The dressing room was quiet.
Too quiet for a birthday party happening just a few steps away.
Muffled music seeped through the walls, mixed with bursts of laughter from the hall outside. The lights above the mirrors hummed faintly, casting a pale glow over the empty chairs and scattered makeup brushes.
Everything was exactly the way I had left it.
The camera hidden near the mirror blinked once—steady, silent, recording.
Perfect.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Right on time.
Raymon pushed the door open first, stepping inside with a hopeful smile tugging at his lips. His eyes scanned the room quickly, searching.
"Lune?" he called softly.
Then the door opened again.
Serena stepped in behind him, flirty and confident as ever.
"Hey," she cooed, tilting her head. "I didn't expect you to be here already. You're early, aren't you?"
Raymon turned, confusion instantly replacing the hope on his face.
"Why are you here?" he asked, his voice low and sharp.
Her confident smirk faltered for just a moment.
"What kind of greeting is that?" she said lightly, stepping further into the room. "Relax, Raymon. It's my birthday. I thought maybe you came here to see me."
"I didn't," he replied flatly.
Serena laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Oh, come on. Don't act like you're not interested. You've been looking at me all week."
Raymon's expression hardened.
"I've never looked at you like that."
Her eyes flickered with irritation, but she quickly masked it with a playful smile.
"You're terrible at pretending, you know that?" she murmured, stepping closer. "I mean… why else would you come here?"
"Because someone said Lune wanted to talk to me," he said.
Serena froze for a split second.
Then she leaned slightly closer, her voice dropping to something softer.
"Well… maybe you should forget about her for a minute."
Raymon's eyes darkened.
"Step back."
She blinked, startled, but leaned in anyway, aiming for a kiss.
His hand shot out, pushing her firmly away.
"Not today," he said coldly.
"Not ever."
Serena stumbled backward, shock and indignation painted across her face.
And then—
The screen lit up.
An anonymous call to her boyfriend had already triggered the camera I'd planted in the room. A live feed. Every second, every moment, broadcasted.
The door burst open.
Serena's boyfriend stepped in, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. Confusion twisted into anger almost instantly.
"What is this?" he demanded, his voice rising. "Were you creating this… all this time?"
"I—no, it's not what it looks like—" Serena stammered, her cheeks burning as her eyes darted around the room.
He shook his head slowly.
"No," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "You were testing him. Playing with him. Flirting while lying to me. Were you planning this whole thing?"
"I… I… I just—"
"You've humiliated yourself," he cut in, venom dripping from every word. "And everyone saw it."
Her voice cracked.
"I didn't—"
"You didn't what?" he snapped. "Don't lie to me now. Admit it!"
Her eyes shifted wildly around the room, desperate, searching for someone—anyone.
Then they landed on me.
I was standing in the corner, shadows hiding most of my face, but my eyes glinting faintly under the dim lights.
A slow smile curled across my lips.
Without a word, I lifted my hand and silently mouthed the words:
Happy birthday.
Serena's eyes widened, humiliation and fear crashing together in her expression.
Her thoughts raced, sharp and chaotic:
Lune isn't ordinary. She's venom… lethal, unpredictable. You cross her, and she'll strike before you even see it coming.
She thinks she's untouchable… but I'll find a way soon.
I turned and walked away, leaving the music, the shouting, and the chaos behind me.
Behind me, the party continued to unravel.
And for the first time that night, I allowed myself a quiet thought.
Interesting.
People always said birthdays were unforgettable.
Tonight, Serena would finally understand why.
I stepped out into the cool night air, the noise of the party fading behind me as the doors closed. Laughter and music were still spilling from inside, but it sounded distant now, like something happening in another world.
I had almost reached the end of the corridor when I heard footsteps behind me.
"Lune."
I stopped.
Raymon.
I turned slowly. He was standing a few steps away, his jaw tight, eyes searching my face like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
"I knew it," he said after a moment. "This whole thing… it was you, wasn't it?"
I didn't answer.
His gaze hardened.
"You set this up. The messages. The room. Her boyfriend showing up at the perfect time." His voice lowered. "You planned all of it."
Silence stretched between us.
Then I tilted my head slightly.
"And if I did?"
Raymon stared at me, disbelief flickering across his face.
"Why?" he asked. "Why drag me into it?"
I studied him for a second, as if the question genuinely interested me.
"You were already in it," I said calmly. "You just didn't notice."
"That's not an answer."
"No," I agreed softly. "It's the truth."
His hands clenched slightly.
"You humiliated her in front of everyone," he said. "You turned the whole thing into some kind of show."
A faint smile touched my lips.
"People reveal their true selves when they think they're about to get what they want," I said. "All I did was give her the opportunity."
Raymon shook his head slowly.
"You're unbelievable."
"Am I?"
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The wind moved faintly through the hallway windows, carrying the distant sound of music from the party.
Raymon looked at me again, something darker flickering behind his eyes now.
"You're dangerous," he said quietly.
I met his gaze without blinking.
"Only to people who underestimate me."
I stepped past him.
For a moment he didn't move, but just as I walked by, he spoke again.
"Lune."
I paused slightly.
"When everything you plan finally collapses," he said, "don't expect anyone to be there for you."
For a brief second, I simply looked at him.
Then I stepped closer.
The distance between us disappeared until we were standing almost shoulder to shoulder. Raymon didn't move, but I could feel the tension in the way he held himself—like he didn't quite know whether to step back or stay exactly where he was.
My fingers lifted slowly.
I caught the edge of his tie between them and straightened it, smoothing the crease of his blazer as if the conversation we had just had was nothing more than casual small talk.
The fabric was slightly wrinkled.
Messy.
Careless.
I fixed it.
Raymon's eyes narrowed, confusion flickering through them as he watched me.
A small smile curved across my lips.
Not warm.
Not kind.
The kind of smile that never quite reaches the eyes.
"Don't worry," I murmured softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
My fingers brushed the collar of his blazer once before falling back to my side.
"When things collapse…"
I leaned in just slightly, close enough for the words to belong only to him.
"…there's always someone standing in the ruins."
My smile widened just a fraction.
"And somehow," I added quietly, "there's always someone standing beside me."
For a moment, Raymon didn't speak.
His gaze stayed locked on mine, as if he was trying to understand whether I was joking… or warning him.
I stepped past him then, the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the air as I walked toward the exit.
Behind me, the party continued.
But the night felt different now.
Like something had just begun.
Moments like that don't disappear.
They linger.
Quietly.
Patiently.
Waiting for the right moment to matter again.
And eventually–
They always do.
People think time changes you.
That you grow softer.
Kinder.
Less dangerous.
They're wrong.
My phone vibrated again on the desk, the sharp sound cutting through the silence of the room.
I didn't even look at it this time.
I already knew who it was.
The screen lit up anyway.
Marcos.
Again.
Ten missed calls.
Six messages.
And counting.