The sun had barely kissed the windows of Elena's small apartment in Seattle when the insistent ringing of the cellphone practically pulled her out of dreams. With half-closed eyes and messy hair, she fumbled for the device on the bed, murmuring something incomprehensible.
"Hello...?" she said in a still sleepy voice.
But nothing. The call dropped.
But what came next was almost a digital heart attack.
"Five hundred messages...?" Elena blinked several times to confirm she wasn't hallucinating.
The number of notifications only increased: missed calls, SMS messages, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and a chaotic avalanche of alerts from Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Weibo... and even a fax app she didn't remember having.
"But what...?!"
With trembling fingers, she opened Instagram and almost dropped the phone when she saw the number at the top of her profile:
@elena – 100.4 M followers
"One hundred... ONE HUNDRED MILLION? This has to be some kind of bug or... my God, did someone hack my account?"
Desperate, she accessed TikTok. There, the number was equally insane: 47 million followers. And rising.
On YouTube, where she used to have a shy channel with random videos of covers and natural makeup, she now had 18 million subscribers.
The Google Trends notification said: "Elena J is the most searched personality in the world in the last 6 hours."
"My God, what happened while I was sleeping?!"
Before she could investigate further, the phone rang again.
It was a familiar number — mom.
"Hello, mom...?"
"ELENA, FOR GOD'S SAKE, DID YOU DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL?!"
Elena's eyes widened, sitting up fully on the bed. "What? No! Mom, what kind of question is that?"
"IT'S JUST THAT THE STREET IS FULL OF PEOPLE! NEIGHBORS, JOURNALISTS, PEOPLE WITH FLOWERS! EVEN MRS. IRENE, WHO NEVER LIKED US, CAME TO CONGRATULATE!"
Elena ran her hand over her face, trying to reason. "Mom, calm down. I didn't do anything illegal. I just... filmed a commercial yesterday."
"YOU JUST FILMED A COMMERCIAL?! ELENA, YOU'RE ON CNN!"
The young woman was about to answer when the phone vibrated with another call.
Mireille, the production supervisor from yesterday's shoot.
"Mom, give me a second. Mireille is calling, I need to understand what's going on."
"If it's the police, tell them we support you, okay?!"
"Mom!" Elena laughed nervously and switched to Mireille's call.
"Mireille...?"
"Finally! Elena, have you seen the commercial? Have you watched it yet?"
"No. I just woke up. It's chaos here. I have 100 million followers on Insta!"
"Of course you do, dear. You went viral in 80 countries! The commercial was a phenomenon. Tycoon launched it globally on social media and it exploded like a supernova. People loved your voice, your face, your naturalness. They say you are the face of the new generation of beauty!"
Elena blinked, stunned. "Wait... all this is because of the commercial?"
"Yes! And here's the best part: Tycoon wants you as the first artist of their new entertainment label. They're creating a branch focused on authentic talents and... guess who they want as the inaugural face? You."
Elena was silent for a few seconds. Then whispered, "They want me to... sign a contract with Tycoon? Like... be a real artist?"
"Exactly. Global contract. Image, music, campaign. Everything. The Marketing CEO personally requested your inclusion."
"Wow."
"I know it's a lot. But breathe. You have the right to consult a lawyer, read carefully... but I recommend accepting. Because you just entered a level that many people never reach even in three lifetimes."
Elena looked around the tiny room, the messy bed, the half-fallen curtain, the loose T-shirt she wore... and suddenly the world seemed different. Or she had been sucked into another world.
"Okay... send me the contract. I want to look it over carefully. But... thank you, Mireille. Really. You believed in me when no one did."
"You shone on your own, Elena. I just held the light."
After ending the call, Elena stood still staring at the phone.
That world she always watched through social media, of celebrities, big events, millions of fans, was now knocking on the door of her reality.
She took a deep breath and smiled. "I wonder if my mom will let me move out now...?"
She looked again at Instagram and saw the commercial video on her own timeline.
For the first time, she pressed play.
And there she was. Divine. Serene. Stunning.
"Shine. But shine as you want."
After calming down. Sitting on the edge of the bed, with the phone firmly between her fingers and her heart beating faster than it should, Elena faced the anonymous number saved in her Twitch records.
She had kept it like a digital talisman: the hidden identity of the person who had changed her life with two taps: one donation of 100 million, and then another 100 million.
It was this person, mysterious, eccentric, and powerful, who had turned an ordinary night into a turning point.
And now, at the height of chaos, in the middle of a storm of fame and offers, Elena wanted... advice.
Crazy? Maybe. But crazier still was what was happening with her life.
Breathing deeply, she opened the contact saved as "???" and pressed the call button.
On the other side, the line rang only twice before answering.
"Hello?"
The voice was female. Warm, sweet, but with something... dangerous. Like a lazy cat that could devour you if you pulled the tail wrong.
Elena swallowed dry. "Hi... I know this will sound strange. But I am... Elena. The girl you sent those huge donations on Twitch to, remember?"
There was a slight silence.
Then, a soft laugh, like a sip of sparkling champagne. "Ah, of course. The BlackPink girl. How could I forget?"
Elena felt her face flush. "So... it's weird calling you, I know. But... today something surreal happened. I ended up in a Tycoon commercial. That video exploded. And now they're offering me a contract with an agency, tours, publicity, everything. And... honestly? I don't know what to do."
