….
85th Academy Awards.
December 18, 2013 - 9:47 PM
….
The Dolby Theatre hummed with an energy that felt different from the Golden Globes.
Regal adjusted his bow.
Through the tinted windows, he could see the red carpet stretching like a river of blood under the lights, photographers creating a wall of flashes that never stopped, fans screaming from behind barriers.
"Regal, are you fine?" Chris Columbus asked from beside him, voice slightly tight.
"I am fine." Regal replied automatically.
"You are not fine?" But it seems he wasn't in a situation to hear him properly. "Neither am I. I almost threw up twice before we left the hotel. So we're in this together."
Regal turned to him slowly. His face said, why exactly are you trying to comfort me?
Despite the tension, he laughed - the Golden Globe had been validated, but this was different.
The Academy Awards weren't just about recognition, they were about legacy.
The limousine door opened, and sound crashed over them like a physical wave.
"Regal! Over here!"
"Chris! How does it feel to be nominated?"
"Is [Harry Potter] going to win Best Picture?"
"Or will it be [Spider Man: Web of Density]?"
They stepped onto the red carpet, and the world became a blur of camera flashes, shouted questions, and the controlled chaos of hundreds of people trying to capture the same moment from different angles.
Ryan Seacrest appeared with his microphone and practiced smiling. "Regal! Combining Golden Globes and now Oscar you had a total - Fourteen nominations for [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret]'s to [Spider Man: Web of Density].
"In fact in some categories you are competing against your own films. Did you ever imagine this when you started writing the screenplay?"
"...and you already won one for Best Director for [Spider Man: Web of Density] in Golden Globes."
This year Regal's movies were indeed nominated in a total Fourteen categories combining Golden Globe and Oscar.
Six nomination in Golden Globe:
For [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] (3 nominations):
| Best Motion Picture – Drama
| Best Director – Chris Columbus
| Best Original Score – Ludwig Göransson
….
For Spider-Man: Web of Destiny (3 nominations):
| Best Director – Regal Seraphsail (Won)
| Best Actor – Andrew Garfield
| Best Supporting Actor – Alfred Molina (Won)
….
Eight Oscar Nominations:
For [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret]'s (4 nominations):
| Best Picture
| Best Production Design
| Best Adopted Screenplay
| Best Costume Design
….
For [Spider-Man: Web of Destiny] (4 nominations):
| Best Picture
| Best Sound Mixing
| Best Film Editing
| Best Visual Effects
….
But since Golden Globes are already done and Regal won [Best Director] for [Spider Man: Web of Desitny], while Alfred Molina won [Best Supporting Actor] award.
However, [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] couldn't win any, and the team is really hopeful for today.
So - there are eight Academy Award nominations waiting for tonight for Regal and Teams.
….
Inside the Theatre was ablaze with lights and cameras.
Hollywood's elite filled the seats in their finest evening wear, the air thick with anticipation and carefully controlled nerves.
Regal and Gwendolyn sat three rows from the front, flanked by his team.
To his left was Andrew Garfield, looking tense underneath his fake and awkward smile for the camera, adjusting his formal tuxedo.
Behind them sat several other key members of both [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] and [Spider Man: Web of Destiny] production team.
The previous year's Oscars had been... difficult.
Regal didn't like thinking about it, because he knew this year would be different.
….
The ceremony progressed through its early awards.
Visual Effects was one of the first ones to announce.
And–
[Spider Man: Web of Destiny] WON!!
Everyone near Regal immediately jumped in joy.
Immediately, the Visual Effects Supervisor 'Leo Woert' and the Visual Effects Producer 'David Scott' - the two men who founded Unique FX hugged Regal, thanked him and walked onto the stage to collect the award.
….
One down.
And soon it was the turn for [Best Production Design].
And unfortunately, [Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets] lost again.
Honestly, Regal could actually feel the energy of the production down a little, which is expected as they hadn't won any in Golden Globes too.
He really hoped and prayed when [Best Costume Design] category was being annoyed to–
"The 'Best Costume Design' goes too…
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!!"
"AHhhhh!!!!"
Simon shot up like he had been hit by lightning.
"Oh my god, oh my god, we did it!" he shouted, grabbing Andrew's face in disbelief before pulling him into a half-kiss, half-collision of sheer joy.
The entire row broke into chaos, Regal was on his feet, clapping hard, a smile cracking through the tension he had worn all night.
Down the aisle, the camera panned to a woman rising carefully from her seat, Seren Seraphsail. Regal's twin sister. Her blond hair was pinned up with understated elegance, one side of her face catching the light where faint scars still traced the aftermath of the accident.
She steadied herself with one hand, nodded to Simon, Andrew and Kenue, then made her slow walk toward the stage as the orchestra swelled.
The backstage crew whispered quietly, everyone knew the story.
Last year, on the morning of the Golden Globes, Seren's car had flipped on an empty intersection. The crash had changed everything: it was the reason Regal withdrew from most appearances that season, the reason he hadn't attended the Oscars at all.
Now she was here.
As she reached the microphone, the applause softened.
She looked at the gold statuette in her hand for a moment, then raised her eyes to the audience.
