Secrets And Masks Cover Art Novels & Stories

she asked again, her voice full of excitement, like she was sharing a secret. “The masks,” he repeated, and the word sounded like a promise. “They let us become someone else. We can walk through a room full of people and not be truly seen, but at the same time, everyone’s watching. It’s like magic. We get to be mysterious, bold, and untouchable at the same time. People will talk about us without knowing who we really are. That’s the beauty of it.” Zara smiled. She could already picture it the two of them walking into that glamorous party, hidden behind elegant masks, dressed like royalty. They would turn heads, start whispers, and control the whole atmosphere without saying a word. It would

Her heart thumped once—hard—before the terminal loaded. Inside was no chatroom. No stream gallery. No usernames. Instead, it was a gallery of masks. Each mask hovered in a shifting carousel, stylized avatars that represented users. Some were grotesque—stitched leather mouths, eyeless mannequins. Others elegant—gilded Venetian designs with cruel smiles. The more elaborate the mask, the more power its user seemed to wield. At the center of the display was a mask outlined in red. A silver fox.

The third festival was a masquerade filled with wonder and excitement. Everyone’s true identity was hidden under masks and elaborate costumes. I was wearing a modest white mask and Gregory wore a blue mask with a large bent beak that would have made him unrecognizable had it not been for the fact that I had already seen it before the party. Everyone was anonymous under their mask and I spent a long time trying to decipher the identity of the guests.

Secrets are the end of every relationship. Once the seed is conceded in heart, slowly, the death approaches. Many had lost to the seed they conceded at heart and when it unleashes, disaster and death to years of trust and honour. Andre sat in front of his screen, oblivious of the entirety of the environment. He was trapped in the abyss thoughts of Christy. He relived every moment of them, all the smiles at various points. His head hurts already but he was lost too deep to care.

It is more beautiful than anything I have ever dared to imagine in my most secret dreams. Suddenly, a crystalline chime sounds nearby, like the gentle ringing of glass, and before me, a mask appears, hovering as if held by invisible hands, settling gently into my palms. The mask is pale and delicate, kissed by moonlight, its surface etched with swirling patterns that mimic the frost creeping across a windowpane on a cold winter’s night. I lift it and press it to my face, feeling it mold perfectly to my features as if it was made just for me.

However, Marvin, in the early days of his venture, was alone and scared out of his wits. He pleaded with me to join him, to weather the storm together. I could not stand to see him worry, so I said yes without a second thought. We signed a secret pact to keep our work partnership from getting tangled up with personal ties, thinking it would keep things clean. He always acted like feelings and careers were apples and oranges. I thought by sacrificing my own path and sticking by him, he would eventually see my worth. That he would need me after all our time together. I was so wrong.

I let out a soft chuckle to myself as I finally got to my destination. I keyed in the password and then the door beeped open. Then I stepped into the semi-dark room. This place might not be the best place to be an art studio, but it was okay by me. At least, I got to do what I love the most here without anyone in my family knowing about it. I dropped my bag on one of the stools, then I went to take my apron, tied it around my waist, and put on my gloves. I set up the easel and canvas with my paints and brushes.

Ginevra “Tell me your darkest secret.” I look at him confused before I bubble over with laughter. “You are such a maniac.” He smiles as he takes a pull off the cigarette we are sharing before handing it over to me. We are cuddled into a love seat because I didn’t feel comfortable to stay on the bed, after all that mess we did on it already. The ridiculous thing is that, because of some kind of strange fetish-destiny, we are still wearing our masks. I feel like he tried to get mine off a few times while I was completely under his mercy, and I’m thankful he refrained from it eventually.

That small, innocent-looking box was sitting there like it wasn’t hiding something. Curiosity itched under my skin. Just a look. That’s all. I reached for it, turned it over. My gaze dropped to the label. His name. Still… I opened it, slowly and carefully. And then— I froze. A mask. Not just any mask, a masquerade mask. Black. Sleek. Elegant. Expensive-looking. The kind that screamed luxury and secrecy. My fingers brushed over it lightly. “A masquerade…?” I whispered.

She says looking at the masks and picking a few up. She’s so sweet, I wonder where she gets her charm from? “Ooo what about these?” she picks up couples masks and I can’t help but giggle at the thought ‘couple’ is that what Troy and I are? “They are pretty cute and will match my dress perfectly.” The ‘women’s’ one is a black lace mask with purple glitter etched around the eyes and what kind of looks like crescent moons, and the ‘males’ one is a simple design, black with the same purple glitter around the eyes and crescent moons. Perfect.