On the stage of the Estella Opera House, Romeo lay defeated, the sting of betrayal still fresh as he stared up at the ceiling. His fight with Carlo—once his best friend, now known as Pinocchio—had ended in his downfall. Exhausted and resigned to his fate, Romeo closed his eyes, his breathing shallow.

But then, the sharp clack of heels echoed across the opera floor, cutting through the silence. The sound grew closer, deliberate, each step sending a shiver of unease down Romeo’s spine. With effort, he turned his head toward the source of the sound, his vision blurred and heavy with exhaustion.

"H-huh?.."