Emily rubbed her hands across gold-embellished designs, carved on the mahogany wooden frame of her bed. A music box sitting on the nightstand played sweet baroque melodies. Moonlight beamed through the window, casting clair obscure shadows in Emily's hotel room. The room smelled of fresh linen, wealth, and fame. A tailor-made carpet with a sun and moon design lay underneath a coffee table. A special edition vintage wine sat atop, surrounded by a bucket of ice and porcelain trays.
"All this because I was chosen?" Emily muttered to herself as she picked up the music box. She smiled at it, her mask glowing in the moonlight. "₮₳₥ł₦₲ ₮ⱧɆ ₵ⱧØ₴Ɇ₦ ₩ł₮Ⱨ ł₦ĐɄⱠ₲Ɇ₦₵Ɇ ฿Ɇ₣ØⱤɆ ₮ⱧɆ ₴₳₵Ɽł₣ł₵Ɇ."
Emily's eyes widened as she dropped the music box; its porcelain ballerina cracked as it slammed into the wooden floorboards.
"Who's there?" Emily blurted out as her eyes darted around the room. "ɎØɄ ₴łⱠⱠɎ."
She closed her eyes and then took a deep breath. "Intrusive thoughts, just intrusive thoughts."
"ⱧØ₩ ⱠØ₦₲ ₳ⱤɆ ɎØɄ ₲Øł₦₲ ₮Ø ₭ɆɆ₱ ₮Ⱨł₴ Ʉ₱?"
"Shut up...shut up."
"ɎØɄ ĐØ₦₮ ₣ł₦Đ ł₮ ØĐĐ ɎØɄⱤ JɄ₴₮ ₲ØØĐ ₳₮ ɆVɆⱤɎ₮Ⱨł₦₲?"
"I said SHUT UP!" Emily yelled out loud, then covered her mouth and gazed at the door. Her heart raced as she heard a knock come from the door.
"Ummm, everything cool in there?" a female voice echoed from the other side.
"Yeah...yeah, I uhhh I was singing...hahahaha," Emily blabbered.
"Wait...is that you, Emily of Leonore?" the female voice replied as the doorknob turned.
Emily forced a smile on her face as she stared at Rachel as she opened her bedroom door. "Rachel?"
"Emily?"
Emily rubbed her neck and kicked the music box under the bed. "Hey...I uhhh, what are you doing here?"
Rachel raised an eyebrow, her eyes scanned Emily's room for anything out of place. "This is the hotel I am staying at while I am in Leonore."
"Yeah, same..." Emily replied with a thin-lipped smile, avoiding Rachel's gaze.
Rachel raised an eyebrow at her.
"I mean...Elijah paid for the room," Emily explained as she pointed out the window.
"You said you're not family...right?"
Emily blinked, then shrugged.
"Well, since you're here, how about you show me some of Leonore culture?"
Emily rubbed her neck. "Oh...um, I was just going to call it a night."
"Wait, are you shy, Emily of Leonore?"
Emily's eyes widened. "Shy!? I have no idea what you're talking about," she blabbered as she forced a smile on her face as she looked out the window.
"Right....so are you going to show me around Leonore, or do I have to ask someone else?" Rachel replied.
Emily bit her lip. "I guess I know some spots, though I don't really have any money."
Rachel shrugged. "That's fine, I will pay if needed, but they usually make everything free for those chosen, such as ourselves."
"I hate how they treat us differently just because of that."
"What do you mean? You're one of a hundred candidates blessed by the ENGINE for a shot at godhood. You and I are not like them, and thus we should be treated like so."
Emily shrugged. "I guess, but I don't see myself as chosen."
Rachel smirked. "You should see yourself as the PRIME. Manifest your win so on and so forth... that's what my papa told me," she explained as she gestured Emily to follow her.
Emily stopped in the hallway and closed her eyes, then took a deep breath.
"Something wrong?"Rachel asked as she turned back, raising an eyebrow at Emily.
