Aria sat cross-legged on her bed, phone in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. The room was dark except for the glow of her screen. It was past midnight, and she should have been asleep, but sleep never came easy when her playlist was this good.
Taylor Swift's voice filled the tiny bedroom first. "Nice to meet you, where you been..." Aria mouthed the words, scrolling through her feed at the same time. She liked a few edits, retweeted a thread about Beyoncé's latest surprise drop, and laughed at a meme about Nicki Minaj dragging someone on live. This was her world. Not the quiet suburb outside her window. Not the boring high school she barely passed. This. Music. Celebrities. The drama. The feels.
She switched to Nicki's verse on Monster and turned the volume up louder. Her mom hated when she did that, but her mom was at work. Night shift again. Aria was alone, like always.
Her thumb paused on an ad that popped up. It wasn't like the usual ones. No flashy colors or promises of free stuff. Just a black background with gold letters.
VIP ETERNAL PASS
Academy of Eternal Hits
One winner. Lifetime access.
Below it, a single QR code.
Aria snorted. Scam, obviously. But her heart did a little flip anyway. What if? What if it was real? What if there really was some secret world where all her favorites lived and performed and... existed together?
She had entered a thousand contests like this. Never won anything. Not even a signed poster.
But tonight felt different. The playlist shuffled to Beyoncé's Formation, and the bass hit hard. Aria grabbed her phone with both hands and aimed the camera at the code.
"Whatever," she muttered. "Can't hurt."
The screen flashed white.
At first, she thought her phone glitched. The light got brighter. Too bright. It spilled out of the screen like liquid gold, swirling in the air in front of her. Aria dropped the phone, but it hung there, floating, spinning slowly.
Lyrics started appearing in the light. Not on the screen. In the air.
Got a long list of ex-lovers...
They'll tell you I'm insane...
Taylor's words. But huge. Glowing.
Then Nicki's voice boomed from nowhere.
I get it poppin'... bow down bitches...
The air cracked open.
Aria screamed as something yanked her forward. Not her body. Her everything. Like a hook behind her belly button pulling hard. The room spun. Chips flew everywhere. Her bed disappeared. The glowing words rushed toward her face.
And then nothing.
Black.
Cold.
She hit the ground hard.
Aria groaned and rolled onto her back. Marble floor. Cold and smooth under her palms. She blinked up at a ceiling so high she couldn't see the top. Just endless gold and crystal that caught light from... somewhere.
Where was she?
She sat up slowly. Her phone lay a few feet away, screen cracked. Her pajamas were still on. Fuzzy socks and all. Embarrassing.
The hallway stretched forever in both directions. Walls lined with platinum records that actually glowed. She recognized some. Beyoncé's Lemonade. Taylor's 1989. Nicki's Pinkprint. They pulsed like they were alive.
"Hello?" Her voice echoed.
No answer.
She stood on shaky legs and grabbed her phone. Dead. Great.
This had to be a dream. A really detailed, really weird dream. She pinched her arm. Hard.
"Ow."
Not a dream.
Footsteps.
Aria spun around.
A girl walked toward her. Tall. Curvy. Pink wig down to her waist. Black outfit that looked like it cost more than Aria's house. And that face. Those eyes.
No way.
No freaking way.
Nicki Minaj stopped a few feet away and tilted her head. A slow smile spread across her face.
"Well, well, well..." Nicki's voice was exactly like on tracks. Deep. Playful. Dangerous. "Look what the portal dragged in."
Aria's mouth opened. Nothing came out.
Nicki laughed. "Cat got your tongue, baby? First time here?"
"I... what... how..." Aria finally managed. "You're Nicki Minaj."
"In the flesh." Nicki did a little spin. "And you are?"
"Aria. Just Aria." She swallowed. "Where am am I?"
Nicki stepped closer. Her perfume smelled like cotton candy and money. "Academy of Eternal Hits, sweetheart. The only place where legends train legends."
"This is real?"
"As real as my last album sales." Nicki looked her up and down. "You came through the fan portal. Rare. Usually only happens to people with... potential."
"I don't have potential," Aria said quickly. "I'm nobody. I just scan codes and listen to music and..."
"Shhh." Nicki put a finger to Aria's lips. Her nail was long and pink. "Everyone starts somewhere."
The hallway lights dimmed suddenly. Just for a second. When they came back, shadows danced on the walls behind Nicki. Long. Wrong shapes.
Aria blinked. They were gone.
"Come on." Nicki turned and started walking. "Beyoncé hates when newbies are late for welcome."
"Beyoncé?" Aria's voice cracked. "Like... the Beyoncé?"
"Is there another one?"
Aria followed because what else could she do? Her fuzzy socks slid on the marble as she tried to keep up with Nicki's heels.
They passed more records. More glowing albums. Some she didn't recognize. Future releases? Different versions?
"Tell me something, Aria," Nicki said without looking back. "You a Barbie?"
"I... yeah? I mean, I love your music."
"Good." Nicki glanced over her shoulder. "Stick with me, and maybe you'll survive your first week."
They reached massive golden doors. Music leaked through. Not one song. All of them. Mixed perfectly somehow.
Nicki pushed the doors open.
The auditorium was bigger than any stadium Aria had ever seen on TV. Thousands of seats. All filled with people who looked... familiar. Too familiar.
There was Taylor Swift in the front row, writing in a notebook. Ariana Grande floating slightly above her seat. Rihanna sipping from a diamond cup. Drake leaning back with sunglasses on indoors.
And on stage...
Beyoncé.
Golden light poured from her like she was the sun. She wore white. Flowing. Perfect. When she spoke, everyone went still.
"Welcome," Beyoncé said. Her voice filled every corner of the room. "To another year at the Academy of Eternal Hits."
Aria's knees went weak.
Nicki grabbed her arm to keep her standing. "Breathe, baby."
"I can't," Aria whispered. "This isn't real."
"Oh, it's real." Nicki's grip tightened. "And tomorrow, we test what kind of real you are."
The shadows behind Nicki moved again. This time Aria was sure. They reached toward her like fingers.
But when she looked straight at them, they were gone.
Beyoncé's eyes found them in the crowd. "We have a new arrival. Everyone welcome Aria."
Thousands of heads turned.
Aria wanted to disappear.
Nicki leaned close to her ear. "Smile, Barbie. You're in the big leagues now."
The lights went bright again. Music swelled. Everyone clapped.
But Aria couldn't shake the feeling that something watched her from the dark corners of the room.
Something hungry.
And it had Nicki's smile