It wasn't until half an hour later that a member of the production team came to escort Averie to his hotel.
"Sorry about that," he casually said, fastening his seatbelt. "I left early, but there was a traffic jam."
"Because of the festival?" Hyerin asked.
"Yes. They expected the festival goers, of course, but Serenes also attracts casual tourists. The roads leading out of the city are packed."
"Is it bad?"
"Oh yes, the hotels are full. We booked an entire lobby in advance, and the rates were mind-boggling. The film goers don't really mind paying them, so the management doesn't mind extorting them."
"Is it always like this?"
"The other film festivals aren't this packed, but Serenes happens every four years. You get to see films from all over the world before they are released. It's like scratching a lottery ticket. The excitement of being positively surprised offsets the costs and the trouble."
He turned on the car and followed a queue of cars departing from the airport.
