The offer came by encrypted email.
Subject line: "Paris is Watching."
Inside was an invitation to co-star in an indie French film already gaining traction in global film circuits. Not a major studio—but respected. The kind of film that won awards, not just fans.
Lina stared at the screen, her breath held.
> "They want me?"
---
[System Notification]
[Main Task Unlocked: Accept the Role in 'Le Miroir Brisé']
[Difficulty: High – International Debut]
[Reward: +7000 Credits | Language Proficiency (French) | Global Exposure +3 | Charisma +1]
[Punishment: System Confidence -5 | Delay in Career Advancement by 2 Months]
[AI Companion: It's a risk. But the kind that turns unknowns into icons.]
---
The role was challenging.
A character with layers: rage, grief, allure.
A woman who had also lost everything and tried to rebuild from ashes. The parallels to her own life made Lina's throat tight as she read through the script.
She closed the laptop gently.
Then whispered, "I'll do it."
---
Two weeks later, she stepped off a plane in Paris.
Hair pulled into a bun, oversized sunglasses shielding her face, Lina walked past the paparazzi that had somehow caught wind of her arrival. She wasn't famous here—not yet—but she already had buzz.
Caden's words echoed in her mind.
> "The world will either fear you, love you… or erase you."
---
Her first read-through was brutal.
Everyone spoke rapid-fire French. The director, passionate and intense, corrected her tone every five minutes. Other actors barely acknowledged her presence.
She could feel it—the quiet judgment.
> "Another internet star trying to act."
> "Another pretty face."
---
[System Notification]
[Side Task: Survive First Table Read Without Breaking]
[Reward: +1000 Credits | Willpower +1]
[AI Companion: Do not let them see you break.]
---
Lina smiled through it.
Took every correction.
And when the director gave her a long, assessing look after her final line, he didn't say anything.
But he nodded.
Once.
---
Later that night, in her temporary apartment, Lina sat on the floor with her script. Her fingers trembled.
She wasn't tired. She was terrified.
She didn't know anyone. She didn't trust anyone. And the character she was playing… felt too real. Too close.
> "I'm just pretending," she whispered.
The AI's voice came softly through the silence.
> "You're not pretending. You're remembering."
---
[Skill Acquired: Language Adaptation – French (Basic)]
[Emotional Strengthening in Progress – Resilience +1]
[System Note: You are now entering the Global Arena. All eyes are on you.]
---
At 2AM, her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
> "You were brilliant today. Some mirrors aren't meant to reflect. They're meant to cut."
No name. But Lina didn't need one.
It was him.
And somehow… that made her feel less alone.
---
System Log: Lina Vale
Role Accepted: Le Miroir Brisé
Language Acquired: French (Basic)
Charisma: +1 | Willpower: +1
Global Exposure: Tier 1 Reached
Caden's Watch Level: Increasing
---
End of Chapter 30
---