Not Just A Movie Night

Not Just A Movie Night


“Two popcorns, extra butter,” I told the vendor, sliding the bills across the counter. Once she was done, she handed it over to me.

“Asher, come on!” I called, balancing the popcorn on my hands like it was treasure. I was super excited. “The show’s about to start!”

He smiled and shook his head as if he were seeing another side of me. Maybe he is… His actions only made me roll my eyes. “No, seriously, let's go.” I was already making my way towards the entrance. He followed suit.

And, because I know you’re probably wondering what on earth I’m even talking about, let me rewind for a second. Those gift boxes Asher handed me? Yeah. Inside one… was a dress. Not just any dress… a black, silky little number that somehow makes me look like I have my life together… Movie-night appropriate.

But... that wasn’t even the real shocker. The second gift? Tickets to 'The Shadows of Avalon'. And not just tickets… front row. Like, breathe-the-same-air-as-the-actors front row.

Now, if you know me, you know that Avalon isn’t just a story. It’s the story. The one that cracked my heart open when I was sixteen, the one that made me want to believe in destiny and betrayal and heroes who don’t always come back alive. My favourite actress in the entire universe, Seraphine Vale, is headlining tonight. I’d written off ever seeing her live because, well… impossible tickets. But apparently “impossible” is Asher’s middle name. (Which, okay, annoys me a little… because who gave him the right to make me this happy?)

Samantha, bless her helpful little soul, must’ve been the one to leak all my guilty obsessions to him. Classic Samantha, always two steps ahead, even when I didn’t ask her to be.

And yes, I was excited. Giddy, even. For a moment, I almost forgot the gnawing weight of everything else. Almost.

Anyway, I shoved the second popcorn into Asher’s hands and grinned like this was the best night of my life. “It's going to be a long night...” He only smiled back.

The velvet seats practically swallowed me whole when I sat in the front row, the popcorn tub balanced neatly on my lap like a crown jewel. I could feel Asher watching me… probably amused that I’d gone from angry-bird Camila to bright-eyed-kid-at-Disneyland Camila in under an hour.

“Are you really that excited?” he murmured teasingly.

I turned to him with wide eyes, no shame in the grin stretching my face. “Yes! Obviously. This is like a dream come true for me.”

His lips curved into a smirk, but he stared at me a little too long. “Your accent… it changes whenever you’re happy.”

I blinked, thrown for a second, then scoffed. “Wow. So I’m not allowed to be happy now? Which is it, Asher? You want me miserable all the time?”

He chuckled. “Never mind.”

I squinted at him, about to demand what he meant, when the lights dimmed and a hush rippled through the room. Saved by the bell… or in this case, by Avalon. I pointed at the stage excitedly, “Later. We’ll talk later.” And just like that, the Shadows Of Avalon began.

The curtains drew back, revealing a world I’d dreamed about since forever. The stage glowed with blue mist, and there—emerging like she’d stepped out of my own imagination—was Seraphine Vale. My Seraphine.

The crowd erupted, clapping and cheering, and I swear my heart was cheering right along with them. I dug into my popcorn with greedy handfuls, barely breathing…

The story started with battles carved in smoke and light, warriors colliding with shadows that seemed alive. Flames danced across the stage; swords clashed with thunder. It was epic and beautiful, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. Not my plans. Not Asher beside me.

Just Avalon.

After a while, Seraphine was seen standing alone on the battlefield, bodies scattered around her, smoke rising in tendrils. And when she raised her sword, the silence deepened. And then came her voice… low yet commanding.

“They will tell you betrayal is the end. That it rots what was once whole, that it poisons every memory you ever cherished. But they lie. Betrayal does not end you. It remakes you. It burns away illusions until only truth remains. You do not die from betrayal… you are reborn in it.”

Her gaze swept across the stage, but I swear in that moment it landed right on me.

“They feared me when I loved them. They feared me more when I trusted them. But now?” She lowered her sword, a cruel smile twisting her lips. “Now I am unstoppable—because I am alone. And when you have nothing left to lose, you have already won.”

The audience erupted, cheers shaking the velvet seats. My throat tightened, though, because those words—they weren’t just lines from a play. They were words that reflected my life currently.

Seraphine was everything I both feared and longed to be.

By the time the final scene ended with Seraphine bowing to the viewers, the entire cinema was on its feet. Applause thundered like a storm; I clapped until my palms stung, a wild grin plastered on my face, my popcorn long forgotten.

As if the surprises hadn’t ended, the curtains had barely dropped when the crowd shifted. Seraphine herself stepped out, radiant under the lights, smiling at the flood of fans reaching for her.

I froze, clutching my popcorn tub like it was sacred. No way. This can’t be real.

Before I could blink, Asher touched my arm. “Come on.”

“What? No… Asher…” My voice tripped over itself, but he was already steering me through the crowd, straight toward her.

And then—like some scene I’d only replayed in daydreams—Seraphine’s eyes caught ours. She lifted her hand, gesturing for Asher to come closer.

Wait… what?

When we got to her, they shook hands and exchanged the kind of easy pleasantries only people who knew each other could. My jaw nearly hit the floor when Asher turned to me, calm as ever.

“Camila,” he said, “meet Seraphine. My cousin. My mom’s sister’s daughter.”

For a second, my brain just stopped. My idol. My goddess. My cinematic obsession… was his family?

Words tumbled out before I could stop them. “Oh my goodness… I mean… I… I love you. I love all your movies… every single one. Shadows of Avalon… The Last Ember—I mean, don’t even get me started, I—”

Seraphine laughed softly, then leaned in and pulled me into her arms. What? I didn't see that coming.

The crowd went wild with cheers and excitement, the media took countless shots… For real, I couldn't believe it myself, but yeah… it actually happened. My Seraphine gave me a sweet warm hug.

My mouth snapped shut. It was a dream come true indeed.

“I love you too,” she whispered before pulling away.

I stood there, useless, barely managing a strangled, “Thank you.”

She gave me that dazzling smile. “I’ll visit sometime,” she said simply, like promising me paradise, and my knees almost gave out.

But then…. As if the universe were too blind to read the mood… my phone rang. Shrill. Invasive. Cutting straight through my bliss.

I blinked down at the screen, and who I saw… made my stomach drop so hard as though ice water had been poured down my spine.

Frederick... What exactly does he want now?