The Sleeping Throne

Episode Two

THE SLEEPING THRONE

Before She Wakes

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EPISODE TWO

7:34 A.M. | Bus Stop, Stormlaks City

The stop was crowded.

It was always crowded at that hour.

People packed beneath the shelter shoulder to shoulder, clutching coffee cups, work bags, and half-finished breakfasts. The air smelled of fried pastries from the nearby stall, mixed with exhaust fumes and the lingering chill of early morning.

Leora found a spot near the edge of the crowd and checked the time... 7:34 A.M.

Seven minutes until the bus.

Twenty-three minutes to Ember's.

Five minutes to change.

Ten minutes to help set up before the lunch rush.

She ran through the calculations automatically. Numbers were easy, numbers behaved, numbers never left her staring at her inbox every fifteen minutes wondering whether her future had arrived yet.

Her phone buzzed, Her pulse jumped.

For one ridiculous, hopeful second, she thought— Results.

She pulled the phone from her pocket.

Cass.

Voice note.

Leora exhaled.

Of course.

Not the admissions office.

Not the email she'd been waiting four months for.

Just Cass.

Probably talking too fast about something completely unnecessary.

She slipped the phone back into her coat.

Later.

The results could arrive today.

Or tomorrow.

Or next week.

Or never.

That last possibility always lingered somewhere in the back of her mind.

Not because she wasn't qualified.

Because hope had a way of making disappointment hurt more.

She opened her inbox anyway.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

S.I.L.

Stormlaks Institute of Luxury.

The name alone tightened something inside her chest.

Not because of the prestige.

Not because everyone in the country treated the place like a gateway to greatness.

Because getting in would mean something.

It would mean the years of studying mattered.

The late nights mattered.

The essays she rewrote so many times, she practically memorized them mattered.

It would mean she was more than a bartender trying to keep her life stitched together one shift at a time.

More than overdue bills.

More than a tiny apartment.

More than uncertainty.

Then music drifted through the crowd.

Four notes.

That was all it took.

Leora looked up immediately.

DYNAMIC.

Of course.

Someone ahead of her had their speaker turned up.

The familiar melody floated through the morning noise.

And then his voice arrived.

Warm.

Raw.

Effortless.

The city disappeared.

The conversations.

The traffic.

The calculations.

Gone.

For a moment there was only music.

She had discovered DYNAMIC eight months ago through a random video someone reposted online.

Thirty seconds of a performance.

That was all.

Thirty seconds became hours.

Hours became playlists.

Playlists became a habit.

There was something unfair about his voice.

The way it slipped beneath your skin before you realized it was there.

The way it made strangers feel understood.

Maybe that was why everyone loved him.

Or maybe he was simply that talented.

Either way, he wasn't just famous.

He was one of S.I.L's success stories.

One of the names people pointed to whenever they talked about the institute.

Proof that extraordinary people came out of those halls.

Leora watched the city beyond the crowd.

Sometimes she wondered what it felt like to belong among people like that.

The bus arrived.

The crowd surged forward.

Leora moved with it.

A few minutes later, she found a seat by the window and watched Stormlaks City roll past.

Glass towers reflected the morning sunlight.

Digital billboards flickered above busy streets.

Luxury cars glided between buses packed with ordinary people heading to ordinary jobs.

Stormlaks was beautiful.

And exhausting.

A city that constantly reminded you someone else had more.

More money.

More opportunities.

More connections.

Her phone buzzed again.

Cass.

Another voice note.

Leora laughed despite herself.

Only Cass would send a second voice note before the first one had been opened.

The bus continued through the city.

Still waiting.

Still hoping.

Still refreshing.

Still dreaming.

Ember's Bar | Luxara City

The familiar scent of coffee beans and polished wood greeted her as soon as she stepped through the back entrance.

"You're late."

Leora looked up.

Ember stood behind the counter with her arms crossed.

"I'm three minutes early."

"That's still late by your standards."

"Good morning to you too."

Ember snorted.

