Frenzy even before the auditions
(3rd Person POV)
Just hours after Arthur's noon announcement, the city of Franklindale was already shifting. Streets buzzed with hopefuls. Lines formed outside the Hellfire branch office, filled with aspiring actors and dreamers chasing their shot at the silver screen.
In a cramped, gray-toned office downtown, the mood was far from hopeful.
A rough-looking boss slammed his hand on a stack of papers. "You screwed this up, Dane. This—" he pointed at the highlighted section of a report, "—is a disaster. You think this is acceptable?"
Dane stood stiffly in front of the desk, his wavy dark hair slightly unkempt, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. He said nothing as the boss kept going.
"I've had enough of this. Incompetent. Useless. I should've fired you weeks ago."
Dane's jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his sides.
"And look at you, just standing there. Do you even care?" the boss scoffed. "You can't even handle paperwork—what good are you?"
That was the last straw.
"You want to talk about incompetence?" Dane snapped, stepping forward and jabbing a finger toward the desk. "You dump your work on me every damn day. That report was your responsibility. You just scribble your name on the top when I'm done."
The boss blinked, caught off-guard. "What did you just say?"
"I'm tired," Dane said, his voice rising. "Tired of cleaning up your messes. Tired of being blamed. I'm done."
He yanked the papers from the desk, crumpled them, and tossed them back. "I quit."
"Wait—what?! You don't walk out on me!" the boss barked, scrambling to stand. "You'll regret this, Dane! You're finished in this city!"
Dane was already walking toward the door. He turned briefly, a defiant grin forming on his face.
"Good. I don't want this life anyway."
He pointed skyward, to the direction of the Liberty Port. "I'm heading to Hellfire. I'm gonna be an actor."
He chuckled softly to himself, his voice lowering into something almost boyish. "That dream I buried? I'm digging it back up."
Somewhere along the stylish streets of Franklindale, a red-haired woman in a tight-fitting designer dress paused in front of a storefront display. Her heels clicked to a stop as she caught sight of a merchant's television playing in the window. The screen flashed with the face of Arthur Pendragon, followed by a bold headline: Hellfire Announces Open Auditions for New Film, Set Aboard the Grand Whale.
She stared in silence. Her fingers curled slightly around the shopping bag she carried.
"Could a mistress like me ever become an actress?" she murmured under her breath. "I've always dreamed of being famous…"
With a decisive breath, she turned and headed to a vintage car parked nearby—an elegant model her wealthy lover had gifted her. Sliding into the back seat, she leaned forward.
"Drive me to the Hellfire Studio," she said.
The chauffeur blinked in surprise, then nodded as he adjusted his cap. "Yes, Ms. Fisher."
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Hellfire Studio branch in Franklindale—only to find the sidewalks already buzzing with energy.
Dozens of people had gathered, lining up outside despite the fact that auditions hadn't even officially started. Word had spread like wildfire. Hopefuls of all backgrounds, from all corners of the city, stood with resumes in hand and dreams in their eyes.
Arthur hadn't even released casting specifics yet—no character descriptions, no age brackets or required appearances—and still, they came in droves.
By the time the sun began to set, the crowd had swelled into the hundreds. When Arthur's caravan of sleek black cars finally arrived at 7:00 PM, they were greeted by a sea of excited faces stretching down both ends of the block.
Inside one of the lead cars, Firfel stared through the tinted window and gasped. "Look at that line… I've never seen anything like this. I mean, sure, Hellfire's had long audition lines before—but not this fast. The audition hasn't even started yet."
Arthur sighed, casting a glance outside. "I only made the announcement at noon... and already we've got this." He smirked faintly. "Guess the studio's grown to the point where one statement from me can shake up an entire city."
Firfel fell silent, her gaze distant. Just a few years ago, Hellfire Studio had been struggling to get Demonfather off the ground. Now, in a foreign nation, their name alone stirred a frenzy. She glanced at Arthur, admiration softening her features—before her brows drew together.