"I will be honest." she began, her voice steady but edged with fatigue. "I hated movies. They took a lot from me."
A murmur rippled through the crowd - quiet, uncertain, but listening.
"I don't want to bore you with a long speech." she went on, her tone plain, unembellished. "And I don't really have anything great to say. Because… even though I am holding this award, and yes, I do believe it rightfully belongs to me and my team, because we earned it, I still don't think I have earned a place for myself here."
The orchestra stilled. Only her voice carried through the room.
She exhaled once, almost a laugh. "In fact, the only qualification I have standing here tonight, apart from this award, is… being the twin sister of Regal Seraphsail."
Then she smiled faintly, adding with quiet defiance, "The elder twin sister, at that."
Seren glanced toward the crowd where her brother sat, and for a moment, her gaze softened. "He will hate that I said that." she added under her breath, prompting another wave of laughter.
She raised the award slightly. "To everyone who stitched, dyed, mended, and believed in every thread - thank you. This belongs to you."
As she stepped away from the microphone, applause filled the theatre - loud, genuine, carrying something deeper than just celebration.
….
Two down.
Then came Best Adapted Screenplay.
Regal felt his heart rate increase slightly as the presenter opened the envelope.
This one mattered.
This one was about whether the Academy believed his vision for the story.
"And the Oscar goes to...
"[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]-
"Regal Seraphsail!!"
The applause was immediate and genuine.
Regal stood and kissed Gwendolyn in happiness, accepted the handshakes and tight hugs from his team - and made his way to the stage.
He accepted the golden statue, feeling its unexpected weight in his hands, and stepped up to the microphone.
"Thank you." he said, his voice steady. "Every bit of recognition I have received from the [Harry Potter] franchise has validated something fundamental in me. This story was where everything began. It gave me confidence when I needed it most.
"Since I am a writer - and I just won an award for writing - Now let me get into my winter shoes to say something important.
"If you ever in your life look around and find yourself without confidence, constantly feeling insecure, or repeatedly failing, I want you to know the cause. It isn't bad luck. It isn't fate. It is you."
"For too long, we blame the ghosts of our past. We name the source of our deepest pain: the abusers, the bullies, those cruel people who inflicted that suffering. The exes, the co-workers, whoever it was that betrayed us. We hold up these names and say, 'They are the reason!'"
"But here's the reality you must accept: Those people are not here anymore. They are not in your house, they are not at your job. The only place they still exist, the only place they have a voice, is inside your head."
"I know the trauma was real. It did change you on a psychological level. It was devastating. But you have to shift your perspective. To them, what they did—that terrible, life-altering moment for you - to them, it was just another Tuesday.
"And the minute it was over, it stopped."
"Yet, every day, you keep the cycle spinning. You keep identifying with that old victim status, saying, 'The reason I'm not confident is because of my past.' That past might have been the original cause, yes. But the original cause is gone. The person creating the insecurity now is the person in the mirror."
"The only person holding you back from happiness, from that next level of success, is you. It's not your circumstances. It's not outside factors."
"The problem is that you went through something bad, and then you believed them. You believed the lie when they told you you were stupid. You believed them when they told you you were weak. You believed them when they told you that you were not powerful enough to succeed."
"Your mission is this: Stop listening to the echo of the past. Stop believing in them. Stop giving their old words power. And start, right now, believing in yourself."
"Yeah, that's gonna take some time to get into your head.
"But now allow me to remind you of something personal. Something not as a writer, but as a fellow human–
"I remind you to…
"Call your parents.
"All of you. Call your mom. Call your dad."
He let the silence settle over the audience.
"Better yet, if you are fortunate enough to still have them here with you - visit them. Tell them you love them. Thank them, and when they want to talk, listen. Really listen. For as long as they need."
His throat tightened.
"I hope you won't realize too late what that time was worth."
He raised the Oscar toward the lights.
"Mom, Dad - this belongs to you. To Ryder and Angelia Seraphsail.
"Thank you."
The applause swelled again, carrying him into the wings.
….
Backstage.
Zach Barg, Regal's longtime editor, stood in the press area backstage, his phone already out.
He had been with Regal since [Following], cutting together footage in cramped editing bays. Now he was editing hundred-million-dollar blockbusters, but his role remained the same: make Regal's vision coherent.
He pulled up his assistant's contact and typed quickly:
Zach: [Hey, we need a small correction in the credits for Iron Man.]
Zach: [Remove "written and directed by Regal Seraphsail"]
Zach: [Change it to "from the writer of Oscar winner Regal Seraphsail"]
His assistant replied immediately: [Got it. I'll make the change in the master file tonight.]
Zach smiled and pocketed his phone.
The [Iron Man: 1] marketing campaign was already underway, with trailers scheduled to drop in two weeks.
That small change—"Oscar winner"—would carry weight.
It wasn't just vanity.
It was proof that Regal could deliver both critically and commercially.
He looked up as Regal emerged from the press gauntlet, Oscar in hand, looking slightly emotional from his speech.
"Congratulations." Zach said, shaking his hand.
"Thanks man."
Before Zach could respond, a publicist appeared to pull Regal toward another interview.
….
As Regal completed his interviews, his phone buzzed with messages, which he ignored for now.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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