The viewing gallery, though thinned out from the long hours, was still alive with that electric hum of leftover excitement from Devon's flawless finish.
But as the screens showed him turning left in the corridor instead of heading out to the main hall, a ripple of confusion spread like wildfire through the remaining crowd.
Yvonne leaned even closer to the glass, her fingers gripping the edge tight, eyebrows furrowed deep. "He's really going in there? Into Elena's theatre?" she muttered, voice a mix of awe and bewilderment. Claudia, sitting next to her with her legs crossed and arms folded, tilted her head sideways, squinting at the live feed like it was a puzzle she couldn't quite solve. "Beats me. The guy's just won the whole thing—why
not come out and soak up the cheers? This doesn't make sense."
