The convention floor had begun to slow. The overhead lights dimmed slightly as the end-of-day announcements echoed faintly from the speaker system. Voices were softer now, fewer footsteps, the energy dipping into that quiet, glowing warmth that always came after a full day of excitement.

  Hank, still behind his booth, stretched his neck with a soft sigh and rolled his shoulders. His camera strap had left a faint crease on his collarbone, and his fingers ached just a little from adjusting lenses and gripping the shutter button all day.

  He glanced at the line. Only a few cosplayers remained now, most of the larger groups having wandered off toward afterparties or late-night panels.

  The current subject in front of the green screen smiled shyly, adjusting the edge of her brightly colored suit.

  She was maybe fifteen or sixteen, cheerful and creative… one of at least five girls today who had come dressed as versions of Spider-Woman. But unlike the others, her outfit stood out… not for complexity or cost, but for originality.

  Her suit was sleek, form-fitting in a comic-accurate way, but her chosen colors were bubblegum pink and sunflower yellow, breaking from the standard red-and-blue mold. A stylized spider emblem stretched across her chest in bold white lines, and her gloves had subtle glitter woven into the fabric. Even her boots were custom-painted to match.

  “Okay, Nell… ready when you are,” Hank said, lifting his camera.

  She nodded and jumped into her first pose… one foot forward, crouched slightly, arms out in a web-shooting stance. Her eyes behind the half-lifted mask sparkled with excitement. Hank smiled behind the lens.

  He snapped the first series, then gave gentle direction.

  “Try turning just a little… yeah, good. Now cross your arms like you’re landing after a swing. Perfect. Now big energy… give me a hero stance!”

  Nell laughed and played along, clearly having fun. With each shot, she grew more confident, moving between poses, throwing a few kicks and hand gestures, even sticking her tongue out for one goofy frame.

  When Hank finally lowered the camera, he chuckled. “That was awesome. Seriously… you’ve got comic book energy all over the place.”

  She grinned. “Thanks! I was nervous. This is my first real photo shoot.”

  He grabbed his notepad and flipped to a new page. “Well, you nailed it. Let’s get your Instagram so I can tag you when I upload a few of these.”

  “It’s @webslinger.nell! Two L’s, no caps.”

  He wrote it down next to her photo ID numbers and added a quick star beside it… one of his small ways of remembering to prioritize fun or standout shoots when editing.

  “You’ll see them up soon… probably by tomorrow afternoon. Want me to send a preview in DM first?”

  She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please! Oh… and thank you! You made this really fun.”

  “You made it easy,” Hank said with a warm smile.

  As she bounced away to join her older sister waiting just beyond the booth line, Hank glanced down at his camera again. A few of the poses really were fantastic… there was one in particular, her crouched with one fist on the ground, looking up like she was about to leap into the air. The colors popped, the angle was sharp, and her joy radiated through the frame.

  He marked it quietly in his mind.

  Another rising star.

  And then… he remembered.

  He looked up, scanning the con floor for any sign of them.

  Ashley and Maria.

  No sign.

  He wasn’t sure if that left him relieved or... oddly disappointed. The mystery Maerisa had planted in his mind still lingered… her cryptic promise that they’d return “for him.” And yet, as the booth settled into silence again, he wondered if fate had changed its course.

  Or if it was just waiting.

  ---

  The golden hour light spilled across the polished marble floor of the Atrion Grand Hotel, one of the most extravagant buildings in downtown San Diego. Crystal chandeliers shimmered above, casting warm reflections across glass walls and golden fixtures. Everything smelled faintly of fresh orchids and wealth.

  When Maerisa entered through the revolving doors, the lobby seemed to inhale.

  She didn’t walk in. She arrived.

  Her boots clicked softly on the marble, her cloak flowing behind her like smoke made tangible. Her form-fitting crimson leather corset gleamed faintly under the overhead lights, and her long white-and-red-streaked hair fell in waves across her shoulders, framing her impossibly symmetrical features and piercing violet eyes.

  A bellhop rounding the corner stopped mid-stride. His hand slipped, and the expensive leather duffel he carried fell to the ground with a soft thud. He mumbled an apology to the couple beside him as he scrambled to collect himself, eyes darting toward Maerisa in confusion and awe.

  She gave him a small, knowing smile and continued on.

  The elevators were glass-paneled and smooth as air. She stepped into the first one available, alone, and pressed the button for the 15th floor. As the lift ascended, she began to hum… a melody older than the hotel itself. Older than this city. A fragment of an Elven hymn, forgotten by all but the few who still remembered when forests whispered secrets and stars spoke truth.

  Ding.

  She stepped out into opulence.

  The 15th floor was reserved for VIPs and A-listers. The carpet was a rich, velvety burgundy. The walls were adorned with minimalist art in gold and ivory frames. Every door looked like it led to a penthouse.

