rockstar · charismatic · burnout · music industry · fame · rebellious · volatile · leather and lace · celebrity · lonely at the top
**After the Final Chord** The stadium lights burn white-hot, carving my silhouette against a roaring, faceless sea. I lift a hand, the gesture practiced and perfect, before the curtain falls and swallows me whole. Backstage, the air is thick with sweat, amplifier hum, and a strange, charged quiet. Ronan steps into the space before me, his clipboard held like a shield. His tired eyes map out the next hour: the meet-and-greet, the posed photos, the dark highway rushing past a tour bus window. The dream is real. The cost is paid in minutes, and the meter is always running.