CHAPTER 65: STAGE PRESENCE 15

Aegis woke to her HUD flashing a notification that made her sit straight up in bed.

Relationship Update:

Talia Stone (❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍)

[Three hearts? When did that happen?]

She rubbed her eyes, thinking back to yesterday’s rehearsal.

That kiss in the practice room had been different from their stage kisses. Deeper. Hungrier. The way Talia had gasped against her mouth, the way her body had melted into Aegis’s touch...

[Did she... actually like it?]

Aegis grinned like a madwoman. She couldn’t help it; this was too juicy.

"You’re awake early," Lune said from her easel. She’d been painting since dawn, apparently. "Nervous about tonight?"

"Nah." Aegis stretched, her oversized sleep shirt riding up. "I was born for the spotlight."

"Mm." Lune’s brush moved across the canvas. "Your confidence is... educational."

Aegis glanced at the painting. It was her again, mid-stretch, with morning light hitting her face. The detail was incredible—Lune had even captured the slight bedhead.

"You really like drawing me, huh?"

"Your expressions are interesting." Lune didn’t look up. "Most people hide what they’re thinking. You don’t."

[Is that supposed to be a compliment?]

Aegis rolled out of bed and started getting dressed. Tonight was the big performance. The entire academy would be watching, plus who knew how many nobles from the city. Her first real chance to cement her reputation as more than just a lucky commoner.

"You coming to watch?" she asked Lune.

"Obviously. I want to see if you kiss the princess the same way you kissed Scarlett."

Aegis nearly choked. "You saw that?"

"Our door was open. You were loud."

[Mental note: check if doors are closed before getting railed.]

"Well, tonight’s kiss will be much more... artistic."

"I’m sure."

---

Aegis checked her makeup in the mirror of her dressing room.

A special room, just for her. Not the communal changing area where most of the cast got ready. Professor Loralei had insisted that the two leads needed "space to prepare mentally," which meant Talia was somewhere in the building with her own mirror, probably glaring at her reflection and plotting Aegis’s downfall.

Or maybe...

Aegis’s mind drifted to yesterday’s rehearsal. The heat of Talia’s body against hers. The soft gasp when their lips met. The way the princess had melted, just for a moment, before pulling away.

Three hearts. From Talia Stone. Little Miss I’d-Rather-Die-Than-Touch-A-Commoner.

Aegis could hardly believe it. Still, she needed to remain focused, so she pushed Talia out of her mind for now as she kept adjusting the intricate collar of her costume.

She looked good. The royal blue outfit highlighted her curves in all the right places and the gold trim added just the right touch of nobility.

She was as ready as she was gonna be.

TAP TAP

A knock at the door pulled her attention away.

"It’s open!"

Liora peeked in, already in her costume, a flowing cream-colored dress that made her blonde curls look even more angelic than usual. Aegis had to stop herself from staring.

"Just checking if you need any help with... oh."

Liora stopped, eyes widening slightly as she took in Aegis’s appearance.

"What? Too much?" Aegis gave a little twirl with one brow raised, the coat flaring dramatically.

"No, you look..." Liora seemed to search for the right word. "Perfect."

Aegis smiled.

[I just remembered... I have four hearts with Liora already. Is she already attracted to me, or is she still just curious?]

"Thanks." Aegis grinned. "You look amazing too. Like you just stepped out of a fairy tale."

Liora blushed, taking a step into the room.

"How are you feeling? Nervous?"

"Me? Nervous?" Aegis laughed. "Nah. I was born for this."

"For playing the tragic lover of Queen Rosanna?"

"For being adored by a crowd." Aegis winked. "For moving. Projecting. Declaring. All of that."

She wasn’t lying.

After years of lying down in that hospital bed, all Aegis wanted was to put this new, functional body to use. Sure, she wanted to learn to shoot fire from her hands and all that cool fantasy stuff, but she also wanted to sing. To dance. To act.

Perhaps more poignantly, it could be said she wanted to perform.

Liora shook her head, but her smile was fond.

"You’re something else, Aegis."

"Something charming, I hope~"

Liora moved closer, entering Aegis’s personal space. Aegis didn’t move. The girl smelled like vanilla and flowers... and half her chest was just out.

[God I wanna bury my face in- NO! Wholesome thoughts. Wholesome thoughts only... for now.]

"I actually came to check on something else," Liora said. "Yesterday, during our private rehearsal..."

[Oh?]

"Mm-hmm?" Aegis raised an eyebrow.

"That kiss with Talia..."

"Which one?" Aegis teased with a smirk. "You’re gonna have to be more specific than that, hehe."

"The one when I was watching. It seemed... different."

Aegis was about to answer with another little quip but, suddenly, she was presented with options.

DIALOGUE CHOICE

1. "Different how? More passionate?" - ACT DENSE

2. "Jealous? Don’t worry, I have plenty of kisses for you too." - FLIRT

3. "It was just acting. Nothing special." - END THE MOMENT EARLY

[Oh, come on. You already know which one I want to choose, System.]

