Serenya's POV
The crowd thins until the laughter from the main hall fades. I stay at the bar, the untouched drink in front of me collecting beads of water. The mask still covers half my face, though the performance is long over. It’s safer that way.
Everything went as planned, for the most part. The song, the entrance, the exit. I played, they listened, and I walked away before anyone could look too closely. Even Kaelen didn’t recognize me as Serenya. He looked straight into my eyes and saw only Black Serenity. That should’ve been enough. That was supposed to be victory.
But his voice won’t leave my head. "That song. Where did you learn it?” He asked it like he needed to know, like it mattered to him. He wasn’t supposed to care.
Why?
I trace the rim of my glass. I should be relieved.
