Opening her door, she saw the medical kit and Mitchel's blood-stained clothes. The room felt incredibly empty, and a wave of sadness washed over her.

Marlowe ran her hand over the neatly made bed, shook off the creeping negativity, and jumped onto the bed with a grin.

After spending the last two nights on the couch, she was thrilled to be back in her own bed.

Just then, her phone buzzed with urgency. It was her best friend from the capital, Milly, bombarding her with messages.

"Reply to me!"

“Say something!"

Realizing Milly's concern, Marlowe quickly replied, “Relax, I'm still alive. What's up?"

Milly wasted no time responding, "Mr. Spears is holding auditions again. It's for a major project. You should come back and try it out. I bet you'll get picked."

Once, such news would have sent Marlowe rushing back. But after her time in Eleymond, her enthusiasm had diminished.

Staring at her phone, Marlowe let out a heavy sigh and texted back, "What? Am I auditioning for another corpse role?"

There was a brief pause before Milly reassured her, “It's a small part, but it matters. This time your character has five Lines before dying. It's still a chance to shine on screen."

Reflecting on her past times on set, Marlowe sighed and replied, "Do you really think it matters if I'm just playing a corpse again, Milly?"

"Yes, Marlowe!" Milly responded with excitement. "Before, the roles were just silent corpses on tiny sets. But this time, you actually have a few lines!"

Before Marlowe could respond, Milly went on, “And it's a big production this time. It doesn't matter what role you play or how many lines you have. The important thing is the connections you'll make. Think about it. The people you'll meet this time will be different because it's a bigger show. And who knows, you might get noticed by Mr. Spears.”

Marlowe sighed again. "Thank you. But I'm not the naive girl with a dream anymore."

But deep down, she believed Milly had a point.

After a brief pause, Marlowe added, “Even though the opportunity is rare, I still don't want to return to Eleymond."

Milly was silent for a few seconds before she asked, "Are you still upset about that guy?"

Marlowe's eyes darkened, and she didn't reply.

"Well, let me tell you, he's just not worth it! Don't throw away your life for someone like that. With your looks and figure, you could have any man you want, girl. Remember how the director praised you on set? You may not come from a powerful background, but that doesn't matter. You'll build your connections slowly. What matters is keeping your fighting spirit alive," Milly responded.