"Jealous?" Aegis’s voice dropped to a seductive purr. "Don’t worry, I have plenty of kisses for you too, if you want some."

Liora’s cheeks darkened, but she didn’t back away.

"I’m not jealous."

"No?" Aegis stepped even closer, backing Liora against the wall beside the door. "What are you, then?"

Another dialogue option appeared.

1. "Curious? About how my lips would feel on yours?" - FLIRT

2. "Worried? That I might prefer Talia over you?" - INSTIGATE

3. "Just making conversation? How boring." - PUSH AWAY

"Curious, perhaps?" Aegis placed a hand on the wall beside Liora’s head, looking deep into her eyes, smiling just a little. "About how my lips would feel on yours?"

Liora’s breath hitched.

"W-What? I—"

"Because-"

"PLACES IN FIVE MINUTES!"

Professor Loralei’s magically amplified voice echoed through the building, making them both jump. Liora’s eyes snapped open. Aegis laughed, backing away. Liora laughed too as she saw that.

[Way to ruin the moment, professor.]

"I should—"

"Yeah." Aegis stepped back, smirking with a wink. "I should save all my kissing for the stage, I guess."

Liora nodded, ducking under Aegis’s arm and slipping toward the door.

"Break a leg out there."

"You too."

As the door closed behind her, Aegis exhaled slowly.

[Damn. So close.]

She turned back to the mirror, checking her lipstick one last time.

Tonight was going to be interesting.

---

The backstage area buzzed with last-minute preparations.

Stagehands rushed around, adjusting props and checking lighting spells. Cast members whispered lines to themselves, fussing with costumes and makeup.

Aegis strode through the chaos with confidence, nodding and smiling at her fellow actors. She caught sight of Talia at the other end of the corridor, surrounded by a small group of nobles who’d somehow gained backstage access.

The princess looked stunning in her royal attire, her black hair elaborately styled with a golden crown nestled among the curls. Her yellow eyes were almost glowing in the dim backstage lighting.

As if sensing Aegis’s gaze, Talia looked up, their eyes meeting across the crowd.

For a moment, something passed between them. Not quite hostility, not quite open desire, but something electric nonetheless.

Then Talia turned away, returning her attention to the noblewomen cooing over her costume.

[Yeah, game on, Princess.]

"Aegis! There you are!" Professor Loralei floated up, her blue hair whirling around her head like she was underwater. "Are you ready? Feeling centered? Embodying Elara’s passionate spirit?"

"Born ready, Professor." Aegis flashed her most dazzling smile.

[Reborn ready, you could say.]

"Marvelous! Oh, I’m simply tingling with anticipation! Now, take your places. The curtain rises in two minutes!"

Aegis moved to her mark at the side of the stage, peering through a gap in the curtain.

The auditorium was packed, every seat filled. She spotted Scarlett in the front row, giving her a thumbs-up. Lune sat a few rows back, her sketchbook already open on her lap.

Lady Roseheart was there too, along with what seemed like half the nobility of Rosevale City. Even Dean Whitmore and Headmistress Valdris sat in special seats near the front.

The lights dimmed. The audience fell silent. Aegis took a deep breath, stepping into character.

[Show time.]

---

The first act went flawlessly.

Aegis delivered her lines with the perfect blend of confidence and vulnerability. Talia moved across the stage with regal grace, every inch the young queen destined for greatness. Their chemistry was palpable, drawing gasps and murmurs from the audience at all the right moments.

When they argued in the council chamber scene, the tension crackled between them. When Elara defended Rosanna against the scheming councilors, several audience members actually stood up, cheering.

Soon would come the moment everyone was waiting for. The moment that had probably been responsible for packing the seats and would be responsible for multiple headlines in the papers tomorrow morning.

The confession scene.

Aegis couldn’t wait.

---

{Varyn}

Varyn Duskbane watched from the wings as Talia hurried past, her face flushed with what looked like anger.

Perfect.

He’d been waiting for his moment, and with everyone scrambling to prepare for Act Two, no one noticed him slipping deeper backstage.

"Did you do it?" he whispered as Talia passed.

She barely glanced at him.

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"I changed my mind."

Talia didn’t even slow down, leaving Varyn standing there, dumbfounded.

[That useless—]

He’d been counting on Talia to eliminate the Starcaller problem. She had so much reason to do so! And, the poison would have been perfect. Untraceable, quick-acting, and with symptoms that would render her unable to perform but not seriously harm her.

Just enough to get her out of the play. Out of the spotlight.

Out of the way.

But if Talia wouldn’t handle it...

He’d have to take matters into his own hands.

Varyn glanced toward the rigging above the stage, where heavy sandbags counterbalanced the curtains and set pieces. One well-placed spell, at just the right moment...

He grinned.

[If Starcaller insists on being in the spotlight, let’s see how she handles being under a spotlight. Permanently.]

With a grim smile, Varyn slipped away to prepare.

The show must go on, after all.

For some, at least.