The backstage lights flickered like someone had installed nerves instead of bulbs.
Make-up artists rushed past, armed with brushes and panic.
Phones. Mics. Whispering.
I sat on a stool, in full war paint, wondering how one was supposed to wear moral integrity—with or without heels.
Mira appeared, tablet in hand, pulse at maximum productivity.
"Celeste, stay calm. It's just a live debate with thirty million viewers."
"Oh, perfect. I hate small crowds."
"Reminder: you're here to defend Leo, not destroy him."
"And what if I slip?"
"Then defend more convincingly."
[AVA: Reminder—your mission is destruction, not PR diplomacy.]
"I know, Ava."
[AVA: No. You know you're supposed to be polite. Knowing and doing are separate functions. Human flaw. Charming.]
Mira pointed toward the stage.
"The show's called Trending Truths. Theme: cancel culture, responsibility, and authenticity."
"So… therapy with hashtags."
"Exactly. You say truth is complicated; Leo says he's learned from his mistakes. And please—no spontaneous moral monologues, okay?"
[AVA: Spontaneity statistically remains your strongest destructive factor. I strongly recommend it.]
I sighed. "Mira, if I say something really wrong, can you just cut the power?"
"The audience loves live mistakes. Don't worry."
"That was not comforting."
Leo stepped out of the dressing room next door—black suit, open shirt, smile that could host a TED Talk.
"Ready for moral combat?"
"I thought we were Team Heaven today."
"Team Heaven works better with a bit of thunder. Go ahead, I'll counter with charm."
[AVA: Perfect. He provides reflection; you provide fracture. Balance through friction.]
"You two," Mira cut in, "remember: authentic but cooperative. No real insults."
"Define real."
"Anything you actually mean."
"Then I'm doomed."
A stagehand called, "Live in thirty seconds!"
The stage light burned through the curtain slit—warm and merciless.
I breathed.
[AVA: Think destruction, not sympathy.]
"I'll try both."
[AVA: Statistically impossible. Intriguing.]
Mira shoved the mic into my hand.
"You look great. Just—try not to seem honest."
"Too late."
The theme music thundered.
The audience screamed.
And the light swallowed me whole.
— • —
Light was no longer light—it was a weapon.
Hot, bright, unrelenting.
The crowd roared as the music stopped—a crescendo of righteousness.
Host Tessa Fame walked on—blonde, flawless, wearing outrage like haute couture.
"Good evening, darlings! Welcome to Trending Truths—the show where we find out who gets canceled, saved, or reborn tonight!"
Applause.
I sat beside Leo Heaven—PR miracle of the week, newly redeemed, radiating as if lit by forgiveness itself.
The camera zoomed in on my face.
I looked like someone about to lie but too polite to do it convincingly.
[AVA: Welcome to the arena of moral entertainment. Recommended approach: raise instability.]
"Our guests tonight," Tessa announced, "Leo Heaven—the man who shook the industry—and Celeste Vega, the woman who fixed… or ruined him, depending on the hashtag!"
Laughter.
Tessa sat. "Let's begin. Celeste, you were at the center of it all. What does responsibility mean to you?"
Breathe. Defend him.
"Responsibility," I said slowly, "means not repeating mistakes."
Leo nodded, grateful.
I should've stopped there.
"And realizing," I continued, "that some people sell their mistakes as art while others clean up the debris."
The audience inhaled.
Leo turned toward me.
[AVA: Direct hit. Damage type: emotional.]
Tessa smiled sharply. "Sounds like strong feelings about your client?"
"I have strong feelings about responsibility."
"So you're blaming him?"
"No. I'm giving him a choice."
Leo countered smoothly, all charm. "And I'm taking it. Mistakes make us grow."
The audience nodded like a synchronized opinion algorithm.
[AVA: Caution—your aggression is being interpreted as maturity.]
I pressed my lips together.
"Maturity's overrated. It's just learning how to wrap lies aesthetically."
Tessa sparkled. "That was brilliant! Tough love! Can you feel that, audience?"
Applause. Cheers. Phones up.
[AVA: Irony overload. Your destruction is being read as chemistry.]
Leo leaned closer, voice calm. "You say truth is dressed-up lies. Maybe you're just more honest because you know how to sell them."
Audience: Ooooh.
I smiled. "Then I'm the better merchant."
[AVA: Analysis—premium-level mutual resentment achieved.]
Tessa nearly lost composure. "My goodness, this tension! Truth and lies flirting right before our eyes!"
Leo: "I call it teamwork."
"I call it collateral damage."
The audience exploded.
Hashtags raced across the LED wall:
#TruthDuo #ToughLove #HeavenVega #HonestyIsSexy
[AVA: Summary—you failed to destroy him. You've created a new franchise.]
