By the time the recording finished playing, the room was so quiet you could hear dust settling.
The agent's face had turned an impressive shade of green. He started sputtering excuses. "Sinéad, look, this woman is clearly unstable! She's psychotic! How can you trust a lunatic..."
Eva looked at Sinéad calmly. There was no fear in her eyes, only resolve. "Ms. O'Connor, you can think I'm crazy, you can think I'm mentally ill. But I hope you see the people around you clearly. Don't let him hurt another girl. He targets young women because he thinks they're easy prey. Not every girl has the judgment to see through him."
Sinéad glanced coldly at Eva, then turned her gaze to the agent. Her voice was ice. "Get out."
The agent put on his most innocent face. "Why? This recording proves nothing! She provoked me!"
"Get out." Sinéad repeated, leaving no room for argument.
The agent left, shooting a venomous glare at Eva as he went, muttering under his breath. "Fucking psycho. She's sick in the head. Just my luck to run into a nutjob."
Once the door clicked shut, Sinéad spoke. "Carrying a knife? Recording conversations? Is this a habit?"
Eva frowned slightly. She was here for a job, not a confession. She didn't owe anyone her life story.
"That's my personal business," she replied. "I'd rather not discuss it."
Sinéad's tone softened, revealing a hint of concern. "I apologize. One more question, then. Have you been hurt by a man? Hurt deeply?"
Eva remained guarded. "I don't want to answer that."
Sinéad nodded. "Technically, I shouldn't hire you. But to be honest? I love your personality. And I love your talent."
Eva pursed her lips, looking at the singer with confusion.
"So, I'm still going to hire you. That was my decision yesterday, and I don't see any reason to change it."
Eva was surprised, but she recovered quickly. "Thank you."
"I'll fire him," Sinéad said simply. "Now, let's talk about the project."
As Sinéad spoke, she studied Eva.
There was something incredibly cool about this girl.
Beneath the calm surface, there was a relentless, do-or-die intensity.
And she switched gears so fast. One moment she was pulling a knife, the next she was sitting there like a normal professional.
Sinéad was over forty. She knew everyone had baggage.
This girl definitely had a story.
Some might be put off by the "psycho" behavior, but Sinéad didn't mind. She was open-minded.
If anything, she felt a twinge of sadness for the girl.
Eva brushed her long hair back, a gesture that was inadvertently alluring. "So, Ms. O'Connor, what kind of music video are you looking for?"
Sinéad played her latest track for Eva. Eva listened intently.
She didn't know much about music theory, so she couldn't categorize it technically.
But emotionally? It felt metallic. Desperate.
Even without lyrics, the melody screamed of destruction.
When it finished, Eva looked at Sinéad. "I can't describe it technically, but... it feels like this song wants to destroy everything."
Sinéad's eyes lit up. "You really are the one I was looking for. This song... I'm painting a picture of a future apocalypse."
Eva frowned. "Future apocalypse?"
Sinéad nodded seriously. "Yes. The end of days. Total destruction. I've always believed that advanced civilization will eventually destroy humanity. And our ultimate fate is to be destroyed, and then reborn."
Eva listened, absorbed. It wasn't the first time she'd heard ideas like this.
The world was big; people believed all sorts of things.
Just like how looking at Eva, no one would guess she was a woman who had once been discarded like trash.
"I get it," Eva said. "You want to play with the concept of apocalyptic fatalism."
"Exactly," Sinéad agreed. "But it's about the cycle. Humanity is destined to destroy itself and then rise again, just like Adam and Eve. It's all a loop."
Eva smiled, relaxing. "In a way, I agree with you. Humanity really is destroying itself."
Destroying nature, breaking the ecological chain, slaughtering species, hoarding resources.
Humanity was digging its own grave.
Eva didn't think Sinéad was crazy.
She believed that as long as human greed was insatiable, self-destruction was just a matter of time.
She gave Sinéad an understanding smile. "So, Sinéad, you want to pour these thoughts into this video and song?"