"I'm manifesting this mask to come off," Emily whispered as she exhaled.
Rachel chuckled. "What don't you like about our masks?"
Emily rolled her eyes, then smirked. "No, and it itches."
"I like it...I think it builds character. I wish I had your color, though."
"Same...everything is better black."
Rachel smirked and rolled her eyes. "Are you sure, or is that your melancholic personality seeping through?"
Emily shrugged. "Probably both if I am being honest," she replied as she followed Rachel out of the hotel.
"ⱠØⱠ ⱧØ₦Ɇ₴₮ ₴ⱧɆ ₴₳Ɏ₴."
"Shut up,"
"What was that?" Rachel asked as streetlamps powered by ether lit up like fireflies.
"Oh, nothing...Sometimes I think out loud," Emily mumbled as she rubbed the back of her neck.
"Hrmmm, listening to the little voices in your head? I do that sometimes too, when I gotta find what outfit to wear when I have to attend one of my parents' waltz parties."
"You nobility or in the imperial army?"Emily asked as he looked at Rachel's militaristic outfit.
Rachel nodded as they stopped at an antique shop. "Both, I actually come from a bloodline that birthed six of the last ten PRIMES."
Emily blinked, then rubbed her shoulder. "Oh...wow."
"My full name is Rachel Ailuo Lianza of the Augustine Imperial. My brother Lorenzo is also a fellow chosen. He decided to stay in the empire's borders for PRIME day, unfortunately."
"That's horrible."
"What do you mean?"
"You gotta watch or fight your brother."
"Oh, we would actually love that. We've been training since we could walk for this moment. It's tradition, and with both of us as chosen, it increases the odds that our bloodline will reclaim PRIME."
Emily scratched her ear, forcing a thin lip smile on her face.
"₴Ʉ₵Ⱨ ₳ ₱ł₮Ɏ."
"What about you, Emily of Leonore. Weave me a tale of your greatness."
"If I did that, you would be extremely disappointed."
Rachel laughed as they continued walking the streets of Leonore under a starlit sky. "You sell yourself short, Emily of Leonore. You may not see it, but I see it."
"ØⱧ ĐØɆ₴ ₴ⱧɆ?"
"And what is that?"
Rachel smirked, then gazed at the opera house as they walked up to it. "How about I just show you?"
Emily raised an eyebrow, then looked at the opera house. "By watching an opera?"
Rachel smiled, then grabbed Emily by the hand, escorting her into the opera.
"ØⱧⱧⱧ ł Ⱡł₭Ɇ ₮Ⱨł₴ ₲łⱤⱠ."
"Shut up," Emily whispered, dragging her feet as Rachel pulled her inside.
Emily's feet were dragged on the velvet red carpet underneath her shoes. Golden-framed posters of famous actresses and singers lined the wall. Cologne, musk, popcorn, and money filled the air as people gossiped. Eyes lingered on Emily and Rachel as they headed towards the main corridor of the opera house.
"More chosen?" the ticket master asked, standing behind a register. "Lady Sarah does attract like moths to a flame."
Rachel's eyes widened as she smiled at Emily. "Wait, you mean Lady Sarah from the Republic of Tyrial?"
"Who is that?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You don't know who Lady Sarah of the Republic of Tyrial is?"
Emily shrugged.
"She likes one of the most famous performers in all the PRIME nations. My brother would be so jealous if he found out he missed an opportunity to see her perform."
"She is also a fellow chosen. Blessed by the ENGINE itself."
Rachel's eyes widened with glee. "No freaking way! I might be able to fight Lady Sarah herself for godhood. Oh, this day keeps getting better and better!"
"What?" Emily muttered, tilting her head at Rachel.
"Never mind...two seats please!" Rachel smiled at the ticket master.
"Silly chosen... seats are on the house. Please enjoy Lady Sarah's performance."
Rachel squealed as she dragged Emily through the curtains.
