The applause still echoed in Ariana's ears long after she stepped offstage. It was loud, overwhelming, almost unreal—like something she had dreamed of a thousand times but never truly believed would happen.
She stood behind the curtains, breathing hard, her hands still trembling… except it wasn't fear this time.
It was adrenaline.
Electric. Addictive.
Too addictive.
Maya rushed toward her, eyes huge. "Ariana—what was that? You've never performed like—like that before!"
Ariana opened her mouth… but no words came out.
How could she explain something she didn't understand?
"I… I don't know," she whispered.
But deep down, she did know.
Or at least, she felt it.
That voice wasn't hers.
That confidence wasn't hers.
That smile—the one that curled on her lips onstage—didn't belong to Ariana Blake.
"People loved you," Maya continued, still breathless. "You trended on their stories, look—" She shoved her phone toward Ariana.
Videos. Reels. Comments.
"Who is she??"
"This girl has star power."
"She came out of nowhere!"
"Obsessed already."
Ariana swallowed, a strange pressure squeezing her chest. It felt like pride… mixed with something else. Something darker.
Behind them, Liam Hart—the producer who booked her—walked up with a slow clap.
"Well, well," he said with a smirk. "Looks like we found a star."
Ariana stiffened. Liam was powerful in their scene, known for discovering artists… and destroying them just as easily.
"You should come by my studio this week," he said. "That performance was not beginner level. I want to see what else you can do."
Ariana nodded, though she wasn't sure why. Her mind felt foggy, distant, like she was hearing everything underwater.
Maya squeezed her hand. "Ari, you okay? You look pale."
"I'm fine," Ariana murmured.
Even though she knew she wasn't.
When Maya turned away to talk to someone, Ariana felt it again.
That heat.
That whisper.
That invisible presence wrapping around her spine.
It spoke without words, but she understood it clearly:
"You don't need to be afraid anymore. I'm here."
Ariana's knees nearly buckled.
She stumbled into the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind her. Cold air hit her face as she stared into the mirror.
Her reflection looked back, breathing hard just like her. But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Her eyes looked sharper.
Her lips darker.
Her expression… almost satisfied.
Ariana touched her cheek.
The reflection didn't move.
She gasped and stepped back—
And the reflection smiled.
That same slow, confident smile she had onstage.
The lights flickered again, like the world was glitching for a moment.
Ariana's breath shook. "Wh-who are you?"
The reflection leaned forward, though Ariana hadn't moved at all.
Her voice echoed inside Ariana's mind:
"Me? I'm the girl you wish you were."
Ariana's stomach twisted.
The reflection tilted its head.
"I'm your second me."
And just before the lights steadied again, she whispered one last word:
"Nova."