"Is this for real?" the chat exploded as the rumor hit three million comments.
"Guinevere woke up," a pinned clip read. The clip was twenty-two seconds, grainy hospital footage with a timestamp and a blurred voice saying, "She opened her eyes." The caption had one word: RETURN.
"April Fools," someone replied with a laughing emoji.
"She's been dead to the scene for a year. Who buys this?" another user typed.
"Buyers," someone answered. "Rumor's sponsored."
Oscar Cooke read the viral thread aloud in the Dreamchasers lounge and spat out his coffee.
"Sponsored?" Cade laughed. "Who sponsors a ghost?"
"Someone with money and no taste," Dagger said, not looking up from his phone.
Oscar scrolled faster. "Mainstream picked it up. Three outlets ran it. Nicoletta's posted a funeral montage—people are melting down."
"Watch the replies," Dagger said. He tapped his screen and smirked. "Look—'Dreamchasers PR team staging a comeback.'"
"That's rich," Cade said. "She can't even sign an autograph, and they're staging comebacks."
Guinevere sat on the far couch where the cushions had a darker circle from overnight practice sweats. Her right hand was plated; the metal glinted when she set her cup down. She didn't move her eyes from the feed.
Oscar looked up. "Gwen, say something."
She typed on her phone, one short line: Watch.
"Watch?" Dagger shrugged. "Oh, this is gonna be good."
"Who leaked the clip?" Oscar asked. "Is this an ally planting a story or an