"Still," she said, voice edged with concern, "announcing it live on TV so suddenly... might've been a little reckless. Can our casting team even handle this many people?"
Arthur didn't look the least bit concerned. "I've already delegated the logistics. The casting director received the full brief hours ago. We're filtering applicants by appearance, acting, and basic registration." He added calmly, "Ten separate audition rooms, each handled by one of our best Hellfire directors. Each applicant gets a number—no number, no audition."
Firfel nodded, slightly reassured.
Outside, the crowd stirred at the sight of the arriving vehicles. A wave of cheers surged toward the cars.
"Arthur! Arthur!"
"Hellfire forever!"
"Make me a star!"
Someone even knocked on a window. "Take me in, Arthur! I'll do anything!"
"Firfel Evergreen!" a girl screamed, her voice cracking. "You're my idol! Demonfather changed my life!"
"Firfel! Firfel!"
It was starting to get rowdy.
Fortunately, local police had been stationed nearby and quickly stepped in, shouting at the crowd to keep order. The crowd settled just enough as Arthur and his team prepared to step out.
Arthur, along with Firfel and his team, managed to enter the Hellfire Studio building with little resistance. Though the crowd reached out, trying to touch them, none could get close—an invisible barrier holding them at bay.
Unbeknownst to the crowd, Arthur had subtly cast an illusion. To the eyes of those outside, it seemed they were inches away, almost brushing his coat—yet in reality, they never came near.
---
Two days passed, and the official audition had yet to begin. Outside the Hellfire Studio in Franklindale, the line of hopefuls continued to grow. Hundreds turned into thousands. While many gave up from exhaustion or impatience, new faces quickly replaced them.
The line now stretched across blocks. Tents had been pitched. Fires crackled for makeshift meals. The scene was no longer just local news—it became international. Reports of the "Great Audition Line" made it to Arthur's homeland in Horn Kingdom, and even as far as Moonlight, Muscovy, Wales, and the Leaf Kingdom.
Public reactions were mixed.
"I want to audition too…"
"Pfft. They're lining up just to get rejected. Do they not know Arthur's standards? He doesn't even spare big-name actors—what chance does the average person have?"
Some scoffed. Others envied. A few admired. And many simply watched with curiosity.
Among the long line of hopefuls, a few stood out—not for their appearance, but for their age. Some were as old as 150 to 180. Yet none stood out quite like an elderly man with a thick white beard and well-groomed mustache, standing tall with quiet dignity. He had come not for fame, but simply because he loved the Grand Whale.
A smirking young man nearby scoffed, "You? Auditioning, old man? Heh. There's no place for relics like you in a Hellfire movie."
The old man ignored him, calm as still water.
Just then, a group of Hellfire employees stepped out of the studio entrance. The crowd stirred, excitement rising, but the staff quickly silenced them with a simple announcement.
"We'll be handing out casting sheets. These list the appearance requirements for the roles. Read carefully. If your look fits any of the character descriptions, you may proceed with registration."
The crowd buzzed as they eagerly accepted the papers.
The smirking young man elbowed the elder and snickered, "Let's see if you even fit any role. Maybe they'll give you a background spot—standing in the back like a tree."
Nearby hopefuls chuckled at the jab.
The old man said nothing, just opened the paper with steady hands. He wasn't expecting much. Truthfully, he would've been content to just stand on the deck of the Grand Whale one last time.
But as his eyes scanned the paper—he blinked.
He fit the requirements. Not for a background role, but for a supporting character.
Meanwhile, the arrogant young man read his paper—his smile faded as his large front teeth clenched. "No… No way! I didn't qualify for a major role!?"
A burst of laughter followed.
"Haha! You thought you were lead material? Go be an extra somewhere else!"
The old man finally looked over and smiled. "What's the matter, son?" he said, lifting the paper to show. "Looks like this old relic passed for a supporting role. What about you? Background character?"
The young man's jaw tightened as laughter echoed louder around them.
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