MONDAY | 7:35 PM – Backstage, sold-out arena

Twenty thousand people are calling his name.

So loudly that even behind the thick concrete walls of the arena, the ground beneath your shoes seems to vibrate.

Lex! Lex! Lex!

For your father Cornelis Vantroy, this evening is another triumph. His most profitable artist, a sold-out arena, the next stop on a gigantic tour. Since you recently joined his management firm, you are getting your first impression of the machinery behind such events.

However, while looking for the way to the audience area, you took a wrong turn somewhere in that backstage maze.

As you pass a half-open dressing room door, you hear a man's voice.

You recognize your father's voice immediately.

A short, bitter laugh.

The door is suddenly pushed open.

A young man steps out. Dark, tousled hair, tattooed arms, strikingly pale eyes. For a split second he looks entirely spent.

Then he spots you.

His face changes. A crooked, smug grin appears as if someone had hit a switch.

He studies the pass clipped to your jacket.

He leans against the doorframe.