It meant she no longer had to fear the fate written for her in the original story. She was finally free from the narrative's grip, from Alice, and from the looming shadow of what could have been.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled through them as she bowed deeply to the audience and the cameras, her heart lighter than it had ever been.
"Thank you, everyone. This truly means so much to me," Hera said as she faced the camera, her voice tinged with emotion. "I want to first thank everyone who believed in me and gave me the chance to prove myself. I was able to win this because of your support. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
Her face was slightly flushed, her eyes glistening as they turned redder with each passing second. Her voice wavered, full of emotion, and the audience naturally assumed she was overwhelmed by the ordeal with Alice, that she had feared being branded a plagiarist and having her journey cut short before she could even defend herself.
