Chapter 2: Pretty Boy

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A few months later - Las Vegas, NV

Serina and Alex are at a restaurant having dinner with Serina's team. It's the night before the Latin Grammy Awards and they're celebrating her nominations for "Album of the Year" and "Best Urban Fusion/Performance." The fact that her first Spanish album is earning award nominations excites her so much. "Cosas De La Vida" getting nominated warms her heart.

When she was writing that song, she never imagined it would get nominated for anything. Who knew the song about my sadness over Druig would get so much recognition, she thinks. She pulls out her phone and begins to record, showcasing her plate and her team. She pans the camera over herself and Alex, who gets closer to get into the shot and starts posing.

Out of nowhere, everything begins to rumble. Serina grips the table as she feels the ground shake beneath her. "Earthquake. Get under the table!" she orders Alex before shooting out of her seat. She helps the people around her get under the table. Someone collapses behind her so she quickly helps them up. The sound of screams and clattering objects fill the air as glasses and plates fall from the tables. Finally, the violent rocking stops, and Serina looks around. Loud chatter fills the atmosphere as people freak out over what just happened.

"Was that an earthquake or ya estoy peda, wey? [am I really drunk, dude]?" Alex asks as she crawls out from under the table.

"No estas peda [You're not drunk]. That was an earthquake," Serina responds. Unless the tequila finally hit me, she thinks. This is Nevada so an earthquake isn't something unusual here. Hopefully, it's not followed by an aftershock, nevertheless. Serina grabs her phone from the table to check the time: 1:25 AM. Damn, I didn't realize how late it got, she thinks. "Hey, we should go right now anyway. We have a lot to do before the show tomorrow," she tells her friend.

"Yeah," Alex responds. They say goodbye to the others before they head in the direction of the exit. As they make their way through the tables, Serina's eyes land on a guy and a girl at a table in the corner who seem to be flirting. The girl narrows her eyes and lifts her chin, making the guy copy her actions except he lifts his chin a bit higher and gives her a cheeky smirk. This triggers a memory from ages ago...

{☁︎}

Serina strolls through the Sumerian civilization, studying the passing people. As she scans her surroundings, a family comes into view a short distance away. She stops in her tracks to observe how the mother smiles down at the little boy whose hand she's clasping, and how the father bends down to pick up his small daughter. The parents grin at each other as they go about their walk. The corners of Serina's lips curl up into a warm smile. They look happy. I'm glad we were able to prevent the Deviants from harming them, she thinks. Her thoughts are interrupted by an unexpected feminine voice.

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