  She didn’t hesitate. Room 1523.

  She knocked once… soft but deliberate. Her posture calm, patient, timeless.

  She could hear voices through the door… light laughter, the shuffle of bare feet across plush carpet. With her Elven sight, the barrier of the door might as well have been glass. She could see them. The two golden-haired muses.

  Ashley and Maria.

  Twins. Models. Icons. They were legends in the cosplay world… not just for their looks, but for their poise, their calculated presence, their ability to command attention like royalty.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  And tonight, they were dressed in lace and silk… not costumes, but intimate wear, chosen for comfort… or perhaps vanity. Ashley lounged near the edge of the velvet sofa, a sheer robe draped off one shoulder, while Maria was seated in front of a large mirror, adjusting a strap on her bralette, phone glowing beside her.

  The door opened halfway.

  Ashley raised a perfectly groomed brow. “Can I help you?”

  Maerisa’s smile was calm. “Oh yes. I think you’ll want to hear this.”

  Maria looked up from her seat at the mirror. “Wait… are you that elf cosplayer? The one Hank took, like, fifty pictures of?”

  Maerisa stepped forward just enough for the light to catch her eyes. “I am. And I came to speak with both of you… about Hank.”

  Ashley opened the door a little wider, intrigued. “Picture-boy?”

  “Photo-god, you mean,” Maria said under her breath with a smirk. “Guy's got talent. I’m not even filtered in those edits.”

  Maerisa chuckled. “Yes. Hank. You know he’s been… quite taken with you. Both of you. For a long time.”

  They exchanged a glance… equal parts amused and flattered.

  “Yeah, well,” Ashley said, “him and about half the planet.”

  Maerisa nodded, her tone shifting… silken but serious.

  “But unlike the rest… Hank sees more than the surface. You felt it, didn’t you? When he looked through that lens. That… connection.”

  Maria stood now, arms folded, her curiosity fully piqued.

  “Who are you exactly?” she asked.

  Maerisa’s eyes gleamed faintly violet. “Someone who sees the truth of things. Who’s been helping Hank unlock his potential. And I believe… tonight… you can help complete what’s begun.”

  The air seemed to still around them.

  Maria’s head tilted slightly. Ashley’s smile faltered for just a second.

  “What are you saying?” Ashley asked carefully.

  “I’m saying you’re free to do what you wish. But if you follow your instinct… if you trust that pull inside you… you may find that tonight is not just another encounter. It may be… a turning point. For all of you.”

  Maerisa walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, one hand gesturing toward the skyline.

  “There,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper. “That hotel. Twelfth floor. Room 1212. That’s where he is. Right now. Working. Thinking of you.”

  She turned back to them. “What happens next… is your choice.”

  And with that, she gave them a final, knowing smile… lips curved with the kind of ancient certainty that belonged to creatures born under starlight and long-forgotten moons.

  Her crimson cloak whispered across the hallway as she turned, boots silent on the plush carpet, the air behind her pulsing faintly with power.

  Just before reaching the corner, Maerisa paused.

  She looked back once… just enough to catch their eyes, and then she raised two fingers to her lips.

  A breath. A whisper. An incantation in a language older than the buildings around her.

  “Meleth dín na lín caun, lín fae na chaeron...”

  The words spilled like velvet, curling through the corridor like smoke.

  Then she blew them a kiss.

  Not just a gesture… but a spell.

  Invisible, warm, and softly humming, it drifted through the air, brushing over the twins like a whisper of heat. Both girls shivered. Ashley blinked, suddenly breathless. Maria’s fingers curled slightly, as if she’d touched something electric.

  They looked at each other.

  No words.

  Only the echo of that kiss, and the lingering tingle of something awakening.

  Then Maerisa disappeared around the corner… gone like a shadow at twilight.

  And across the city, in the quieter hotel, Hank sat alone in Room 1212. His laptop glowed softly in the dim light. He was editing portraits… Ashley in her Harley Quinn grin, Maria with that perfect glance over her shoulder. His fingers moved with practiced rhythm, unaware of what had just begun to stir.

  Unaware that fate was already on its way.

  ---

  Hank had just powered down his laptop. The screen dimmed, casting the hotel room in a warm hush of shadows and amber light from the desk lamp nearby. He stretched once, then exhaled as he leaned back into the chair, his thoughts heavy with the day’s memories… the laughter, the flashes of the camera, the swirl of color and cosplay.

  He was about to rise and get ready for bed when… a knock.

  Sharp. Two taps. Then silence.

  He frowned, glancing toward the door, then at the small digital clock beside the bed.

  11:58 PM.

  He blinked, brow furrowed. “Who the hell knocks at midnight?” he muttered under his breath.

  Rising slowly, he crossed the room barefoot, feeling the slight chill of the air conditioning as he neared the door.

