Ch. 43
Backstage After the Performance
The thunderous applause still echoed faintly behind the curtains when Selene finally exhaled. She had survived the performance and judging by the crowd's reaction, she might've done more than just survive.
Students hurried past her, some congratulating her in awe.
"Selene, you were amazing!"
"Your aura was insane!"
"You should totally join the club permanently!"
Selene only nodded politely, clutching the hem of her gown as she made her way toward the dressing area.
This should be my cue to leave before anyone—
"Wow."
That voice teasing, amused, far too familiar. Ethan leaned casually against a backstage column, his blazer unbuttoned and a crooked smile playing on his lips.
"I didn't know our quiet first-year had a flair for destruction. That 'I'll crush your world' line? Gave me chills, I swear."
Selene gave him a flat look.
"Then consider your world successfully crushed."
Ethan laughed.
"Oh, it definitely was." He raised his hands in mock surrender.
"You were terrifying in a good way. I almost pity the heroine."
Before Selene could respond, another voice spoke up deeper, calm, and oddly measured.
"Terrifying... but mesmerizing."
Selene turned, and her breath hitched slightly.
Adrian was standing just a few steps behind Ethan, arms crossed loosely as he regarded her with an unreadable gaze. His eyes trailed over her outfit, her composed posture, her still-painted villainess expression.
"You held everyone's attention," he said simply. "Even mine."
For some reason, that remark made her pulse stutter not out of flattery, but confusion.
Why was he here? And why did that sound almost... sincere?
Before she could answer, another cheerful voice chimed in.
"Selene! You were so good!"
Lina Grey appeared beside them, smiling brightly as she clasped Selene's hands.
"I didn't even know you could act! You totally stole the spotlight. Everyone backstage was freaking out!"
Selene blinked, utterly thrown off.
"...Lina? Ethan? Adrian? What are you three even doing back here?"
"What, we're not allowed to congratulate the star of the day?" Ethan grinned.
"We were watching from the front row! The director dragged us backstage after curtain call." Lina laughed lightly.
Adrian didn't say anything he only kept his gaze on her, that calm, assessing expression still lingering.
Selene felt her throat tighten a little.
She didn't mind their presence but standing here, surrounded by the three main characters of Love Illusion, the same ones she had once read about in a book, was enough to make her heart twist with unease.
Seriously, what's wrong with this picture?
She'd been trying to avoid them since day one the "plot-important" people, the ones fate seemed obsessed with throwing at her face. And yet, no matter what she did... they kept showing up.
It's like the universe had a sick sense of humor. The more she tried to stay in the background, the more the story kept dragging her into the spotlight.
And worse, the more she acted normal, the more they seemed intrigued. Maybe she really was cursed to attract chaos.
She smoothed out her gown, forcing a faint smile.
"Well... thanks, I guess. I'll, uh, go change."
"Already running away, villainess?" Ethan tilted his head.
"Don't tease her too much." Lina giggled.
And Adrian he only murmured, almost too softly.
"Even villains deserve an encore."
Selene froze for a second, not knowing how to respond.
So she did what she did best turned gracefully on her heel and walked away, pretending her heartbeat hadn't just gone completely off-script.
The following morning, the academy's social feed was in chaos, again. Clips of Selene's short yet intense theatre performance had spread like wildfire overnight. Her poised expression, that cutting line "I'll crush your world."
It was all over the student forum, trending even beyond the campus group chat.
Some posts had thousands of reactions already:
Even the theatre club's official account reposted the clip with the caption:
Selene, of course, ignored all of it.
She scrolled through the notifications once, sighed, and muttered under her breath.
"Great. Another spotlight I didn't ask for."
Then, she tossed her phone aside, rolled over in bed, and buried her face in the pillow.
She didn't know that, somewhere across the city someone else was also watching that same clip.
The soft glow from his tablet reflected in his eyes as he replayed the video for the third time.
The scene was brief less than a minute but it was enough to hold his attention completely.
Selene...
The same girl he'd met months ago sharp tongue, cold eyes, elegant posture. But on that stage, she was different.
Fierce.
Alluring.
Beautiful in a way that wasn't meant to be gentle.
He leaned back on his couch, one hand resting under his chin.
The screen flickered again Selene's expression, the tilt of her chin, that commanding tone.
"I'll crush your world."
The line echoed faintly from the speakers, and he felt his lips curl into a rare, quiet smile.
"Beautiful Selene," he murmured, almost to himself.
He wasn't sure what compelled him to watch it again but he did.
Fourth time.
Fifth.
Each replay drew his eyes to the same details: the precision of her gestures, the way her presence dominated even the main heroine's spotlight.
A soft knock pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Sir, your meeting starts in ten minutes," one of his staff called.
Jaxen didn't answer immediately. He simply pressed pause the screen frozen on Selene's face before setting the tablet down carefully.
"Got it. I'll be there."
But before he stood up, he glanced once more at the paused frame.
Something unreadable flickered in his gaze amusement, admiration... and something else he couldn't quite name.
He chuckled quietly.
"Looks like fate's playing tricks again."
Then he turned off the screen, though the image of her lingered the girl with the cold stare and unintentional charm.
The girl who kept appearing in the most unexpected corners of his world.