Chapter 6

"Hey, I'm Mark, a musician. I'm twenty-four, and I got my first tattoo at thirteen, when I wrote my first song. Since then I know one thing: rock and drive rule the world, and the only kings with crowns are pop kings. I'm here on the show to find my muse. The one and only woman who will become not just a song to me, but my eternal hit! Oh-oh-oh!"

The audience hummed approvingly and welcomed the musician with special enthusiasm, while the image of Demond refused to leave my head. I almost missed the beginning of my own intro:

"Hi, I'm Diana," my voice sounded. And at the same time, as if it wasn't mine at all. "I'm almost twenty, and I'm a student. I love reading, learning new things, and everything connected with Korean culture. I never dreamed of being on a show, but everything was decided in literally two days. I don't believe in love at first sight. More like running away at first date. But I do believe in Tarot cards and the power of love. And also that fate sometimes laughs at us louder than any stand-up comic."

God. I bit my lip and closed my eyes. On the recording I sounded lost, frightened, and not the least bit interesting, as if I really had ended up here by accident. No fire, no charisma, no confidence. The audience gave me polite applause, but without a spark, greeting a boring student who was afraid of dates.

Brilliant, Diana. Great start. Might as well not keep going...

"Hi, I'm Yaroslav. I'm twenty-two. I'm studying IT and I love playing chess. To me, a date is like a game: it's better to calculate several moves ahead so you don't end up trapped. In relationships, as in chess, I value strategy. What if love and this show turn out to be my winning combination?"

The hall applauded approvingly, showering some unknown Yaroslav with ovations, and in my earpiece the assistant director commanded:

"Girls, get ready! In one minute the curtain moves aside, and the camera will take a close-up of each of you!"

The contestants' introductions ended, and Valentine appeared onstage again. I stood on my round marker in the same pose as before, feeling the tension around me grow denser, as if it were thickening the air itself. Everyone here had their own mask and their own trump card. Suddenly the audience's reaction made sense: to them we were all characters in a grand performance, and who stayed in the game would depend on how the first act ended.

Somewhere online, Mom and Stan were watching this right now, and I had already imagined how upset they were. Especially Stan. Judging by the audience's reaction to my intro, I had failed this act. And the moment I thought that, Demond instantly vanished from my head.

No. I was not here to doubt myself. They had ambushed me with that intro. I simply hadn't had time to prepare. But now I had to pull myself together and walk out to that terrifying Cupid's Wheel as if I truly believed in fate. Otherwise, I shouldn't have agreed at all.

I touched the pendant at my neck. My talisman lay there, steady and calm, as if in its case made of a holey sock, and I silently asked it for luck.

Meanwhile, Valentine returned to the center of the stage, raised his hand, and his voice grew louder:

"Here they are, the contestants of our first season! Young, beautiful, brave! As you could see, some of them are looking for true love, some have come for fame, and some to try an adventure they will remember for the rest of their lives. But each of them has only one path tonight..." He paused, then shouted solemnly, "The path to Cupid's Wheel!"

The light struck brighter, sparkling fountains flared along the edges of the stage, and sheaves of spray shot upward. The musical intro began, and the audience in the hall literally exploded with applause, sending a booming "ahh!" through the space. It was so dense the floor vibrated under my heels.

Before the roar could die down, Valentine's voice rose even higher along with an orchestral chord.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, meet our contestants! Our girls... And our guys! Let the show begin!"

The tall curtains trembled and began to slowly part. A semicircular stage flooded with light opened before my eyes, flying cameras flashed, golden confetti flew, and somewhere ahead and along the sides of the stage I saw a sea of clapping hands.

Now that was scale.

Whoever the organizers were, they really had tried to stage a real "show." The appearance of Cupid's Wheel was especially impressive. It rose from beneath the stage around the second tier, like an ancient artifact lifted from the depths of myth, and froze in the center. Lit in pink and gold, it turned slowly, as if to say the pendulum of fate had already been set in motion. And whether my knees were shaking or not, in that exact moment I understood there was no road back.

Lights raced around the wheel's neon rim, forming a shining halo. In the center of the wheel gleamed an enormous pointer shaped like Cupid's arrow, with silver fletching. Every time it crossed the next sector, bells chimed, and our names could be seen on the suspended side screens. The wheel segments with the girls' names were painted in soft pinks, the boys' in sky blue, and each had symbols of love engraved on it: a heart, a key, arrows, wedding rings, and silhouettes of white doves.

At the bottom, two white columns stood at the base, twined with artificial roses and ivy, and above them rose an arch shaped like a golden heart. Everything looked theatrical and bright, even garish, but that was exactly what made it mesmerizing, promising that the show would have no room for gray.

The fountains sprayed sparks again, Valentine appeared in front of the wheel, and the pathos poured like a river.  

"Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you for even more applause! Before you stands the heart of our project: Cupid's Wheel! Tonight it will be the one to pair our contestants and take the first step in a story they will remember forever!"

He held the pause, bathing in the deafening reaction from the audience, and continued:

"Tonight it will decide who becomes allies, who becomes rivals, and who becomes an unexpected discovery for each other. Twelve contestants, seven dates, and only one Cupid's arrow, which will pierce hearts that truly love!"

Valentine smiled, swept his gaze over the now-silent audience, and added conspiratorially:

"And who knows... perhaps Fate is choosing right now who will be lucky enough to win the grand prize, and who will be tested by disappointment. Love does not tolerate half measures, and on our show you, our viewers, will witness how it exposes falsehood and gives birth to real feelings right before your eyes."

Valentine made a broad gesture with his hand, and the wheel flared brighter. Lights ran in a cascade around the rim, and the audience gasped in anticipation.

"And now, dear friends!" His voice struck the hall like a drumbeat. "The most thrilling moment! You already know our contestants, and now Cupid's Wheel will determine who becomes the first couple of tonight!"