  “Yeah?” he called out cautiously through the solid wood.

  “Hank…”

  A voice. Soft. Sultry. Familiar.

  Then another voice, nearly identical… this one with a playful lilt.

  “Open the door, Hank. We’ve been thinking about you.”

  His pulse stumbled.

  He knew those voices. Ashley and Maria.

  He hesitated for a moment, a dozen questions racing through his mind.

  Had something gone wrong? Did they forget something from the shoot?

  Was this a prank?

  Or was it... something else?

  He rested his hand on the doorknob.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked, his voice calm, though a little dry in his throat.

  “Let us in, and we’ll explain,” one of them said smoothly.

  Hank took a breath, then turned the knob and pulled the door open.

  They stood there, side by side… flawless, as if they’d walked out of a dream. Identically dressed in oversized hoodies that still clung to their figures, with long, bare legs and gleaming hair that shimmered in the hallway light. Their makeup was subtle but perfect, and there was something in their eyes… a gleam, a challenge, a promise.

  Hank inhaled sharply, caught between awe and disbelief.

  “So, Hank,” one of them said, tilting her head with a smirk, “are you going to let us come in? Or just keep staring?”

  He stepped back automatically, voice slightly rough. “Yeah… come in.”

  They brushed past him, each movement deliberate and fluid, as if choreographed. He shut the door gently behind them, the click of the latch sounding louder than expected in the quiet room.

  “So... why are you here?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady as he turned back toward them.

  His mind flashed back to earlier moments in the con… the teasing glances, the kisses on his cheeks, Maerisa’s cryptic words: They’ll be back soon. For you.

  And then something darker crept in.

  Yuna. Lena.

  Both had smiled. Both had secrets.

  He crossed his arms unconsciously, a defense mechanism.

  “You’re not here to tell me your boyfriends are coming to kick my ass, are you?” he asked dryly.

  Ashley… he thought it was her, laughed. “God, no. No boyfriends. No setups. No drama.”

  Maria leaned against the edge of the desk, her eyes scanning the room. “We just thought... maybe you wouldn’t mind some company. Real company. Not the kind that disappears after a photoshoot.”

  “Besides,” Ashley added, walking slowly toward him, “you looked like you needed someone to remind you how appreciated you are.

  “Or maybe two someones.” Maria’s voice was a whisper.

  Hank felt the air change. Thicker. Warmer. More charged.

  He didn’t move. Not yet.

  Instead, he looked at them… really looked.

  They were stunning, yes. Everything his younger self had dreamed of. But there was something deeper in their eyes now. Not just flirtation or glamour. Something almost... enchanted.

  And for the first time since they’d arrived, he wondered just how far Maerisa’s magic had truly reached.

  Ashley and Maria stood just a few feet from Hank, the glow from the bedside lamp casting warm halos across their hair. The room had gone quiet, save for the soft hum of the city beyond the twelfth-floor window.

  They were statuesque and still… yet there was energy radiating off them. Not just beauty, but intent.

  “So, what do you think?” one of them asked, her voice smooth as silk, her smile curving ever so slightly.

  Hank tilted his head, unsure which twin had spoken. He thought it was Maria, but even after spending time with them earlier that day, telling them apart was nearly impossible… especially now, when their energy felt unified. Magnetic.

  “Think about what?” he asked cautiously, his voice low.

  Ashley… he was almost certain it was her this time, stepped closer. The air between them warmed. Without a word, she reached out and gently took his hand in both of hers. Her touch was soft, but there was nothing timid in it.

  She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with mischief and something more elusive.

  “Well…” she whispered, her breath brushing his chin.

  And then, without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him.

  It wasn’t hurried. It wasn’t a peck.

  It was deliberate… slow, exploratory, the kind of kiss meant to linger in memory. Her lips pressed against his with heat and softness, a silent invitation laced with confidence.

  Hank felt his breath hitch, just a little. His heart picked up.

  Before he could respond… before his thoughts could even catch up… the other twin stepped forward, her smile playful, but her eyes locked onto his with more focus than before.

  “Lots of fun,” she murmured as she leaned in and kissed him too, her hand resting lightly on his chest. Her kiss was just as firm, just as intoxicating, but somehow cooler in energy… a contrast to the first, like fire and wind meeting the same flame.

  They pulled back, standing side by side again, watching him with identical expressions: eyes half-lidded, lips parted, waiting.

  Not pushing.

  Not demanding.

  Just offering.

  Hank stood motionless, caught between the surreal and the real. He could still feel the echo of their kisses, one after the other, like ripples crossing over his chest.

  This wasn’t just seduction.

  It felt orchestrated. Guided.

  Like something was unfolding that had been written long before tonight.

  And in the back of his mind, like a whisper through a keyhole, he could almost hear Maerisa’s voice.

  Let your heart lead. You’ll know.