"The inventory system crashed."

"Wonderful."

"The coffee machine is acting possessed."

"Even better."

"And someone forgot to sign for this morning's delivery."

Leora nodded.

"So a normal day."

"Exactly."

By noon, the lunch crowd had taken over the bar.

Every table was occupied.

The noise level had doubled.

And Leora was beginning to regret every decision she'd made since waking up.

Especially this customer.

"It tastes watered down."

Leora stared at the drink.

Then at him.

Then back at the drink.

The drink was fine.

The drink had always been fine.

The drink would continue to be fine long after this conversation ended.

"I can make another one."

"I shouldn't have to ask."

"No, sir."

"Customer satisfaction should be a priority."

"It is."

"Clearly not."

Leora smiled.

The smile hurt.

Across the room, Ember caught her eye.

Then immediately disappeared into the kitchen.

Coward.

The bell above the entrance jingled.

A familiar voice cut through the noise.

"Where is she?"

Leora closed her eyes.

No.

Absolutely not.

Not today.

"Leora!"

Too late.

Cass appeared beside the bar like she had been teleported there.

Cass was chaos disguised as a person.

She entered every room like it owed her attention.

Collected gossip like trophies.

And somehow turned ordinary days into adventures.

Usually against Leora's will.

"I'm working."

"I know."

"Then wait."

"I am waiting."

She was not.

Not even slightly.

Cass practically vibrated with excitement.

Leora narrowed her eyes.

"What did you do?"

Cass grinned.

That grin never meant anything good.

Before she could answer—

Leora's phone buzzed.

Everything stopped.

The noise.

The crowd.

The customer.

The city.

All of it faded.

Cass looked at the screen first.

Then froze.

"Oh."

Leora's stomach dropped.

Admissions Office.

Stormlaks Institute of Luxury.

Her hands suddenly felt unsteady.

Slowly she opened the email.

Read the first line.

Then read it again.

And again.

Because surely she had misunderstood.

Surely—

She hadn't.

We are pleased to inform you that your application has been successful.

For a moment she forgot how to breathe.

Then she screamed.

The entire bar froze.

Forks stopped halfway to mouths.

Conversations died.

Someone dropped a spoon.

Even Mr. Watered-Down-Drink looked concerned.

Leora didn't notice any of it.

She was still staring at the screen.

Successful. Successful. Successful.

The word echoed through her head like it had forgotten how to leave.

Beside her, Cass snatched the phone. Read the email. Then she screamed.

Louder than Leora. "OH MY GOD!" Every head turned toward them.

"WE DID IT!"

"YOU DIDN'T DO IT!"

"I PROVIDED MORAL SUPPORT!"

Ember emerged from the kitchen. "What is happening?"

Cass pointed dramatically. "She got into S.I.L." Silence.

Ember blinked. Then blinked again.

Then did something so shocking. Leora nearly screamed a second time.

She smiled. Actually smiled. Not her usual smirk. A genuine smile.

"Well," Ember said. "About time." Leora laughed. Then cried.

Then laughed because she was crying. Then cried because she was laughing.

Cass immediately wrapped her in a hug. "You got in."

"I got in."

"You actually got in."

"I got in." The words didn't feel real.

Not yet. Maybe they never would. Cass pulled back.

"Oh." Leora narrowed her eyes.

That tone never led anywhere safe. "What?" Cass ignored her. "What?"

Then it hit her. "My mum." Cass gasped. "You haven't called her?"

"I forgot."

"You forgot?"

"There was a lot happening."

Cass pointed at the phone. "Call her."

Leora was already searching through her contacts.

The line rang once. Twice. Three times.

Then "Leora?" Her mother's voice. Warm. Familiar. The sound of home.

Leora felt her throat tighten immediately. "Mum." A pause.

"What's wrong?"

Leora laughed. "Why do you always assume something is wrong?"

"Because you're calling during work hours." Fair enough.

Leora looked down at the email. At her name. In the future sitting inside a glowing rectangle.