"ɎØɄ ₲Ø₮ ₵Ø₥₱Ɇ₮ł₮łØ₦, Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳"
"Fuck off."
Bright red plush seats sprawled down fleets of stairs that led to the stage. Golden chandeliers hung overhead, casting the venue in a warm hue. Emily noticed several others, chosen in various mask colors, sitting down and pointing at her and Rachel. The air reeked of perfume, lust, alcohol, and lavender. Ether-lit lamps hung over the wooden stage. Their bluish flame casts vibrant shadows across the production equipment.
Rachel squeezed past several paterons, clearing a path for Emily as they took their seats near the middle of the venue. Emily bit her nail as she glanced around at everyone. She scrunched up as she marveled at everyone's designer outfits and hats. Their conversations seemed alien to her as her leg started to shake. Her eyes darted towards the stage as Rachel tapped her leg and pointed forward.
All lights went out as a huge strobe light flickered on above the stage. The crowd erupted as the red curtain pulled back, revealing a woman around Emily's age. The girl had long, curly, vibrant pink hair. Her chosen mask was almost identical in color to her hair. She wore a brilliant pink dress, speckled with gems that glimmered in the light.
"Oh my PRIME. That's Lady Sasha in the flesh!" Rachel screamed with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
Emily crossed her arms and then rolled her eyes. She closed her eyes, and all she could see was the dreadful color pink.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the evening of PRIME Day!" Sarah screamed in a songbird tone. She smiled at the crowd as they erupted in adoration. Sarah breathed in the jubilee, closing her eyes and doing a twirl, and then bowed. "And as you can tell, I have an opportunity to be PRIME."
"₳฿₴ØⱠɄ₮ɆⱠɎ ₦Ø₮."
A baroque music box tune started to play. Sarah closed her eyes and began to waltz. The music added layers of 808s, orchestral pop, and cinematic strings. She then grabbed a violin and began to play for the crowd as an orchestra, harpsichord, and piano swelled within the melody.
"I see there some fellow chosen in the crowd," Sarah said as she continued to play, gazing up into the crowd. "What better way to celebrate PRIME Day than by having some fellow chosen dance on stage with me!"
"Oh my PRIME...pick us! Pick us!" Rachel screamed as she stood up, waving her hands.
Emily quickly attempted to push Rachel back into her seat as her eyes widened, and she shook her head.
"You two with the black and white mask!" Sarah yelled as she pointed at Rachel and Emily.
Emily's mouth dropped to the floor as a blank expression formed on her face, while Rachel squealed and then grabbed her hand.
"Why me?"
"Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳"
"Fuck my life."
"Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ"
"Chosen, why don't you tell the audience about yourself?" Sarah said as she escorted Rachel and Emily to the middle of the stage.
"I am Rachel of the Empire of Augustine, and this is Emily of Leonore," Rachel replied as she waved at the crowd.
Emily's expression was blank as dread slithered up her spine. Her hands trembled as she avoided eye contact with the audience.
"So Rachel and Emily. Shall y'all weave a dance for the crowd as I play my violin?"
"Can you just bash my head in instead?"
"Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳₳₳₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ"
Rachel clutched Emily's wrist and then twirled her as Sarah began to play while the orchestra behind her laid down the melody. Emily's mind went blank as she stared into Rachel's chestnut eyes; her confidence forced a smile on Emily's face. She felt her body moving in sync with the tune Sarah was strumming. Rachel was leading the dance with each step, waltzing Emily to a perfect performance by manipulating Emily's otherwise dead weight.
"Such a shy thing you are, Emily of Leonore," Rachel said as she twirled Emily as if she had been waltzing all her life. "You can't be PRIME while being afraid of the spotlight," She insisted as she brought her in close.
Emily did not respond...enthralled by Rachel's confidence. Her mind was blank while her heart thumped in her chest as Rachel kissed her on the lips. Emily's cheeks grew red as the crowd erupted into cheers. A spark lit up in Emily's body, a warm, overwhelming sensation that she didn't know existed.