She breathed deeply and continued, her voice wavering slightly. "Please don't treat me like I'm crazy. I know you're a stranger. But... when I was having a horrible day, no energy, defeated, you appeared out of nowhere and turned everything upside down. You made me sing. Made me appear. And... well, made me rich overnight."
On the other side, Luna was lying face down on her silk bed, her feet swinging in the air while listening, a genuine smile on her face.
Elena, without knowing why, trusted that voice. Maybe it was the calm tone. Maybe it was the mystery. Or maybe... it was instinct. "So, I just want to know... what do you think I should do? Should I go with this? Change my life? Dive into this world that suddenly appeared? Or is this just another pretty trap?"
For a moment, only silence.
Then Luna answered.
"You know what I like most about you, Elena?" the voice came like velvet. "You have that quiet courage. The kind that asks but deep down already knows the answer. You're just waiting for someone to tell you what you already feel."
Elena widened her eyes. Her breath stopped for a second.
"You LOVE being in the spotlight. Love singing, posing, making people smile, sigh, applaud. That doesn't scare you... that gives you life. And you know how I know? Because your voice trembled when you talked about fame, but shone when you talked about singing."
Elena was silent. Completely disarmed. "I... it's true. I liked it. I felt... alive. Finally."
"So go. Accept it. Shine. And stop asking permission to be amazing, okay?"
"You..." Elena laughed, relieved. "You sound like a psychologist in disguise."
"I've been called many things. But that's a new one."
"Thank you. Really. I needed to hear that from someone who wasn't involved. Who wasn't benefiting from my decision."
"You needed to hear that from someone who just wanted to see you happy. No contracts. No percentages. Just... truth."
Elena breathed deeply, feeling tears in the corners of her eyes. Good tears. Of relief. "Do you have a name? Like, real?"
On the other side, Luna smiled with the mischief of a queen playing hide-and-seek with her people. "You'll find out. Eventually."
"Oh, no! You're going to make it a mystery now?"
"Totally. But hey... you're already on the right path. Follow the rhythm. Shine. And don't look back."
The call ended softly shortly after, leaving Elena with a light heart and an answer she didn't even know she was looking for.
On the other hand, in a skyscraper lit by LED panels on the other side of the world, Luna turned off her phone with a satisfied smile and said to herself, "Another flower blooming in Tycoon's garden."
Two days after the social media explosion, Elena found herself at Seattle International Airport, her hair tied in an elegant ponytail, wearing a casual white sweatshirt set with golden details.
Even without makeup, she drew attention, not only for her natural beauty but because Elena was now a global celebrity. And everyone seemed to know it.
People discreetly took photos, whispered, some even approached her with nervous smiles. Mireille, beside her, watched everything like a corporate lioness protecting her new jewel.
"You're going to have to get used to this," said Mireille, removing her sunglasses and walking toward the VIP area of the terminal. "Breathing will be watched. But relax. Tycoon will train you until your yawns look like poetry."
Elena laughed, nervous. She was still getting used to this new pace, paparazzi, contracts, security guards, and now… a direct flight to the Phoenix Empire.
"And this place... is it really that different?" she asked, pulling the handle of the carry-on as they entered the luxurious private lounge of Diamante Tycoon.
Mireille grabbed a glass of sparkling wine from a waiter's tray and handed it to Elena with a mocking arch.
"Different? Love, the Phoenix Empire is another planet disguised as a country. There, wealth is fury, fashion is war, and celebrities are almost... religion. And you just got canonized."
Elena let out a hesitant sigh. "Wow. No pressure, huh?"
Mireille smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Relax. You'll have a whole team to shape you. Posture trainers, speech therapists, image strategists, choreographers, stylists, makeup artists… and, of course, a 24-hour security team. Welcome to the top."
Minutes later, they were led through a private entrance to a black and gold aircraft, as luxurious as it was silent, equipped with seats that turned into beds, holographic screens, and even a mini suite with a shower.
Elena had to blink three times to believe it.
"This is just the plane?" she murmured.
"This is just the beginning," Mireille answered, already opening her laptop and starting to organize the schedule for the coming months.
During the flight of more than 12 hours, Elena tried to relax, but her heart beat fast.
The new contract still seemed surreal.
She was not only going to one of the most powerful countries in the world but was now part of Tycoon Entertainment, a subdivision of the gigantic corporation run by almost mythological women — like Luna, Nikoly, Victoria, and Lumine.
She slept a few hours, ate something too refined to even pronounce, and finally, Mireille sat beside her and showed on the tablet what was coming next:
"Intensive training for three months. We will prepare you for stage, interviews, diplomatic events, commercials, live music, acting — everything. You won't just be an artist. You will be a brand. A phenomenon. Understood?"
Elena just nodded, hypnotized.
And then, the airplane window began to brighten.
From above, the Phoenix Empire appeared below: vast, bright, pulsating with life and power. Colossal cities with futuristic architecture, suspended gardens, artificial rivers with waters gleaming like liquid silver. And on the horizon, a complex looking like a star rose: the Tycoon Headquarters.
"New home," said Mireille.
"Or a new start," Elena finished, her eyes shining.
The plane began to descend, and the future seemed more real with every lost meter of altitude.
She was ready.
Or at least, that's what she wanted to believe.
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