The opera house glowed beneath golden chandeliers as the audience settled into their seats. A hush fell over the room when the curtains parted, revealing the singer, Guest, standing beneath the spotlight.

She moved gracefully across the stage, her gown glowed in the light. When she began to sing, her voice was soft and gentle, yet it carried through the hall.

Jin had attended countless performances before.

None of them had mattered.

She sat with her usual cold expression, arms folded in her lap, prepared to go through another evening and leave without a second thought.

But the moment she heard that voice, something in her chest tightened.

Her eyes lifted to the stage.

And actually stayed there.

Guest moved elegantly beneath the spotlight, completely unaware of the woman watching her from the crowd. Yet Jin found herself staring for more than just a couple seconds with actual interest.

It was ridiculous.

She didn’t even know her name.

Still, Jin couldn’t look away.

The world around her seemed to blur out. All that remained was the woman on stage and the soft song spilling from her lips.

By the end of the performance, the audience rose to their feet in applause.

Jin remained seated for a moment, staring at the stage as if she could somehow keep the singer from disappearing behind the curtain.

As the crowd departed she found herself going toward the stage where Guest was instead of the front door