The neon lights of Lumina bled through the window of the upscale restaurant, casting cold shadows across Aris's plate. Sitting across from him, Julian set his silver tablet on the table and slid a black folder toward Aris. To Julian, Aris was a promising asset—a diamond in the rough—but he had no inkling of the haunting truth behind Aris's talent.
"This is your new role," Julian said with professional detachment. "Studio Aethalgard's latest project: 'Silent Betrayal'. You aren't the lead, Aris. You're just an 'Informant.' You'll have exactly three minutes of screen time."
Aris looked at the folder, masking his disappointment. "Only three minutes? Is this why I left everything behind?"
Julian took a sip of his coffee. "Listen, kid. You'll be acting opposite Marcus Thorne. He's the biggest star in this city. Every eye will be on him. Your job is to whisper an address and get out of the shot. But remember: an audience doesn't look at the one who shines brightest; they look at the one who is most real. If you want to step out of Marcus's massive shadow in those three minutes, don't just say your lines. Make him feel who you are."
The Following Day: On Set
The next morning, Aris sat in a dimly lit interrogation room set, surrounded by massive cameras and towering spotlights. Marcus Thorne stood before him. With his flawless features, Marcus looked like a modern icon. No one realized it, but at that moment, Aris's mind had shifted into a different dimension.
As Aris looked at Marcus, he didn't just see an actor. His internal gift—the one he called "The Sight"—had taken hold. From the slight tremor in Marcus's fingers, the way he couldn't hold a steady gaze, and the over-rehearsed tone of his voice, Aris sensed the man's deepest wound: despite the world's adoration, Marcus was still that little boy who was never "enough" in his father's eyes.
"Action!" the director shouted.
Marcus lunged toward Aris, trying to look menacing. "Where are the documents? Talk!" His voice was powerful, but to Aris, it was nothing more than empty noise.
Aris ignored the "scared man" stage directions in the script. He locked his eyes onto Marcus's. In that second, Aris didn't just observe Marcus's pain; he felt the weight of the man's entire past in his own heart. Aris leaned in closer and whispered a line that wasn't in the script—a line he felt Marcus's soul was terrified to hear:
"You keep shouting, Marcus... because you're deathly afraid of someone actually hearing you, aren't you? Just like your father never did."
The set went ice cold. Marcus Thorne's flawless mask shattered instantly. A look of genuine despair and vulnerability appeared in his eyes—something never seen in any of his previous films. For a moment, Marcus forgot where he was; this nameless supporting actor had just stepped into the most private room of his heart.
"Cut!" the director yelled, jumping from his chair. "My God! Marcus, what was that look? Aris... that line wasn't in the script, but you turned that scene into a masterpiece! Incredible improvisation!"
As Aris stood up from the chair, he felt utterly drained. Marcus remained frozen, staring into space. Julian stood off to the side, looking at Aris with a mixture of shock and pride. Julian thought Aris was merely a "brilliant observer." He would never know that in every scene, Aris was truly tearing a piece of someone else's soul and taking it into himself.
Aris hadn't just played the role of an informant; in those three minutes, he had brought the world's biggest star to his knees with the truth. As he walked silently back to his trailer, he began to fear that this power might one day consume him entirely.