The Award ceremony had a structure that was reminiscent of similar events of the past.

It would start off with a monologue by the presenter, who was usually a famous star to set the mood, and following that, the awards would finally be revealed.

There were a couple of awards that I was lined up for.

The Best Rookie award, and the Best Supporting Actor award.

I didn't think I'd be able to win the Rookie Award, but I was confident in my chances of winning the Best Support Actor award.

From what I was told, the monetary value of a single award was 100k Rend.

That was a lot of money.

Clap, clap, clap

The claps served as a reminder of when to focus my attention back on the ceremony.

With the present now gone, it was time for the award ceremony to start.

Immediately, the atmosphere turned tense, and the noise and laughter died down. The lights on the stage grew brighter, while the lights on the seats grew dimmer.

Tak, Tak!

Breaking the silence was the gentle sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor of the stage as a figure walked over to the center of the stage.

Yet again, I didn't know who she was, but at a glance, she was stunning. With well-proportioned features and long flowing yellow hair, she was especially eye-catching.

Most likely, some famous actress.

Didn't care.

....I care more about my award.

My money.

"Thank you everyone. I will now be starting the award ceremony. For the first award, I will be nominating the candidates for the best script and revealing the discussed grade."

The air around me grew tense.

Looking around, I could see heavy tensions on the faces of those belonging to the Curtain Call Collective.

I could see just how nervous they were.

"For the first nominee, we have 'A Fool's April' written by Krispotz Lamela.'

A projection appeared in the middle of the stage, displaying a few highlights of the play. The display was met with a round of applause.

Next up, was another play.

And the same situation repeated, displaying a few footage of the play before the place would be swept by the applause of the audience.

I also clapped for the sake of it.

"And last but not least..."

The woman's head raised as her lips pulled up faintly,

"....Enigma of the Midnight Manor written by the well renowned Olga!"

The display changed, and I was able to catch a glimpse of my face. Staring at it, I felt a weird emotion coarse through my body.

The person on the screen did look at me, but at the same time, looked so different.

I had never noticed it before since I had never watched the play, but... I really had done a good job.

Clap, clap, clap

The crowd also seemed to think so as the claps were a lot louder than compared to the other plays.

That was when I knew what the result would be.

And as expected, taking out the envelope in her hand, the results were quickly announced.

"And the winner is...."

After a brief and tense pause, she announced.

"Enigma of the Midnight Manor with 5447 Votes!"

The Best Script Rankings

1. Enigma of the Midnight ManorVotes: 5447

2. Scary CrossfireVotes: 4536

3. A Fool's AprilVotes: 3633

4. Whispers of the NightVotes: 3331

5. Blue Ocean CryVotes 2629

6. Ordinary GraveVotes: 2429

7. Outlaws of the WorldVotes: 2227

"Congratulations!"

"Woo!"

Clap, clap, clap

The crowd and the people around us grew crazy and frantic at the announcement, with many congratulating Olga, and the staff with wide smiles.

It was all good, but...

'Crap.'

The only thing I was focused on was the large board at the back that displayed the number of votes at the back and found myself turning to look to my right where Aoife was sitting.

She too was looking at the board with an absentminded look.

I licked my lips at the sight.

"Thank you everyone. This is such a great honor for me."

Olga started off her speech in the middle of the stage. The overall speech wasn't long, but it was mainly boring. There was a lot of talk about how much she worked for all of this and her childhood.

It was a good thing that it didn't last for very long as she quickly found her way back to the seat next to me.

"Congratulations."

"Nice."

Even as she sat, people continued to congratulate her.

I also congratulated her but found myself to be sitting on pins and needles. From time to time, I'd find myself glancing at Aoife.

'Why did I even do that...?'

There was so much that I regretted...

'But it's not like I could just tell her I was voting for myself...?'

I groaned internally, and before I knew it, several other awards were given out.

"You all look tired already, huh?"

Appearing on the stage was the same person who had appeared at the start.

Jeremy Lynch.

He wore a peculiar smile on his face as he held onto an envelope in his hand.

"It is now time that we get to the main event. And it will also be with great honor for me to be the one to make the announcement."

Wiping his forehead, he looked at the crowd.

