Not the Hero, Not the Villain — Just the One Who Wins

We had to part ways.

Selene gave me one last smile before disappearing into the dispersing crowd, the soft glow of festival lanterns dancing in her silver hair. I turned around. There was still something left to do—one last duty before the night ended.

I had a stall to manage.

As I made my way through the buzzing lanes, something tugged at the back of my mind. ’Wait... I think I’m forgetting something.’ A beat passed. ’Yeah, and I’m having a bad feeling too.’

I started walking faster. Then I saw it—a massive crowd gathered in the distance. My chest tightened. ’That’s where my stall is.’

Panic gripped me. ’Did something happen? Is there a fight? Speaking of fights...’

A thought struck like lightning.

’Seraphina... oh no. Fuck. I forgot we had a date.’

My heart sank as I checked the time. The festival was almost over—barely ten minutes left.

’This crowd... is this because of her rage?’

But as I got closer, the truth was much more surprising.

It wasn’t a mob gathered around a conflict.