Across the city, the heavy, mouth-watering smell of rich beef broth and fried garlic filled the warm air of a crowded neighborhood restaurant. Sofia sat entirely alone at a small, isolated corner table, keeping her head low so that nobody would notice the deep burn scars on her face.The television mounted high on the wall was playing the second episode of the Dungeon Exploration Team, and every single customer in the room was staring at the screen with absolute fascination. Sofia looked up from her steaming bowl, her breath catching in her throat as the dramatic footage began.The screen showed a massive, corrupted troll roaring with terrifying power, causing a group of fully trained, veteran hunters to panic and scatter in total confusion. The situation looked completely hopeless and lethal until Aria stepped into the center of the frame.Aria looked incredibly calm as she began taking command of the crisis, her voice echoing with a natural, unshakeable authority that immediately st

Meanwhile, across the city in a bustling, chaotic newsroom, Kevin Stone stared intensely at his glowing computer monitor, his fingers hovering frozen above the mechanical keyboard. The large room around him was filled with the loud, irritating chatter of other journalists rushing to publish their own shallow pieces on the broadcast. "Every single unique angle for this story is already completely saturated by the competition," Kevin muttered with a deep, frustrated sigh that showed his growing desperation. He rubbed his tired, bloodshot eyes, his expression turning thoroughly miserable as he refreshed the entertainment news feeds only to see identical headlines. "Hundreds of identical articles about the mysterious return of the Great Mage have been published in the last ten minutes," Kevin growled while his voice dropped into an irritated, low whisper that was drowned out by the office noise. He desperately needed something entirely different to save his failing career at the pa

Jason looked at the offered hand for a moment before shaking it. The grip was firm but not aggressive, the kind of handshake that belonged to someone used to making strangers comfortable enough to talk. "Kevin Stone," Jason repeated, like he was filing the name away. "The Daily Herald." "That's right." Kevin's eyes flicked briefly to Sean, then back to Jason. "I caught the Dungeon Exploration broadcast a few weeks back. The interview segment especially." Sean shifted his weight, glancing sideways at Jason like he wasn't sure whether this was a problem or an opportunity. Jason's face gave nothing away. "A lot of people caught that broadcast," Jason said. "What about it brought you here." Kevin smiled, the kind of smile that came from someone who liked being asked direct questions. He flipped open his notebook, though he didn't write anything down yet. "Miss Reeves mentioned her manager by name. More than once. Said he was the reason she believed her recovery was possible when nob

That evening, Jason sat across from Aria in her living room, a pizza box open between them on the low table. She had a slice halfway to her mouth when he finally brought up the day's events."Vivian Cross landed a cosmetics deal too," Jason said, watching her reaction carefully.Aria didn't even glance up. She took a bite, chewed, and shrugged."Don't care," she said, mouth still half full."You don't want to know which brand.""Still don't care." She swallowed and reached for another slice. "I don't keep track of other mages. Why would I start with her."Her tone was flat, completely uninterested, like the name barely registered as anything worth her attention. Jason almost smiled at how easily she dismissed it. He set that thread aside and moved toward the part of the conversation he'd actually been building up to all evening."There's something else," Jason said, choosing his words slower this time. "A movie studio sent an offer. For you. A supporting role."Aria blinked at him, sl

Once the mentors had all taken their places, Holt clapped his hands together and turned back to the contestants still seated in the auditorium. "Now," he said, "let's see where your loyalties lie before the competition even begins." He explained the hand raise survey. Each agency's name would be called, and any contestant interested in joining that agency once the season concluded could raise their hand. It wasn't binding. It was a temperature check, mostly for the cameras, mostly for the producers calculating which storylines to chase first. "Upstream Management," Holt called out. Nearly half the room raised their hands at once. The sound of shifting chairs and rustling sleeves filled the space. Vivian smiled at the sight, slow and satisfied, like she had expected nothing less. She let her gaze drift deliberately toward Aria before speaking, her voice carrying just far enough to be heard by the front rows. "Funny how quickly people remember who actually wins," Vivian said, tone