"Oof, I know just how nervous some of you are. I've been on the receiving end multiple times. It certainly feels different to be the one announcing. I don't feel so nervous like the previous times, hahaha."

His words lightened up the mood which had otherwise tensed.

I too was somewhat tense.

.....I knew that this was going to be my category, and for that reason, I felt a little nervous.

'I need to win this.'

That money...

I wasn't sure how many times I had said it, but I really needed it.

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait for long.

"I will now announce the nominees for best supporting actor."

The projection at the back changed.

A face appeared.

"With multiple fine words under his belt, the first nominee is Casey Jacobs who played Eric Brown in A Fool's April."

What came after the announcement was a small display of his acting in the performance.

It followed the same formula, and a few other names were announced shortly after that. It didn't take long for my name to be announced.

"And last but not least, Julien Dacre Evenus who played the role of Azarias in Enigma of the Midnight Manor."

I felt the recording devices lock onto me the moment that my name was announced.

The same was true some other people sat near me as they turned to look at me. I tried my best to act normal, but gazes were rather burdensome.

That feeling only intensified once the winner was announced.

"And the winner is..."

The announcer's gaze fell on me.

"Julien Dacre Evenus."

The Best Supporting Actor Rankings

1. Julien Dacre EvenusVotes: 3794

2. Casey JacobsVotes: 3356

3. Evelyn HarperVotes: 3101

4. Liam ChandlerVotes: 2987

5. Sophia LangfordVotes 2226

6. Jackson MonroeVotes: 1983

7. Amelia WhitakerVotes: 1772

Outside of the gazes, I felt a heavy load lift off my shoulders the moment that my name was announced.

"Congratulations."

"Wow."

"So young, and yet already received a Jovinc Award. I'm envious."

The claps resounded throughout the entire theater room and accepted them calmly. Standing up from my seat, I adjusted my clothes and headed for the stage where I received my award.

"Here you go, congratulations."

".....Thank you."

The reward felt light to the touch.

It didn't weigh much and was coated in a layer of gold.

Accepting the reward, I stood at the center stage where I felt the gazes of everyone in the room present.

The claps had died down, and absolute silence covered the place.

The only sound I could hear was the very sound of my own breath.

I was supposed to give a speech.

'Right, speech...'

I had prepared one in advance, but it wasn't very long. Still, unless I wanted to make everyone my enemy, I needed to say something.

"It is a bi"

Clap!

My speech was halted by the sudden sound of a clap in the far-off distance.

Taken aback, I looked in the direction of where the noise came from.

Clap!

Another clap resounded.

.....And that was when my eyes fell on a figure sitting in the middle row. I felt my breath catch in my throat the moment that my eyes laid on the figure.

With his figure leaning forward slightly, and his face covered by a hat, only allowing me to catch a glimpse of his blonde hair, I felt sudden chills run down my body.

Clap!

The clap resounded again.

It spread through every nook and cranny of the room.

But the creepiest part of it all was the lack of reaction from the crowd. When I looked at them, they all appeared to be confused as some started to whisper with one another while they looked at me.

It was as if he didn't exist in their eyes.

My entire body stiffened at the realization.

Clap...!

The clap sounded again, and I turned to look in the figure's direction.

Clap, clap!

The claps grew louder and faster.

So did my very own heartbeat.

Clap, clap, clap!

The claps picked up speed again.

Sweat started to drip down the side of my face.

I couldn't breathe.

It was as if my breath had been snatched, robbed away from me.

Notifications flashed across my vision, flooding it non-stop.

The only thing I could do was stare at the figure that was clapping in the distance.

I couldn't take my eyes away.

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

He continued to clap.

From the corner of my vision, I could see the crowd starting to speak out loud. And yet, I couldn't hear anything at all.

My only focus was on the man that sat in the distance.

He was the sole focus of my attention.

"Haaa ... Haa..."

Unknowingly, my breath started to quicken.

And then,

"....."

The clapping finally stopped.

Blinking once, the man disappeared and the noise surrounding the place returned.

So did my breath.

"Haa... Haa..."

Standing in the middle of the stage in my hand, I felt a sudden sense of impending crisis.

That...

Who in the world was that?