I leaned back as the camera zoomed in.
Leo smiled, almost friendly.
I whispered into the mic, "Ava, I think I've mistaken hell for a talk show."
[AVA: Correction—this is hell. Just better lit.]
The audience cheered.
And the show went on.
— • —
The show was long gone, but everyone acted like it was art.
Tessa grinned at the camera. "And now—the trending panel! Live questions from the net!"
A LED wall burst to life. Questions popped up like confetti. Sponsored, of course.
#AskCeleste:If you see through him, why work with him?
#AskLeo:Are you afraid of strong women?
Leo laughed softly. "I'm not afraid. I'm respectful."
"Respect?" I raised an eyebrow. "That's what men call it when they're surprised women can talk."
Audience: "Wooo!"
Tessa clapped. "Ooh, that was sharp, Miss Vega!"
[AVA: Aggression level 82%. Reaction: euphoric. Outrage absent.]
"I'm trying," I hissed, "but they cheer for every insult!"
[AVA: Welcome to the Information Age. Even destruction gets likes.]
Leo leaned back, visibly enjoying this.
"You know, Celeste, they love you because you say what they think."
"And they love you because you pretend to listen."
Laughter. Applause. Light flares.
Heat spread across my skin, both real and internal.
Tessa giggled. "This is better than a rom-com!"
"It's a tragedy," I said. "Just with a better soundtrack."
[AVA: Commentary—humans love their tragedies rhythmic. You deliver flawlessly.]
Leo leaned toward the mic.
"Maybe we're just honestly different."
"Maybe you're dishonestly consistent."
Someone shouted from the audience, "Kiss already!"
I rolled my eyes. "I thought the topic was cancel culture, not couples therapy."
Tessa laughed. "Celeste, you're gold!"
[AVA: Measuring your adrenaline spikes. You're enjoying this.]
"I'm enjoying the collapse."
[AVA: Statistically indistinguishable from popularity.]
The LED wall exploded with comments:
#TruthDuo – 5M views in 12 minutes!
#CelesteHeaven Unscripted!
#HonestyGoals!
I stared at the numbers.
"Ava, this isn't destruction. It's merchandising."
[AVA: Correct. You've created a moral product.]
Tessa lifted her hands. "Final question: what is truth?"
Leo took a breath. "What remains when everything else falls away."
Applause.
I raised my mic. "Or the thing you repeat until even the opposite sounds right."
The audience lost it.
Applause, cheering, trending hashtags.
[AVA: Irony level 100%. Mission status: successfully irrelevant.]
Tessa stood. "Ladies and gentlemen—Trending Truths!"
Triumphant, hollow music swelled.
I looked at Leo.
He grinned.
"You saved me again, Vega."
"I wanted to ruin you."
"Then you'll have to try harder."
[AVA: Summary—you're creating paradoxes in real time. The system is confused—and entertained.]
I stood, smiled into the camera, and thought:
If this is truth, I'd rather lie.
— • —
Backstage, the air was too warm, the praise too loud, the lights too sharp.
I felt like a computer with too many tabs open.
Cain stormed in, glowing with greed.
"Celeste! Brilliant! You two were dynamite!"
"I was destructive."
"Exactly! Calculated destruction! Ratings are exploding. #TruthDuo is global! Even Switzerland showed emotion!"
[AVA: Translation—moral collapse successfully monetized.]
Leo joined us, grinning like a sugar-coated algorithm.
"You dissected me live, Vega."
"I meant to eviscerate you."
"And gave me a rebrand. Thanks."
Cain tapped his tablet. "Sponsorships, replays, reaction videos—Heaven Entertainment is launching Honesty Heals. I adore this madness!"
[AVA: Note—chaos converted into capital. A classic evolutionary error.]
I rubbed my temples. "I wasn't trying to heal capitalism. I wanted to break it."
"Darling," Cain said, "you're proof that failure is profitable! We're celebrating! Heaven Lounge tonight. Press, influencers, champagne. You're coming."
"I'm tired."
"Authentic! Stay that way."
Leo lifted a brow. "One drink won't kill you. You look like you're about to unplug the world."
"Maybe I should."
[AVA: Recommendation—attend the social event. Observational data valuable.
Interaction increases failure rate and entertainment quality.]
"I thought you advised against human contact."
[AVA: Correction—I advise against stability.]
Cain clapped. "Settled! Leo, take her. And Celeste—wear something that looks accidental."
I sighed. "That's my default look."
[AVA: Prediction—the coming evening carries high risk of visual misinterpretation.]
"Misinterpretation?"
[AVA: Synonym for success in this world.]
I glanced at Leo, at Cain, at all the glittering nonsense trying to pass for meaning.
"I have a really bad feeling about this."
[AVA: Statistical confirmation—96% chance you're right.]