The Greatest Showman #1462 - Bereaved Dog

Once, Lucifer was the most radiant among all the angels created by God. He was proud, noble, handsome, bright, holy, and pure. However, when God demanded that Lucifer worship the Son, Lucifer refused: "Why should I bow before Him? I existed before He was formed, and He should bow to me."

Thus, Lucifer led a rebellion, rallying a third of the angels, raising the banner of defiance at Heaven's northern border. After three days of fierce fighting, Lucifer's rebellion was crushed. He and his followers were cast into the bottomless abyss of eternal suffering. The others who had followed him were transformed into grotesque, disfigured forms. Yet Lucifer retained his angelic appearance, his glorious wings untouched. God could not bear to see His finest creation destroyed, so He allowed Lucifer's beauty to endure even in Hell.

The fall of Lucifer was a scene of horror, beautifully depicted in Paradise Lost. His pure white wings, once a symbol of his majesty, were soaked in scalding blood. Bit by bit, the radiant feathers darkened, first turning red, then deepening to black. The light that once shone from within him faded, his power drained drop by drop as he endured an excruciating transformation more brutal than the punishment of Ling Chi. The pain became unbearable, and even his screams were silenced.

Worse than the destruction was the helplessness of witnessing this slow, inevitable downfall.

Andrew felt the same now.

"Card!"

Damien turned sharply, his back to Renly. He propped himself up on his knees, gasping for breath, nausea surging within him. His mouth opened wide, but he could not vomit, only acidic bile rising in his throat. Fear, cruelty, and shock gripped him, leaving him powerless.

This was Damien's desired effect—but it exceeded his expectations. Especially the final moment.

For a moment, Damien was transported back to high school. Faced with a demon of a teacher, he felt small, terrified, curled into himself. He wanted to resist, but he couldn't summon the courage. His mind fantasized about strangling the teacher, but fear always held him back.

Then, he ran away. His dreams of being a drummer dashed to pieces.

But today, Damien found a new answer through Andrew: strangling his own soul, cutting off his own humanity, and following in the teacher's footsteps to grow and transform. The shift from quantitative to qualitative change had occurred, and Andrew had completed the final step—killing his former self.

It was in that moment that Damien understood: the answer had always been in Renly.

The scene was reminiscent of Lucifer's fall—bloody and brutal. The transformation was more terrifying than Lucifer's dark angel form, because it was during this fall that his beauty and pride burned away. This was what Damien had been seeking, but now, having witnessed it firsthand, the fear overwhelmed him. The nausea came in waves, and his stomach churned.

The rest of the crew felt it too.

They couldn't fully grasp the intricacies of Renly's performance, but they were swept up in the raw power of it. The terror, the madness—they feared that Andrew might charge at them, wielding his drumsticks like weapons.

"Devil." That was all that occupied Melissa's mind.

This was not the man she had come to know during filming. This was not the same boy who had invited her on a date with a charming smile, nor the gentleman who always maintained a graceful demeanor.

"This isn't him. It's not him. It's not him!" Melissa's mind echoed the same sentence over and over. Her image of Renly, her fantasies, her expectations—all of it was shattering. Like soap bubbles in the sunlight, her illusions popped one by one.

She shook her head in denial, unaware that her inner thoughts had spilled out loud, "It's not him!"

Ryan Gosling couldn't hold back anymore. His anger exploded. Even though it wasn't the right time, he couldn't stop himself. "Of course, it's not him! It's called acting, you idiot! Go away, now! Get out of here! God! I've seen many idiots in Hollywood, but none like you!"

Ryan gritted his teeth, fury radiating from his eyes. He could barely contain his anger as he struggled to maintain composure.

Melissa stared at Ryan blankly, her confusion growing. Why was everyone so hostile? Was it because she was just a nobody? Was she being bullied by these high-profile actors just because she wasn't as famous as they were? She couldn't understand.

Why was this happening?

Why?

The tears welled up in her eyes, but no words came out.

Ryan looked at her, his expression tightening. He clenched his fists, desperately trying to suppress the urge to yell.

It was Paul who stepped in, shaking his head in exasperation. Before Ryan could explode, he calmly told Melissa, "I think you should leave now." There was no harshness in his tone, no irritation, but his words carried an undeniable authority.

Melissa opened her mouth, but only a small sob escaped. Tears slid down her cheeks, and she staggered backward, looking every bit the lost dog.

Ryan and Paul exchanged a glance, helplessness and frustration evident in their eyes. But this was Hollywood.

With over 400,000 registered actors in Hollywood, not to mention countless freelancers, the talent pool was vast and diverse. The industry was full of people with varying degrees of professionalism—and even more with a lack of it.

After filming, Ryan, Paul, and Rooney decided to speak with Andy Rogers, Renly's agent. They didn't want to disturb Renly and Damien during their work, so Andy was the best option for dealing with any off-site issues.

This was the last time Melissa Benoist would appear on the set of The Pops.

Although today was supposed to be her last day, Melissa had chosen to stay on set, just to watch. But after the incident, she was never seen again.

Afterward, rumors about Renly began circulating among young actors in the industry. Some claimed that Renly was a demon on set, mentally tormenting his fellow actors. Others called him arrogant, self-centered, and manipulative.

As the rumors spread, they became part of the Hollywood gossip mill. Some believed them, some doubted them, but all they had were whispers, and no one could confirm the truth.

What was certain, however, was that Melissa had disappeared from the scene, as if she had never existed. The same could be said for the other actors who were once part of Glee and The Broken Drummer—they faded into obscurity.

Most people had never heard of Melissa Benoist, and few cared to remember her name. The Bursting Drummer had shifted its focus to Renly and Simmons.

Back on set at Juilliard, Melissa had left, but Ryan and Paul returned their attention to Renly, who remained in the center of the practice room.