[POV: Elian Verma]
Evening settled over the skyline like a carefully orchestrated fade-out. In his modest apartment, Elian sat by the window with his tablet resting on his lap and a digital notepad open beside him. He was deep into rewrites again — but this time, not under pressure, not desperate, not guessing.
This time, he was calculating.
"Blood Moon Lovers" had already been submitted, and the studio's internal system had confirmed the read-through was scheduled. That bought him breathing space. Time he wouldn't waste.
The system's archive still impressed him. His entire past-life career — all the raw scripts, notes, brainstorm dumps, even a few emails to producers — had been neatly categorized. Things he once lost in hard drive crashes were now one voice command away.
He wasn't in a hurry to burn through all the good material though.
He needed something smart — impactful, but not too flashy. Something that would show them his value without triggering envy or unwanted attention.
[ Query: Best candidate for a debut project under current studio environment?
System Processing…
Result: "City of Smoke" (Neo-noir / Psychological Thriller)
Projected Value (Post-Revision): 9.1/10
Risk Level: Moderate
Recommendation: Revise & Package for Pitch ]
Elian smirked. "Of course."
In his old world, City of Smoke had been one of his most ambitious scripts — a haunting, cyclical narrative about an ex-detective forced to relive the same day surrounding a murder. Studios said it was "too abstract," "too slow-burn," "too difficult to cast."
But in this world? The audience was more evolved. Their streaming market favored narrative depth. And with his system's simulation and revision tools, he could fine-tune everything from theme resonance to emotional beats.
He activated the system's ScriptForge Studio, and the interface unfolded in layers — outlining character arcs, scene mood curves, potential plot bottlenecks, and even casting suggestions based on actor profiles in this world.
One actress name repeated in the suggestions: Arya Rane.
Elian tapped the profile. As he remembered, she was a class-act performer with a string of critical hits and commercial flops. A perfect storm of talent undervalued by numbers. But she had exactly the range his script demanded.
He wasn't thinking of her just as a lead — she was the pivot.
The simulation preview of City of Smoke with Arya as the lead was chilling. Even Elian, knowing every twist in the plot, found himself absorbed.
[ Prompt: Do you want to initiate contact with Arya Rane?
Mode: Formal pitch / Private message / Studio agent route]
Elian paused.
A formal studio-backed pitch would take weeks. Through agents? Slower. Riskier.
He selected Private Message and attached the demo simulation, moodboard, and a carefully written message:
{I know what you've been looking for. You won't get it from safe scripts or washed-up directors.
But if you want to lead something bold — something only someone like you can carry — then open the file.}
He hit send.
---
The apartment was quiet, save for the hum of the city outside and Rishan typing away in the next room. Elian walked into the kitchenette and poured himself tea, thinking.
He knew the Arya pitch was a risk. If she ignored it or declined, City of Smoke would lose half its projected impact. But if she bit?
That would shift everything.
Not just for the project, but for him.
He sat back down, watching the system window showing the status of the message.
Unread...
Still.
Elian wasn't nervous.
---
[POV Shift: Arya Rane ]
In a quiet studio apartment, Arya stared at the simulation clip playing on her screen. Rain-soaked streets. A mirror scene. A single line spoken in her simulated voice:
"I remember the scream. But not the body."
She leaned forward, watching it again — slower this time.
Her finger hovered over the script file.
Then she opened it.
---
[POV: Elian Verma]
Five minutes later, her status changed: "Reading."
Elian leaned back in his chair, eyes focused on the notification. A slow smile formed on his face.
The script was solid.
The demo was cutting-edge.
And Arya Rane, the industry's most quietly-watched talent, had just taken the bait.
[ System Notification:
Side Mission Unlocked: Cast Arya Rane in "City of Smoke."
Reward: Scene Simulation Upgrade + Casting Insight Lv.1 ]
Elian stood and opened the window. The night air was crisp. Somewhere far below, a billboard flickered through different trailers — loud, flashy action films and shallow romantic comedies.
He didn't want that kind of cinema.
He wanted stories that stuck.
He wanted cinema that made people lean forward in their seats, uncertain of where it would go — and unable to look away.
And now, for the first time in both lives… he had the tools to make it happen.
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