14

As the set ended in a shower of sparks with a set of shattering door bust sounds, the whole of the audience was silent until the final golden note when the whole crowd screamed the name of the act. Yuliya looked at the message on her phone as she wondered how it was so poignant that the set would end just like this message. Their content of implication wouldn't change no matter how much she wanted it to. There was a heaviness in her chest pushing down as her inhalations felt constricted at the throat as some demon of truth stood above her.

As she regained her composure in a sudden intake of breath, she wondered if Mario's uncle had noticed. He was too engrossed in the music to really notice her. His eyes were closed and his fingers were drumming the bass line against the railing. Did he ever notice anything?

Yuliya tried to clear her throat, but ended up choking on her own spit as she rose. She put her phone in her pocket as she finally succeeded both in standing and taking a clear breathe. There were fuzzies in the corner of her vision as she rushed towards the door.

"Yuliya you're very unsteady. Should I help you out? I'm not sure if the ladies would be happy with a man in their restroom?"

"No, no, no. I'm just needing some time to use the restroom. My leg fell asleep. I'll be fine once I get back to walking."

"I can help you walk!" The uncle said, starting to get up.

"Don't worry. I have taken several steady steps already. Don't tax yourself. I'm quite alright."

Strangely the hall outside had cleared of all the occupants milling about. Yuliya breathed a sigh of relief as she moved. These EDM acts were riots with the gen z crowd so all of them were out in droves to the mosh pits. A lot of the seats were vacant as the rangers were crowd surfing.

She was aghast as she wondered what could Kai Afuru's intentions be by sending such a message? He was a weirdo which was confirmed by his strange behavior that Mario had harped upon, but her fiance had left out the reason why he was strange. It was also a boon towards the offending party that Afuru himself had offered to give her proof by meeting with a female who was familiar with the situation. Fish freaks they were not. Yuliya had read all about the diplomatic ambassador from Atlantis, she had been educated in some of the best universities in the world and as she had spoken to the United Nations this meant she was one of the most well respected of her profession. It was rumored too that she was a princess who had married into the watery noble families, but information there was scant. But still with what was available, she was a former royal and in all truths she had fallen far from her short rise to begin with. She was very happy to be a nobody again who was married to a simple person. But why would this exalted person even know of these affairs? Weren't the Vaskos just a common business family in the area? This was too exciting to be making sense. He was pranking her . . . Elaborately as a private joke between the groom and a dear friend.