Walking out of the dining room that night was a world apart from the bustling, noisy atmosphere they had left behind. Ariel's heart still pounded in her chest, and a small part of her desperately wanted to retreat and stay inside. As she clung to Leroy's arm, she was struck by how eerily empty the once-bustling dining room and hallways had become. The space was now a ghost town, devoid of the earlier activity.

"Ghost town in here, huh?" Leroy remarked, his voice echoing slightly as they turned into yet another desolate corridor.

"Yeah," Ariel replied, savoring the tranquility and emptiness before she was plunged back into the chaos of the festival.

They reached the outside far too quickly. The warm, almost humid breeze in the air was the only trace of the earlier rain. Ariel looked up into the night sky and was rewarded with a breathtaking view of countless stars, each twinkling like tiny candle flames. Leroy pointed out the full moon, its silvery light casting a gentle glow over the landscape.

"Couldn't ask for a better night," he commented, his tone carrying a hint of admiration.

Ariel nodded reluctantly. Part of her had been hoping for rain to provide an excuse to avoid the festival. Leroy began humming a tune and then paused, his brow furrowed in thought.

"How does that song go again?" he wondered aloud.

Ariel blinked at him, raising an eyebrow. "What song?"

"Wait, it's coming to me. Something like... 'Can you feel the love tonight?'"

Ariel tried to suppress a laugh, her lips twitching into a smile as she looked away. His voice was unexpectedly soothing, and she made a mental note to ask him to sing for her again—just not right now and definitely not that song.

"Almost there," he announced, drawing her attention back to the festival grounds. Her smile faded as she took in the scene before her.

The festival grounds were a sea of light and color, with fires crackling and lanterns glowing like constellations scattered across the field. Shadows of Mandy, Mr. Warner, Taylor, Max, and Jasper flickered in the distance, their figures wavering like specters. Ariel's stomach churned. The grounds were teeming with far more people than she had anticipated, and the noise was overwhelming. As they neared, Ariel found herself raising her voice just to be heard over the shouts from the food stands, the squeals of joy, and the lively music playing somewhere nearby. Mr. Warner slowed to a stop just before they plunged into the throng.

"What do you think? Amazing, huh?" he beamed, using his stage voice to full advantage. "We're in for an excellent night; the play begins in just under an hour."

Ariel's face went pale as she recalled the last play she had attended, where she had been depicted as the love interest of Noah's character. Leroy, noticing her distress, winked down at her.

"I doubt Noah wrote this one, Ariel."

Ariel nodded, trying to feel reassured but only becoming more anxious. She glanced around, hoping to find some distraction, but the sea of people was relentless.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any," Mr. Warner began, turning to Mandy and capturing her hands before she could pull them away. Ariel frowned, realizing that what she had been hoping to enjoy—a bit of schadenfreude at Mandy's expense—was now tinged with sympathy. She almost felt sorry for Mandy... almost.

"Mandy, my dear," the playwright began, adopting an exaggeratedly dramatic posture, as though he were about to drop to one knee. "It is true I've only known you for a short time, but in that short time—"

Ariel watched as Mandy's composed mask began to crack. She took a step back, trying to free herself from Mr. Warner's grasp, but he held on firmly, his eyes closed in the throes of his theatrical proclamation. Not far off, Jasper was engaged in conversation with Max. When he noticed Mandy's distressed position, a flicker of something dark—perhaps annoyance—crossed his face. With a decisive stride, he made his way over to them.

As Ariel glanced around, she realized that John was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't recall him leaving the inn, which made his absence all the more perplexing.

"Mandy—"

The name crashed into Ariel's thoughts with such force that it obliterated everything else from her mind. Jasper had spoken it; he was upon them now, his demeanor suggesting a purpose and a strange strength that Ariel had noticed before. In one swift, almost effortless motion, he pulled the medium aside, disregarding Mr. Warner's protests with an air of indifference. Without a word, he presented her with a Magnolia. Taylor's mouth fell open slightly, and Ariel's hung agape in sheer astonishment. A firm hand suddenly rested on her shoulder—it was Leroy, ensuring she didn't act out in a way that might be considered vengeful or, more importantly, embarrassing.

If Ariel was shocked, Mandy was even more so. Never before had Ariel seen her rival’s cheeks flush such a deep crimson. The color almost matched the hue of Ariel's own cheeks at that moment—almost.

"Jasper, I don't know what... thank you," the priestess mumbled, her composure slipping—a rare sight that Ariel wasn’t sure she had ever witnessed before. The medium's delight was uncontainable, and no sleeve in the world could conceal it. Jasper simply nodded.

"You're welcome."

Mr. Warner stood just a few feet away, his expression mirroring Ariel's surprise. The playwright fumbled with his words, opening and closing his mouth several times before managing to speak.

"Excuse me, I was in the middle of a conversation with her—"

Jasper blinked, seemingly unaffected by the thinly veiled irritation in his client's voice.

"Were you? Excuse me then. Please continue."

Mr. Warner shot Jasper one more offended glance before pulling the medium back to his side. Mandy made no attempt to resist; in a slightly dreamy state, she allowed the playwright to babble on. By the vacant look in her eye, Ariel surmised she wasn’t truly listening. Ariel, too, found herself tuning out, the name Mandy echoing loudly in her ears. Leroy gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey, look," he said, trying to draw her attention away from her turmoil. "Isn't that Shiloh headed our way?"

Ariel blinked and followed the direction of Leroy's pointing finger. He was right—the actress, her arms already laden with roses, was hurrying toward them. Ariel quickly glanced at Mr. Warner, who was now elaborating on his proclamation, wishing he would hurry up and conclude his speech.

Poor Shiloh.

"Oh good, I found you," the young woman said, her smile lighting up her rosy cheeks.

Ariel stepped forward to greet her, hoping to divert her gaze from the painful spectacle of her love reciting his affection to another woman.

"Shiloh, how are you? Look at all the roses you have," Ariel said brightly, making sure to maintain plenty of eye contact.

"I'm great," Shiloh responded breathlessly. "Where's Daniel? I need to talk to him about the set. It turned out so nice—" In her eagerness, the actress sidestepped Ariel, then froze mid-sentence.

"And so, in short, my dear, I wish you to have..." Mr. Warner's voice boomed suddenly, cutting through the murmur of the crowd as he prepared to present the Magnolia.

Ariel glanced back at Shiloh, who stood with her arms going slack. For a moment, Ariel feared she might drop her roses, but instead, Shiloh cradled them loosely, her gaze fixed on the scene before her.

That Mandy.