to the stage, holding a velvet-covered case in her arm

ound in a collapsed temple on the edge of the Aksum ruins, in the remo

...possibly early shifters," she said confidently and paused to stare at the crowd briefly,

r. Inside sat a tall vase.... Glowing faintly under t

e reaction she wa

he crowd and phones came u

ed proudly a

e of Aeyros reacts to emotional energy...especially long

a's heart pounded, but

ase on a glass pe

. Thought of her mother's voice. Of her fi

hispering the chant she'd practiced

re was s

there. Motio

passed.

eryone assumed was a mockery cough, inciting t

followed i

. Cold, Sharp

s supposed to hum

tested it. It-" she tried to ex

ilure, just st

ition, and she modeled as a side hustle, but this was her passi

e else said, not backing off from the oppo

d, but she didn't move

ormance or a serious submission for consideration? Six times this year is a disgrace. Y

and my works, you have no right. What I do for my money is nothing

e interrupted.

d the air and phones

pedestal. The vase wobbled... tipped... the

levitated

f the Year, ladie

came again, h

to pick up the fragments

lock letters inside

SUBAN POT

ve been scammed by a f

caught. Her

had been made a fool...

swallowing the scream

hands, she gathe

rrying her offstage before the s

supposed to b

Even the vase

***

She shoved the door to the team room open and marched in like a fema

he nearest man... Darren, the intern who'd handl

, wide-eyed. "What

ol of me?!" Her voic

his cheek. "We were all there when it was

he shard with trembling fingers. "It says MADE

ared at it

n ruins. The last time I made a major find, they turned it into a bloody post

st...just breathe. Keep calm, Serena-"

wled. "I need to fix this shit before e

't wait f

enched in her fist, Serena push

e place left that

aybe, she'd find a

**

ibr

ance barely blinked...everyone knew her face by now. She was practically a f

larity to continue her search. She found her usual spot, settled into a creaky w

g new c

theories, rewritten

ly on the marble as she walked deeper into the rows of shelves. She dri

teps s

ng felt

he didn't recognize them. The wood was

the library always

books. The scroll was brittle, its seal broken long ago. She blew off the

unrolled it o

Hidden

rowed as she

earch long enough, you might find a kingdom of rare jewels, mys

eart s

chment, hoping for m

ad it again,

n artifact. This sounded real, wild and magical. Everything she needed. If she could trac

nd show them she is goo

ers. Her face on the museum walls

nt against her chest, ey

y, she rolled it up and

briskly towa

g?" the libraria

es," Sere

u find a

he storm swirling insi

dded, returni

e doors and stepped in

cision

t this time. If they found ou

, she woul

one wa

oing to fi

ake the world re