The stage manager gestured toward the darkness beyond the wing.
I stepped forward.
The crowd's roar hit me first, vibrating through my chest. Then the lights dropped, plunging Olympus Hall into darkness.
Somewhere beyond the stage, thousands of people waited. A few minutes earlier, I had watched Haejun and Ren command this same arena. Now the crew had cleared their ruined thrones, leaving an empty stage for me.
This was it. The moment I'd chased since my first audition, since I'd convinced myself that hiding who I was was the only way to be heard.
My in-ear clicked.
"Standby, Jiwon-ssi. Thirty seconds."
I walked to my mark, guided by the faint glow of tape on the floor. My heart hammered.
Breathe.
The introduction began: a shimmering synth pad, with warmer tones slowly gathering beneath it. A lavender spotlight illuminated me at center stage.
I couldn't see beyond the front rows, but the cheering faded as the audience settled.
I opened my mouth and sang.
