Chapter 11: The Lady of the Hollow Smile
In the heart of the Corruption's dominion, where light went to die and dreams decayed into ash, something stirred.
The chamber was carved not of matter, but of memory — twisted, inverted, broken. From its walls bled ink-like shadows, forming spirals of whispered pain. In the center stood a cocoon of glass, filled with fluid darker than void. Within it floated a figure, motionless… waiting.
A voice — many voices speaking as one — echoed through the chamber.
"We have failed too long. The Beyond's Chosen persist. The Tranceeds interfere. Balance must be shattered."
The cocoon cracked.
The figure's eyes opened — twin voids with galaxies swirling inside. The fluid spilled away as she stepped forward, barefoot, leaving no ripple where she walked. Her hair fell like strands of liquid night, her skin pale as the last whisper before silence.
"The Lady," the Corruption murmured approvingly.
Her voice was calm, melodic, but behind it was a weight that could crush stars.
"Command me."
"Destroy the Dream Realm. Find the Chosen — of the Beyond, and of the Tranceeds. Erase their souls from every echo of existence."
The Lady smiled — slow, graceful, empty. "As you wish."
The air around her rippled as she vanished, her form dissolving into thin, cold mist. The first assassin of the Corruption was loose — and somewhere far away, reality itself shivered.
Morning sunlight broke through Kael's curtains, stabbing directly into his face.
"Damnation," he muttered, dragging himself up. His head felt heavy — not from lack of sleep, but from the strange echo of last night's dream. Something about voices… light… and death. He shook it off, groaning as he grabbed his jacket. "Just another day pretending to be normal."
By the time he got to school, the parking lot was a battlefield of chaos. A sleek black car — no, more like a stealth bomber on wheels — was parked right at the entrance. People were crowding around, phones out, screaming.
"What the hell…" Kael mumbled, squinting.
Then the door opened.
A tall, slender man stepped out — dressed in designer black, sunglasses catching the morning light like a blade. He moved with effortless grace, the kind of confidence only someone used to having the whole world watch them could pull off.
For a split second, Kael thought, Maybe Talia's rich family sent a driver for her again.
But then the man removed his shades.
"Oh, crap."
Even Kael recognized that face — he was all over the news, the internet, the billboards downtown. Star Lee, the golden boy of cinema, the so-called "dreamer's actor." But his real name, if Kael remembered right, was Jack Lee — a name whispered in the industry with both awe and fear.
"Why is a damn movie star here?" Kael muttered.
"KAEL!"
He flinched as Juno came sprinting across the walkway, sketchbook flying out of her bag, nearly tripping over herself. She grabbed his arm like it was a lifeline.
"Who's—wait." She froze mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she followed his gaze. "Oh. My. Freaking. Stars. That's JACK LEE!"
Her voice went up an octave, then another. "Jack Star Lee! Do you know how many fan pages I follow about him?! I literally drew him once! Oh my God—look at that jawline!"
Kael groaned, rubbing his temples. "Please don't faint, Juno. We don't have enough ambulances for your kind of drama."
"Shut up! He's right there! Do you think he's filming a movie here? Or maybe—oh, what if he's secretly a teacher undercover?!"
Kael shot her a flat look. "Yeah, sure. Hollywood spy teacher infiltrates a high school to teach algebra. Sounds legit."
Juno ignored him completely, waving toward the actor like she was at a concert. Jack Lee, however, didn't glance their way. Surrounded by two bodyguards, he moved through the school gates, smiling faintly — but his eyes were… empty. Like he wasn't really looking at anything, just through it.
Something about that made Kael uneasy.
He watched the actor disappear inside, muttering, "There's something off about him. Doesn't even blink like a human."
Juno elbowed him. "You're just jealous he looks better than you in that jacket."
"Damn right, I am," Kael admitted under his breath, half-smirking despite himself.
But as the crowd thinned, he couldn't shake the chill crawling up his spine. The way the light had bent slightly when Jack Lee passed by.