Amara stood outside the audition room, her heart pounding beneath the perfectly tailored suit she had chosen for this absurd plan. The name "Rowan" echoed in her head, the role of the hero she was about to audition for, and she could practically feel the judgmental stares from the people around her.
No one dared to say anything out loud, but the silence and side glances said it all: What is this girl doing here, auditioning for a man's role?
If only they knew her parents had already paid their way into the production, guaranteeing no one would challenge her decision. But, of course, Amara had no idea. She was blissfully unaware of her parents' meddling, which only made her more determined to pull this off through skill alone well, that and her system-granted advanced acting ability.
[You've got this. Remember, you can channel every angsty hero from every poorly written fantasy novel you've ever read.]
