The moment Marcus Thorne entered his private trailer in the studio parking lot, his first move was to lock the door from the inside. The shock of the scene they had just filmed was still visible in the slight tremor of his hands. He downed a glass of water in one go. As a seasoned actor, he was used to improvisations and unexpected cues, but this was different.
That kid, Aris, hadn't just delivered a line. He had hit a direct bullseye on a private family trauma—the fractured relationship Marcus had with his father—that even his closest inner circle barely knew about, something Marcus had spent years keeping out of the press.
Marcus slumped into his chair. A single question looped in his mind: Where did this kid get that information?
For Marcus, this wasn't an "artistic moment"; it was a security breach. If Aris knew, others in the studio might know too. Or worse, Aris had used that information as a weapon to destabilize him on camera, to neutralize him and steal the scene. And the bitter truth was, it worked. The director loved the take because Marcus had genuinely unraveled.
There was a sharp knock on the door. His PR manager and personal assistant burst in.
"Marcus, that scene was incredible!" his assistant said excitedly. "Leaked clips are already gaining traction. The tension between you and that supporting actor looks so real."
"Because it was real," Marcus said, trying to steady his voice. "Who is that kid? Have you looked into his background?"
"He's just an old theater actor from some small town, Marcus. A nobody."
"He's not a nobody," Marcus snapped. "A nobody doesn't talk to me like that. He doesn't just come up with a line like that. Regardless of where Julian found him, that kid is a risk. I won't let him manipulate me in front of the camera."
Marcus looked at his reflection in the mirror. The rule for staying at the top of this industry was simple: eliminate anyone who is better than you or anyone who truly knows you. Aris had laid out Marcus's greatest weakness on a table in front of everyone.
"Talk to the director," Marcus said, turning to his assistant. "Tell them to either cut that scene or reduce the kid's role. I'm not sharing another frame with him. He's not just an actor; he's a threat I don't yet understand."
For the first time, Marcus Thorne wasn't afraid of a rival; he was afraid of a mirror. He didn't know what Aris had done or what kind of "gift" he possessed, but he knew one thing: Aris had the kind of "authenticity" that could strip Marcus of everything he owned.