Chapter 1
Thursday, august 14 th, 2025
The long-awaited day had finally arrived — the audition that had the whole town buzzing, a spectacle that captured the press like wildfire.
Among the hopefuls stood a blonde girl named Kathy, the beloved popstar of the town. With her angelic voice, captivating beauty, and a scent that lingered like a dream, she had every man entranced.But as the spotlight bathed her for what might be the last time, Kathy stepped forward and spoke, her voice trembling but resolute:
“I’ve devoted my entire life to building this career, chasing the dreams that once felt so vital to me. But somewhere along the way, I realized… this glamorous world no longer feels like home.
So I’ve made a choice — to walk away from the stage, and start a quiet, simple life with the man I love.
I hope you’ll respect my decision and understand that, sometimes, happiness lies not in the spotlight, but in the warmth of a small family.”
And just like that, the girl who once lit up every stage chose love over fame — and silence fell, not out of disappointment, but admiration.
A scream pierced the quiet afternoon air.
“She’s a lying woman! A real whore! She’s slept with countless married men! She’s the homewrecker who’s destroyed so many families!”
The man’s face was flushed red with rage, his finger pointed at her like he was accusing a criminal in court. The crowd hissed, and camera flashes burst like lightning in a clear sky.
Kathy stood frozen like a statue.
No defense. No defiant glance. Just silent tears streaming down, blending with the melting makeup on her flawless face.
She turned away, quietly walking toward her car amid the murmurs of the crowd and the frenzied pursuit of the media. Each step felt like she was treading on the shattered pieces of her own life.
Kathy drove home in silence. The cold mansion tucked deep in the suburbs greeted her with emptiness. No one waited for her, no voices—just four walls staring at her with judgmental eyes.
In the bedroom, Kathy sat before the mirror. The cold white light from the vanity lamp cast a pale glow on her weary face. Her eyes were bloodshot. Tears still flowed, unstoppable.
Every published article—each sensational headline, each accusation, each stolen photo—was a dagger to the heart. Everything she had worked so hard to build… was crumbling.
Then suddenly… a faint sound behind her.
Kathy turned slightly, but saw nothing. She thought it was her imagination.
Until…
A shadow flickered in the mirror. It stood behind her—holding a gleaming knife.
Thud!
The blade plunged into Kathy’s back. She screamed, but the sound caught in her throat.
Thud!
A second time. Blood splattered across the mirror, staining the reflection red.
The figure spun around and vanished through the back door like a ghost.
The scream echoed downstairs. Martha, the middle-aged housekeeper, rushed up in panic. Just as she reached the stairs, the intruder disappeared into the night. She couldn’t see the face—only a long black coat sweeping past.
Martha called the police immediately.
But when she returned to the bedroom to check on Kathy…
The body was gone.
No blood on the floor. No knife. Nothing at all—just a silent, cold room and the mirror… still smeared with blood like a haunting message.
When the police arrived, every trace had been wiped clean.
No one believed Martha. They said she was hysterical. They said Kathy might have run away.
But Martha knew what she saw. And from that moment on, she never slept soundly again.
Because in her dreams, she always saw Kathy standing before the mirror, blood dripping from her back, eyes hollow—beckoning.
Every night, Bella’s dreams were invaded by the same terrifying vision. The bloodstained mirror, Kathy’s pleading eyes, and the haunting stab that silenced the pop star forever. It wasn’t just a nightmare — it was a relentless echo that followed her into the daylight.
Since that dreadful night, Kathy’s ghost appeared to her in fleeting moments — a shadow in the corner of her eye, a whisper in the silence, a chill brushing her skin when she least expected it. Kathy wanted her to uncover the truth. To expose the darkness that swallowed her.
But Bella was terrified.
She wasn’t a detective or a journalist — she was an English teacher, struggling to balance her career and the pressures of university studies. The last thing she needed was to dive into a dangerous mystery that could consume her life.
Each morning at school, whispers about Kathy’s disappearance rippled through the halls. The staff grew uneasy, the students more restless, and Bella found herself under an unbearable weight of expectation and fear.
One afternoon, as Bella walked down the quiet corridor toward the teacher’s lounge, something caught her eye.
A faint smear of dark red, smeared against the white door of the teacher’s room.
Her breath hitched.
Her heart pounded.
She stepped closer, her fingers trembling as she brushed against the cold wood.
It wasn’t just a random mark. It was blood.
A chilling connection surged through her mind — the blood in that room, Kathy’s brutal murder, the unanswered questions.
For the first time, Bella felt the impossible truth settle inside her: she couldn’t run away anymore. The ghost’s silent plea was now her burden to bear.
With trembling resolve, she pulled out her phone and began to type a message — a promise to herself and to Kathy:
“I will find the truth. No matter the cost.”
After Kathy’s death, Mina and Jessica became the two brightest candidates to replace her for the “Rising Actress” award — but they were also the prime suspects. The reason was simple: after Kathy left the party to go home, she had met and spoken privately with both Mina and Jessica. The press began digging into every corner of Kathy’s disappearance and mysterious passing, forcing the two women into a vise-like situation.
Mina sat in the car with Jessica, her teeth clenched so tightly it was as if they might crack. Her hands gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
“I swear I had nothing to do with it… but if they keep digging, one of us will be the scapegoat.”
Jessica didn’t respond. She simply turned her head to look out the window, where camera flashes from reporters lit up the night like streaks of lightning. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she replayed the last moments with Kathy in her mind, wondering — was Mina telling the truth, or hiding a deadly secret?
The air inside the car was thick, the silence so deep she could hear the pounding of her own heartbeat. Outside, the rain began to fall, each drop striking the roof like the slow, steady drumbeat of a tragedy with no ending in sight.
