Less than 10 minutes had passed.
Kaia exited through the same rear stairwell, retracing her
path down and vanishing into the streets just as easily as she came. Not even
the river breeze carried her scent.
Backstage, Rika wiped Kaia's brow with a silk towel, hiding
her in plain sight among staff.
Ms. Kang returned with two reporters in tow. "Feeling better?"
Kaia nodded faintly, her voice low.
"Just needed air."
The cameras clicked.
To the world, she was the radiant idol who'd just left her
soul on stage.
Only Rika knew she'd just taken a life.
And somewhere across the river, in a room growing cold with
blood, moonlight streamed through cracked blinds—falling between glass shards
and the blade Kaia had left behind.
A warning.