Sinéad lit a cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Yes. The lyrics aren't finished yet, but that's the gist. If human desire keeps growing, we will eventually consume ourselves."
Eva took a sip of water. "Do you have a title?"
"Girl on the Ruins," Sinéad said, then stuck her tongue out playfully. "How's that? I want to show a destroyed world. But I won't be starring in it. I haven't fit the definition of 'girl' for a long time."
She looked at Eva. "Hey, you're really beautiful. Why don't you star in it?"
Eva shook her head firmly. "No. Absolutely not. I have no desire to be on camera. Never."
Sinéad looked disappointed. "Alright. We'll cast a suitable actress then."
Eva nodded. "Okay. I'll go back and think about the plot, write a script, and maybe draw some storyboards to explain my vision. How does that sound?"
"Perfect. I'm looking forward to it."
Eva said her goodbyes and left the restaurant.
Back at her studio, Sinéad found the head of her record label waiting for her.
He didn't look happy. "I heard from your agent that you're planning to hire a director with zero experience for our lead single?"
Sinéad sneered. "He's not my agent anymore."
"Whether he is or isn't, is it true? Are you crazy, Sinéad?"
Sinéad turned to face her boss. "Of course I'm not. I saw her short film. It was stunning. A tour de force."
"But she's never shot a music video! That's a fatal flaw! We've poured a fortune into this launch. We can't hand it over to an amateur."
Sinéad shrugged. "I chose her, and that's final. I trust she can handle it."
"Will you vouch for her? If she fails, will you pay for the reshoot yourself? The company won't cover your mistake."
Sinéad looked him in the eye. "Adam, calm down. If you want me to cover it, fine. It's not like I don't have the money."
"Then prepare to pay for your stupidity, Sinéad," Adam spat, storming out.
Meanwhile, after leaving the restaurant, Eva went to meet Saoirse for a movie.
When she arrived at the theater and saw Saoirse, Eva's jaw dropped. "Saoirse... tell me I'm seeing things. You want to watch Twilight again?"
Saoirse waved two tickets happily. "Of course! I already paid, darling. Come on, round three!"
Eva pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine. You bought the tickets."
Deep down, she really didn't want to watch it. Not just because she'd seen it, but because... well, it wasn't exactly a masterpiece worth three viewings.
But for Saoirse, she'd endure it.
She understood Saoirse's obsession with Kristen Stewart.
When a woman is that crazy about another woman...
Saoirse pulled Eva toward a poster. "Hey, look! Don't you think Kristen is super gorgeous?"
Eva sighed, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Saoirse's ear. "Honestly? I think you're prettier."
Saoirse pouted playfully. "Hmph, you're just saying that. If I'm so pretty, why am I not in Twilight?"
"You could be. You just haven't found your opportunity yet."
The movie started, and they went in.
Sitting in the dark theater, surrounded by the bustling crowd and watching Saoirse's eyes glue to the screen, Eva felt a sudden wave of warmth.
Being reborn was good.
She had reclaimed the human connections she had discarded in her past life.
Friendship. Family.
Only after losing them do you realize how precious they are.
Living in isolation was too lonely. She craved connection.
In this life, she would cherish these bonds.
As for love? That was smoke and mirrors. She wouldn't waste her time dreaming about it.
For the next week, Eva buried herself in writing the script.
Sinéad finished the lyrics and sent them over.
Eva crafted a narrative based on Sinéad's concepts.
Sinéad replied quickly. She loved it.
It wasn't much of a "script"—music videos rarely have complex screenplays—but it was a strong outline of a visual story.
"This is amazing," Sinéad wrote. "This is exactly the story I wanted to tell. Looks like we need to cast our lead. Come help me choose."
A few days later, Eva joined Sinéad for the casting session.
They were looking for a specific type: a blonde angel with empty eyes.
On the day of the audition, Eva was stunned when the first girl to walk through the door was Saoirse.