Instead, a thin film of anxiety clung to her skin, refusing to let the sunlight warm her.
“Come on,” Leah said, nudging her back into motion.
The driver had dropped them at the far end of the convention center. Emma blinked when she saw the massive line zigzagging through the turnstiles.
“We’re not...standing in that, right?” she blurted. Judging by the length, they’d get inside just around closing time.
“Of course not.” Leah ushered her forward. “That’s theEverything Elseline, for mere mortals.”
“Everything else but what?” Emma asked as they walked past people fanning themselves with glossy flyers.
Leah’s heels clicked against the sidewalk. “Hall H has its own setup. And then theNext Day Line, of course—the line to stand in line for Hall H. That’s down by the bayside.”
“Of course,” Emma said weakly. ThatDarkreachpanel suddenly felt very far away.
They slipped through the professionals’ entrance, Leah leading the way with practiced confidence.
Inside, the atmosphere shifted. Still buzzing with excitement, but tuned to a different frequency—denser, more focused. Something tightened low in her stomach. Darren might actually be somewhere in this building.
Digital displays glowed along the walls, cycling through floor plans and event countdowns. ADarkreachteaser flashed across a screen, and Kael Ferros’s eyes met hers for half a second. Emma flinched—then rolled her eyes at herself. Thankfully, Leah was a few steps ahead and didn’t notice.
They picked up their badges at the pro desk, along with tote bags full of merch. Emma slipped her lanyard over her head, glancing down at the glossy badge. The wordtalentgleamed in bold beneath her name, making her feel both flattered and slightly fraudulent.
“Did they misspell your name or what?” Leah said, already heading toward the escalator. “Let’s go.”
Emma adjusted the badge, letting out a slow breath as she followed.
The main backstage area was on the second floor, tucked in behind the meeting rooms where the panels and events took place. The moment they cleared security, a staffer intercepted them, bright-eyed and over-caffeinated. Recognition lit up his face.
“Emma Whitehart! Welcome! Want the grand tour?”
“Make it the petit tour, yeah?” Leah said, with one eye on her phone. “We’ve got someplace to be.”
“Of course you do.” He waved at them to follow.
Emma’s pulse picked up as they went deeper into the maze of rooms and corridors, her awareness sharpening with every step. Every corner felt like a possible collision point with Darren.
The staffer gave them a whirlwind orientation of the layout: cafeteria, press area, and several green rooms, spread out for convenient access to the different stages.
Backstage was...surprisingly unglamorous. Pallet jacks, stray ladders, mismatched chairs. More like a makeshift warehouse than a movie star holding area. Still, a performative tension hung in the air, an unspoken acknowledgment that there were VIPs present.
Emma spotted several famous actors sitting around with their phones or talking to their handlers. None of them were him, though. She forced her breathing to ease. Passing out from anticipatory starstruck panic was probably not accounted for in Leah’s color coding.
Leah was still deep in concentration over her phone when the staffer finished the tour, leaving them outside a room full of podcast booths.
“Okay, I need to check in with the press desk to set up a few things,” she muttered. “Shouldn’t take long. You’ll be fine on your own?”
Emma clutched the tote bag tighter against her shoulder, backing out of the way for a young starlet and her rowdy entourage. “Define fine.”
The look Leah gave her was equal parts fond and exasperated. “Well, I would tell you to find a few famous people and take selfies for your Instagram, but I’ll settle for not hiding in the bathroom. Go grab a coffee or something. I’ll be right back.” With that, she disappeared down a side hall, heels clicking menacingly.
Coffee sounded doable. Emma retraced her steps toward the cafeteria, forcing confidence into her stride. She was allowed to be here. The badge on her chest said so.
The backstage corridors were confusing, and she ended up looping past the same set of green rooms twice. An actor she recognized froma fantasy show gave her a warm nod in passing. She nodded back, surprised at how much that tiny gesture steadied her.
This wasn’t so bad. If she just let herself relax a little, maybe she could even...
She turned a corner—and skidded to a full stop. The blood drained from her face.
