Novel & Cerita A Mask Of My Own Face

I gasped and involuntarily pushed against his chest. "I love y—" I choked on the words, barely able to stop myself. My heart exploded in shock. My mask tumbled forward and I grabbed it quickly, pushing it back on my face. No! Dammit! I was doing so well! I felt Masquerade's fingers tighten. He drew his face near mine. "I know."

Putting on that mask meant more than just reviving a role; it meant giving up a part of me that I had kept hidden even from myself. I turned to Masato, who watched me with an overwhelming intensity. His eyes left no room for doubt; he was fully there, waiting for something only I could offer. "Bianca..." he whispered, but the name seemed out of place at the moment. It wasn’t Bianca he wanted, and we both knew it. I took a deep breath and put the mask on, feeling the soft material cover my skin. The transformation was immediate. My insecurities and fears began to fade, replaced by a confidence I thought I had lost.

“You were incredible tonight.” “It’s Ivory,” I corrected sharply, slipping my mask off and setting it on the counter. My reflection stared back at me from the cracked mirror, pale skin, hollow cheeks, and tired blue eyes that had long since lost their spark. “You know no one can know who I am.” I reminded his stubborn self. He chuckled with a grating sound. “Relax. No one cares who you are here. They care about that body, that face, and the way you make them forget their problems for a few minutes.”

The room was silent, the sound of my heart beating faster reached my ears though. I took a deep breath, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and in a quick motion, I ripped off my disguise. The mask came off letting it fall to the floor with a thud, revealing my face. My real face. I couldn’t take it anymore. I stepped forward, unable to hold back the excitement that had been building inside me for so long.

"Which she does not usually do." "I know that too," I said. "Are you going to be alright?" I picked up the mask and held it for a second, looking at it. The same mask it had always been. The same edges, the same weight in my hands, the same version of myself waiting on the other side of it. "I am always alright," I said. I put it on. Raven looked at me in the mirror. "Yes," she said quietly. "You are."

“You heard me. The face. The icon. The rider that represents our brand.” I shook my head slowly. “How? How can I be the face when I don’t even show my face?” He chuckled again, softer this time. “Your mask is enough. Your mystery is more powerful than any beauty they parade on magazines. People love you because they can’t see you. They want to beat you. They want to challenge you. But they can’t stop admiring you.” I let out a shaky breath. “But if I become the face… people will try to find me,” I said.

The man's face was visible because the mask was off. “So this is you,” Orella said to herself.

My mom bought this after she accidentally spilled coffee on my laptop. I closed my eyes, typing the password, ignoring things that are on the screen, trying to keep myself busy looking for that beautiful woman I met last night. My fingers quickly type in the name of the club she is working at. I found her photos online but neither of those photos has her face completely shown off. That mask… I never cared about what people wore but this mask makes me mad.

No masks. Just me and all my failures laid bare.

I guess I wasn’t as incognito as I was hoping. “This is our first meeting, I assure you. And I have some burn scars on my face, Your Highness,” I explained quietly. “I wear the mask because I do not want to show my face to the world. It is–frightening. I do not want to make the customers feel uncomfortable.” Next to me, Fiona giggled. But Felix merely nodded his head and smiled. “I’m sure you are very beautiful indeed, in spite of those scars.” I tried not to let his words affect me.