Waksi was still standing near the door, his eyes wide in disbelief. He had just turned to leave, trying to distance himself from the chaos Silvia had caused, when he heard the host's voice call out. "Silvia Avislana!"
Like a lightning bolt splitting the night sky, the voice silenced the entire room. Waksi froze, unable to process what he had just heard.
Silvia, who had previously appeared to be just an ordinary spectator, now stepped forward. The stage lights blazed brighter, casting away any lingering doubts about her. Suddenly, all eyes were on her. Waksi stood in the crowd, watching Silvia as she slowly made her way to the center of the stage.
The atmosphere in the hall felt tense. Some people whispered, confused, bewildered, and even suspicious. But no one could look away from her. Silvia wore a magnificent white dress that was very luxurious. Her elegant high heels and blue jeweled tiara rested on her forehead like a walking queen. The dress seemed simple, yet it possessed a magical power that made her radiate under the stage lights. Her long hair flowed beautifully, as though it were part of the soft aura that began to play in the background.
Waksi felt his heart almost stop. She wasn't just beautiful—there was something else, something different about her. Something that made her go from an ordinary girl to someone with an incredible charisma and presence. Waksi began to realize that this wasn't just about her appearance, but about control—how she had mastered herself and the situation around her.
Silvia lifted her head and gazed at the judges with a confident, steady stare. Although her footsteps were a little stiff, her appearance had already stolen so much attention that everyone just ignored it all. There was a profound silence in the room. No one moved. It was as if everyone had been hypnotized by the aura she projected.
But what was even more astonishing was how the light reflecting off the mirrors on the floor, which had caused many contestants to stumble earlier, didn't affect Silvia in the slightest. She walked without any trouble, without losing her balance, without hesitation. The light seemed to bend away from her, as if she could control it—or perhaps more mysteriously—use the light to highlight herself even more.
Other contestants, who had nearly fallen due to the reflections, could only watch in awe. There were no mistakes. No hesitation.
From the direction of the front door, Jessey suddenly ran back into the room. She was breathing heavily. Her knees and elbows were already neatly bandaged, wrapping all her wounds perfectly. She deliberately ran back into the hall because she thought she would miss the announcement of the winner, but what she found was far beyond her expectations. Her eyes widened in disbelief at what was happening on stage right now.
"Impossible. This can't be! How the hell did Silvia get on stage?" Jessey muttered, standing beside Waksi.
Among the judges, some began to murmur in amazement. The older man, who had previously criticized Jessey, was now sighing deeply, his eyes fixed on Silvia. There were no words, just a look of profound admiration in his gaze.
The younger female judge, who had disagreed with him earlier, now wore a subtle smile, as if she already knew what was happening.
But the most remarkable moment came when an elderly judge, who usually appeared stern and unaffected by the contestants' performances, slowly stood from his seat. His eyes were wide, and when Silvia reached the end of the catwalk, he gave a standing ovation—his applause loud and full of genuine respect. The applause spread, one by one, until the entire hall erupted in thunderous clapping.
"Absolutely incredible!" the elderly judge exclaimed in his deep voice, filled with admiration. "Out of all the contestants I've seen today, this is a different class!"
Silvia smiled faintly, graceful as ever, but her eyes held a challenge. She knew exactly what she had just done. She knew she had just stunned everyone. When she disappeared from behind the stage, the hall lights came back on with the thunderous sound of everyone's applause.
Waksi stood frozen, his heart racing. He wanted to run to the stage and ask Silvia what was happening, but he found himself speechless. What had he just witnessed? The ordinary girl who he had not paid attention to, who had only been a fake girlfriend, full of lies and tricks, had just shown an immense power that left him feeling helpless. He realized, Silvia wasn't just a sweet girl he could date. She was a player, someone who knew how to control the situation—and even herself—in an incredibly impressive way.
"I don't know what to say anymore." Waksi whispered to himself.
"She's really beautiful," said a blond young man in front of Waksi. It was Dhean.
Waksi was surprised to find that this person was also there to see the modeling show. They had been standing so close all along without realizing it.
The event host, a young, energetic man, took the microphone once more and stood in the center of the stage, sweeping his gaze over the entire audience. The atmosphere was tense, with participants exchanging looks, waiting for the announcement that would determine their fate. Jessey has also come up on stage in a neat line with the other contestants.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," the host's voice echoed, "After a thorough and strict evaluation, we have finally arrived at the moment we've all been waiting for. It's time to announce the winner of this model search competition. Keep in mind that we at Tunic Proud were originally only going to select two models from this campus, one female and one male. However, seeing how the amount of talent we saw today was beyond our expectations, the judges agreed to go for three. Whoever wins this contest will become the exclusive model and brand ambassador of Tunic Proud and a one-year employment contract."
The host paused for a moment, allowing the tension to build even further.
"Without further ado, let's announce the winners. For the category of the judges' favorite vote, the winner is Nicholas Jack!"
The crowd erupted in cheers as a sharply dressed and charismatic young man, Nicholas, stepped forward. He raised his hand, offering a winning smile, and accepted his award from the host. However, the cheers and applause this time felt a little short compared to what had happened after Silvia's performance earlier.
The host then continued. "And for the male category winner, please step forward, Leonardo Salazar!"
A tall man with a dashing and mysterious aura came forward. His face was gaunt with very sharp eyes that made the few girls who saw him scream with excitement.
"And now, for the winner of the female category, the one who has dazzled us all with her performance, Silvia Avislana!"
The room erupted in thunderous applause. Silvia stood tall, without hesitation, and gracefully made her way to the stage. Every step she took was full of confidence, as if she had known from the very beginning that this victory was hers. A subtle smile lingered on her lips, even as the cheers grew louder. All eyes were on her—not just because of her stunning appearance, but also because of how she owned the entire situation.
In the midst of the applause, Waksi could only shake his head. What he had just witnessed was beyond anything he had expected. There seemed to be a force at play that guided every step Silvia took.
However, in the corner of the room, another contestant could no longer contain her emotions. Jessey, who had already been humiliated by the incident of falling off the stage earlier, now stood up, her face flushed with anger and frustration. She had already felt slighted, but now that Silvia had been announced as the winner, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"This is unfair! I can not accept this" Jessey shouted, her voice loud enough to stop the ongoing applause.