Versatile Superstar: Rise In Hollywood-Novel

“Let’s give our best, guys. We are on the last scene. After that, it’s a wrap. You all have worked very hard throughout the shooting and I hope you could give a last push so we could end on a high note.”

Phineas shouted, his eyes looking at the crew members that were also focusing on him. They all smiled hearing his words. 

Their eyes reflected how much they had worked hard on [Sherlock of the Shadows]. From day one to today, they had given their best and all of them knew that the project was going to be a big deal when it finally got released. 

Just knowing that made them feel great. 

A successful project was akin to a few right steps in their careers. 

“Don’t worry, director.”

“We are all pumped to shoot the last scene.”

“It would turn out great.”

“Let’s go to the bar after it all wraps!”

They all let out excited shouts, full of vigour and happiness. On the side, a few actors who were present in the scene were getting their makeup done. 

All of them were currently shooting in a studio as the last scene involved a lot of VFX and use of green screen. The crew had prepared a lot of props to make sure that the scene would go well. 

One of them was Jeremy who was playing Mike. He would be one of the most important characters in this scene alongside Aiden. 

“Jeremy, have you seen Aiden?”

Phineas asked him, unable to find him in the vicinity. Jeremy took a look around before replying. 

“He got his makeup done and told me that he wanted to be alone to prepare for the scene. Just get the set ready and he will come.”

“Okay. I would still send a staff member to look for him.”

Jeremy didn’t say anything to that and Phineas asked one of the female staff members to look for Aiden. She searched up the whole studio and asked people but didn’t find Aiden. 

‘Where is he?’

She thought, hoping that Aiden hadn’t just left the set for some weird reason. A lot of celebrities sometimes would do that but after thinking for a bit, she shook that thought of her mind. 

Aiden didn’t give that impression. 

As she was wondering where he was, her eyes landed on Tom, Aiden’s assistant who was surfing the internet on his phone in a corner. 

“You are Aiden’s assistant right?” 

“Yeah.”

“Director Phineas is looking for him. Where is he?”

Tom put the phone in his pocket before replying. 

“He actually wanted to be left alone for some reason. He’s just outside the studio, just standing still, trying to get into the character.”

He gestured to the door that led to the outside and the staff member followed him. Turning around a corner, they found Aiden right beside the parking lot. 

“Here is he—”

The female staff member’s face froze for a bit, looking at Aiden’s expression. His face showed no signs of emotions but his eyes… a lot was contained in them. 

It was very hard to describe. 

They looked full of life but empty. If she could look through Aiden’s gaze, she would have noticed a few system notifications in the air. 

[You have decided to remove the safety protocol.]

[Your skill level isn’t high enough to control a scene with supernatural elements. You are advised to turn on the safety protocol.]

[You would be taking a huge risk.]

[Your high affinity with the character ‘Finn Wheeler’ would help you negate the effect of immersion but it would undoubtedly have some effects that might take time to heal.]

Aiden just needed to think of turning off the safety protocol and it automatically happened.

He knew the repercussions it might have but it was a chance to reach another level in his acting. 

Moreover, if he could really leave a performance that might shock the audience, then his stakes were inevitably going to rise. Having no backing, Aiden needed to play on his talent and audience support. 

That would only happen if they thought that he was someone special. 

‘I can’t think too much about it. I just need to do my best.’

He thought, finally noticing the staff member.

***

The final scene in [Sherlock of the Shadows] was one in which a lot of mysteries would get solved. Every case that Finn had taken in the show would come in full circle at the end as he would solve every mystery. 

Naturally, all of it was done by supernatural means. 

The twist would be that Finn would get the main culprit behind all the incidents wrong as it would turn out that he was being mind controlled. It was then that Mike would come out and reveal himself as the main villain. 

All the disappearances, murders were done to bring together a prophecy that could help bring the dead back to life and Mike had done it all for his family. He had been waiting for years for it. 

Here, a fight between both Finn and Mike would start. 

Actually, they had already shot most of the fight scenes one by one as Finn would mostly be dodging around the whole fight, his powers being very defensive in nature. 

The stunt sequences were shot with the help of a stunt double. Though, Aiden did a few of them himself. 

The final fight scene was divided between several shots that were taken individually and Phineas had left out the final part for today. 

It was the part where Finn’s powers would go out of his control and even Mike won’t be able to do anything about it, making Finn experience the worst of the ghosts that he was almost used to. 

He would see their lives before they died and in all that, the town would start getting affected and cracks would start to form in the reality of the spirit world and earth. 

It was only in the end that Finn would be able to get a grip on his powers. 

“Everyone, are you ready?”

Phineas asked, looking from behind the camera. His gaze lingered on Aiden, Mike and the actors wearing motion capture suits, playing ghosts. 

“We are ready.”

“Okay.”

He signalled one of the assistants to drop the slate and with a distinct sound, the scene began. 

***

[Sherlock of the Shadows|15 August-2017|Act 9|Scene 9|Take 1]

As the immersion hit, Aiden became Finn and his world shifted vastly. He was not in the studio anymore but on a grassland. Mike was facing him, looking at him with astonishment on his face. 

Finn followed his gaze and saw a ghost circling around him, tongues coming out from every part of his grey, sinister body. 

Half of his face was burnt and he had a sadistic smile on his face. 

‘You are my servant.’

‘I control you.’

‘You are my serva—’

Aiden tried to control him but he was unable to. While reciting, a sharp pain hit his mind and he staggered to his feet. The pain dispersed but out of nowhere, more and more ghosts appeared out of what he could only term as a portal. 

“You are paying the price of being the only person capable of living in the world of living and death. Without a proper master, your powers have gone berserk.”

Mike muttered, looking over at Finn who was trying to kick the ghosts at his feet. 

Knowing that if he didn’t do anything, Finn would die and the town would become a desolate land, he brought forth his ghosts and attacked the ghosts that had appeared out of the portal. 

His ghosts slashed at them and a battle started. 

“Finn, control your powers. These ghosts are coming because your power is leaking. They want to feed from it and return to the world of living.”

“What?”

“Until you control it, we are all going to die. I’m not powerful enough.”

Mike shouted at Finn as he dodged the attack of ghosts. 

‘If I could control it, I would have already done it.’

Finn thought to himself, stomping his foot on the head of the ghosts, making him yelp in pain. 

In his mind, he was trying his best to control it but it was to no avail. His powers felt like they were slipping out of his grasp every second. 

At that moment, a hand suddenly grabbed him from behind. 

It was a red coloured ghost that looked akin to devils from folktales. Finn tried to get out of his grasp but another ghost came in front of him and held his hands tightly, its claws scratching the surface of his skin to bleed. 

Finn tried to head butt the ghosts but nothing happened. The ghosts laughed at him and by the second, his hand was bleeding more and more while other ghosts kept gripping on his shoulders. 

He was locked in one place. 

“Let me go!!”

Finn screamed but he was met with silence. By the second, more and more ghosts that looked eerie and grotesque were coming out of nowhere, surrounding him. 

All of them had a greedy look in their eyes. 

“Human…”

The ghost in front of him said, his voice akin to a snake.

“I’m your master. You are my servant. Ahhh!”

Finn tried to use his powers once again but the ghosts put his hand on his face, his claws giving him scars. 

As he shook his body and struggled, the ghost whispered in his ear. 

“Give me your body, fears… Agree to me and I will take away your fears… forever.”

The world went black after that. 

…

//DreamNote//

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