"Mum."

"Yes?"

"I got in." Silence. Not the bad kind. The stunned kind.

The kind that arrives when reality changes without warning. "You got in?" "S.I.L." Another pause. Then a sharp inhale.

"Oh." Leora closed her eyes.

"You got in." "I got in." The words sounded different coming from her mother.

Bigger somehow. Real. Then came a shaky laugh. Followed immediately by what sounded suspiciously like crying.

Leora smiled. "Are you crying?"

"No."

"Mum."

"I am experiencing emotion." That made Leora laugh.

Across the room, Cass wiped her eyes dramatically. Traitor.

Her mother took a slow breath. When she spoke again, her voice was steady. "I'm proud of you."

The words hit harder than the acceptance letter. Harder than the congratulations. Harder than everything.

"I'm proud of you, Leora." A tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly. Cass pointed.

Leora glared. Cass pointed harder. "I love you, Mum." "I love you too." For a moment neither of them spoke.

"So." Leora smiled immediately.

There she was. "So."

"How much is it going to cost?" Leora burst out laughing.

The woman could survive an apocalypse and still ask about tuition before the smoke cleared.

"I don't know yet. We'll figure it out." Simple. Immediate. Certain.

The way her mother approached every impossible thing. "We'll figure it out."

"Of course we will." When the call ended, Leora lowered the phone slowly.

Something inside her felt lighter. Like she'd been carrying a weight for years without realizing it.

Cass appeared beside her instantly. "Excellent."

Leora sighed. "What now?"

Cass grinned. The dangerous grin. The one that usually ended with Leora questioning her life choices. "My apartment."

"No."

"My apartment."

"Cass."

"My apartment."

"I have a shift."

"No, you don't."

"I literally work here."

Ember appeared. "You can leave."

Leora stared. "What?"

"You got into S.I.L."

"I still have responsibilities."

"You have one responsibility." Ember pointed toward the door. "Get out."

Leora looked between them. "You planned this."

"We absolutely planned this," Cass said proudly.

"Unbelievable."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment." Leora glared.

Twenty minutes later, they were climbing the stairs to Cass's apartment.

The building looked like it had survived multiple economic crises through sheer stubbornness.

The elevator hadn't worked in three years. The landlord kept promising to fix it. Nobody believed him anymore.

By the fourth floor, Leora was out of breath. Cass wasn't. Which felt unfair.

Cass unlocked the door and pushed it open. "Welcome home."

The apartment looked exactly the same. Books everywhere. Clothes draped over chairs. Half-finished projects occupying every available surface. A plant near the window that looked one bad day away from death. Leora dropped onto the couch. Then immediately opened the acceptance email again. Cass groaned. "You've read it at least forty times."

"Forty-one."

"That's not helping."

"It feels fake." Cass softened slightly.

For the first time all day, her teasing disappeared.

"It isn't." Leora stared at the screen.

The words still felt impossible. "I got in."

"You did."

"S.I.L."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's insane."

Cass sat beside her. "No."

"What?"

"It's not insane."

Leora looked away. "People like me don't usually end up there." Cass immediately sat forward. "People like you?" "You know what I mean." "No. Explain." Leora sighed. Cass suddenly clapped. Once. Loudly. "Enough emotions." Leora groaned. "No."

"Yes."

"Cass."

"We have a concert." Of course. The concert. Leora blinked. The acceptance letter had been so overwhelming she'd almost forgotten. Almost. DYNAMIC. Tonight. Cass jumped off the couch. Then disappeared into her bedroom. Immediately followed by the sound of drawers opening. Closet doors slamming. Something falling. "What are you doing?" "No questions." That was never reassuring. A few moments later, Cass emerged carrying three dresses. Leora stared. Then stared harder. Then stared at Cass. "What is this?" "Preparation." "For what?" Cass looked offended. "The concert."

"Yes, the concert, now stand up and let's doll you up," Cass shouted.

" Fineee," Leora sighed as she stood to be Cass's new doll.