Once back in Bordeaux, Cyrielle was greeted by her usual hellish schedule. Guitar covers, interior design videos, outfit designing, concerts, photoshoots… She didn’t have a second to breathe. Of course, it was the same with Julie. She was organizing the administrative part to be ready to move in Paris, changing the address as soon as she received the news of the acquired building. She needed to sell her car and hand over her current apartment, but time it all perfectly, so that they still had them until their move. They didn’t need to bring anything but personal items, since Cyrielle had taken on the challenge of designing both the interior for the office and her apartment. She was communicating directly with Bernadette’s assistant, sending sketches and furniture references, choosing fabrics for the curtains and paint for the walls. At one point, her ‘better endurance’ wasn’t enough.

  ‘I think I’ll really die if it continues like this !’

  Time was going very fast, and by mid April, a few weeks after her horseback riding video was posted on ‘Angel’s Horseboys’, the fans were still talking about it and circuting it on the Internet in all the nguages they knew, bringing yet another wave of fame her way. That’s how, only five months after her debut, Cyrielle’s MyTube channel had reached a million subscribers. But she didn’t have time to think about celebrating, she was just too busy. And her schedule for the next two months was already starting to fill up really quick.

  On the 19th of April, Julie and Cyrielle could be found in a newly bought van, traveling through France with all their possessions. It was finally time to settle in Paris. Julie’s small apartment and old car were already with their new owners, and even her couch that she had bought recently was gone. It was as if the two girls were leaving their past behind, heading towards a new chapter of their lives. With their schedule being so packed, they didn’t have time to say goodbye to Hyena and Madame Fabergé, but promised to buy them a meal someday.

  Cyrielle pressed the ‘confirm’ button on her phone. She had just sent money to Marius, repaying him for taking her in when she was homeless. Now, nothing was left. She could leave all the pain behind.

  Taking a deep breath, she turned to Julie.

  “What’s the schedule like, starting from now ?”

  Keeping her eyes on the road while she was driving, Julie responded automatically, like a robot.

  “Since you chose the concert hall for World Music Day, we need to start preparing for it. I’ll take charge of the technical aspect, so focus on creating a performance that will shock everyone. You also need to prepare for the TV appearance Bernadette asked you to take on. I researched it, it’s basically just a talk show segment of twenty minutes amidst news chronicles. The host is calm and serious, so there won’t be any bad surprises.”

  Amidst these things, various photoshoots and video recordings were pnned, of course, but Julie had given them some time off to settle in Paris. Julie also needed to take on various job interviews for the Angel-Minet agency, notably a secretary to answer the phone and skim through the various offers Cyrielle received, and an assistant for the video recordings or other schedules. If they could have more people, all the better, but the talent agency wasn’t big enough as of now.

  Cyrielle was nodding quietly. Even if she felt like she could die from exhaustion, her current life was much better than it was before. At that moment, familiar blue characters appeared before her.

  [Sensing an opportunity for destiny. Acquiring ability : Composing.]

  ‘Nice ! With that, I will be able to create my own songs !’

  Cyrielle wanted to jump in joy, but the time had slowed down. She had noticed her fans were asking for an album, and she had been considering hiring a composer when her schedule would be a bit more rexed. But acquiring this ability when her big concert for World Music day was two months away ? It was the perfect time. However, the messages didn’t stop here.

  [‘Composing’ interacts with ‘Singing’ and ‘Guitar’. Creating an ability category ‘Music’. All the cking abilities in the ‘Music’ category are enhanced.]

  Her brain went bnk.

  ‘Does that mean… ‘Composing’, that I just acquired, already gets a level up ? And ‘guitar’ too ? Now that's just overpowered ! If it follows the same logic as when ‘singing’ got evolved, aren’t I the best musician that exists ?’

  And it continued again.

  [Congratutions, you created your first ability category ! Path of Destiny rewards you by offering a gift, and an ability in the ‘Music’ category. Acquiring ability : Piano.]

  If Cyrielle didn’t have ‘coolheadedness’ permanently activated, she might have fainted.

  ‘If I follow the logic, abilities inside a category get enhanced. So… Did I just become a master pianist as well ?’

  She was trying to make sense of the phenomenon she just experienced, but failed. In the end, she decided to put the ‘understanding what the hell is going on’ part for ter, and turned the gift wheel.

