickly."
"Yes, ma'am," Lyra said, voice still shaking. As they walked away, everyone started whispering to one another.
"She really came prepared."
"That was close."
"So who did it?"
Elara did not look back.
Behind her, Livienne had disappeared, her calm mask now cracked.
–
The main venue of Starhunt was already full long before the event officially began. The seats were packed with people row after row. Some people waved light sticks. Others held banners with names written in bold letters. Cameras flashed again and again.
The host walked onto the stage, smiling wide. "Welcome everyone. Tonight, we will witness new voices, new talents, and maybe the birth of the next star." He said.
Cheers rolled through the hall.
He explained the rules quickly. First, singing performances. Later, musical instruments. Each participant would come up alone.
When the performance list was announced on the big screen, different waves of reactions moved through the audience as they searched for familiar names.
In the VIP area, two figures sat side by side.
They wore hats pulled low and masks that covered half their faces. Still, their posture and calm presence made people around them glance more than once.
It was Lioren Valoire, and beside him, was the lead actress in the movie he was currently acting in.
They had been given a private space, but both of them chose to sit openly. They just need to be quiet enough to avoid too much attention.
The actress leaned closer and whispered, "I hope my sister sings well."
Lioren smiled under his mask. "I'm sure she will."
The event began.
"First performer," the host announced mentioning the person's name, "please welcome…"
A young lady walked onto the stage. Her steps seems rushed and her hands were held tightly in front of her. Even from far away, people could see how nervous she was.
Someone in the audience whispered, "Poor thing. First slot."
Another replied, "Yeah, that's unlucky."
The girl bowed deeply and lifted the mic.
"My song is, 'Say My Name Again', by Zairie Jonis." She said.
The moment the name was spoken, every one clapped, in order to boost her confidence.
"That song is good."
"It's popular."
"Brave choice."
When the girl opened her mouth and started singing, surprise rippled through the hall. Her voice was very sweet and clear. The nervousness that showed in her hands did not reach her voice at all.
"She sounds nice."
"That tone is pretty."
When she finished, applause filled the venue. The girl bowed quickly and hurried off the stage, face red but smiling.
More singers followed. One chose a strong rock song but pushed too hard. Another picked a sad ballad but sang it so flat that no emotions were felt. One boy sang confidently but forgot a line and laughed awkwardly before continuing, making people chuckle with him.
When it was Lyra's turn. She walked onto the stage with her flashy dress sparkling gold and silver around her.
"That dress…"
"Isn't that too much?"
Lyra stopped at the center of the stage.
Just before stepping out, she had been shaking. But now, she didn't even feel a bit nervous.
Her back straightened and she gave a smile.
"Hello everyone, I'll be singing Dancing in the Rain."
Though the voice and tone wasn't perfect. It was obvious she sang with her whole heart.
When she finished, the audience applauded.
Lyra bowed. As she stepped back, her heel hit the stage floor and she stumbled. She froze. Then she laughed, waved quickly, and hurried off, while the audience laughed behind her.
In the VIP seats, Lioren tilted his head slightly. "She looks familiar," he murmured.
The actress glanced at the stage. "Really?"
"Or maybe I'm mistaken." He replied simply.
The next performer walked up. The actress pointed at the person suddenly and whispered, "That's my sister."
The girl sang very well and the audience responded strongly. Their applause was louder this time. But still, both Lioren and the actress knew that though she was good, she wasn't the best tonight.
More names were called and time passed.
Then the host returned to the stage. "Next, we have" he announced, voice echoing through the venue.
"Elara."
The name appeared on the screen...