  [Congratutions, you have earned the gold gift ‘Better endurance’. Would you like to proceed or spin again ?]

  A gold gift on the first try, and it was ‘better endurance’ once more.

  ‘Now you are just outright mocking me !’

  She whined a bit, but accepted the gift since she was curious as to what would happen. And as she was suspecting, new characters popped up.

  [Detecting several iterations of the same gift. Combining ‘Better endurance’x2… The gold gift ‘Better endurance’ has evolved into the pearl gift ‘Fortitude’. Gifts can now be dispyed in ‘Path knowledge’.]

  ‘You can do that too ?! Wait, I want to know the difference ! Instructions !’

  [Welcome to the instructions section. Please ask any question. To read the general instructions, think ‘general’.]

  ‘What is ‘fortitude’ ?’

  [‘Fortitude’ is a very powerful gift. Evolved form of ‘endurance’, it reinforces its effects to the extreme. No diseases can exist in your system, cancer cells are immediately destroyed. Sleeping can give you energy and improve your recovery, but is not necessary for your survival. Pain can be felt, but will never impair your judgment. You will never be out of breath, and the fatigue felt is minimal. Those are only a few effects of ‘Fortitude’.]

  ‘Crazy, this is crazy… Am I even human anymore ?’

  Cyrielle was having an existential crisis. But Julie, sneaking gnces at her, had no idea.

  ‘She is quiet. Is she focusing on her upcoming schedule ? No, she is probably looking far ahead, to her next big step… I’m still cking as a manager and a CEO, I must really step up !’

  And once again, the misunderstanding was growing.

  A few hours ter, they arrived in front of Cyrielle’s new apartment. Bernadette Dupuit could have sent her assistant to give them the keys, but for some reason she was in front of the building, looking prim and proper as if she was meeting an important figure. She still had her strict looking face, but secretly her palms were sweating.

  ‘I hope she likes the apartment… I checked several times to make sure it was perfect, but I can never guess what she thinks.’

  Bernadette welcomed Julie and Cyrielle with a polite handshake, and asked her assistant to help move the suitcases.

  ‘No, if she sees how much luggage we have, she will know we are super poor ! I can’t have that destroy my image !’

  Cyrielle shook her head.

  “It’s okay, we can carry our own things.”

  The assistant turned to her with a grateful smile and nodded.

  ‘Mademoiselle Cyrielle is so nice, I feel sorry I doubted her ! She even cares about someone like me… She is not at all like the other celebrities I know !’

  They entered the building. From the outside it seemed a bit old, in the cssic Parisian style, but inside it was neatly renovated, with an elevator next to the stone staircase. They took it, riding until the third floor. When the doors opened, Cyrielle discovered a corridor. The apartment to the left was hers.

  ‘I’m getting really nervous… It’s my home ! It belongs to me ! I will never be homeless again ! Oh no, my heart is beating too fast… I’m gd I have ‘coolheadedness’ !’

  They entered, and Cyrielle held back her tears. It was exactly as she had imagined. The living room was cozy, warm, but also very colorful. Wooden floors, dark green walls, a pop art inspired carpet, a big sofa with a purple velvety fabric… It was artsy, vintage, but also modern in a sense, with a lot of golden metal on the coffee table, the mps, and the windows. The open kitchen had lighter walls, in a cream color, and teal cupboards.

  “What do you think ?”

  Bernadette was nervous, scrutinizing Cyrielle’s face while trying to read her mood. But as always, she was indecipherable.

  “It’s perfect.”

  Cyrielle put her hand on the painted furniture, trying to collect herself. She let Bernadette lead her outside the living room, in a corridor with three doors.

  “The bathroom is at the end, and on the sides are two bedrooms. I’ll let you explore ter, but there is something else I really want to show you ! It’s a secret room.”

  ‘What do you mean another room ? Three is already a lot !’

  But she quietly followed Bernadette. Soon, they were back in the living room, and Bernadette opened a curtain, revealing a new door. She opened it, and…

  “It’s your atelier ! It’s pretty empty right now since I thought you would bring your own equipment. What do you think ?”

  Think ? Cyrielle needed to think ? She was incapable of doing that. She simply stared at the empty room, that was twice the size of Julie’s former apartment.

  AmbreaTaddy