Los Angeles was never quiet. Even as the dark clouds gathered above, signaling the arrival of another storm, the city moved with its usual energy. The sidewalks were crowded with hurried pedestrians, each lost in their own world, heads down as they weaved around each other. The sound of footsteps, car engines revving, and the occasional honk of a horn created a constant hum that filled the air.
Ethan Carmichael had long grown accustomed to this rhythm. He'd walked these streets countless times—each footfall another step in his endless journey toward something more. His brown eyes scanned the bustling scene, yet his mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of the future.
He tugged the zipper of his weathered leather jacket up to his chin and pulled his hood over his head. The storm was coming. A breeze whipped through the air, carrying with it the first hints of rain. It was a typical Los Angeles afternoon—one moment, the sun was shining, and the next, you could feel the storm pushing in.
Silverstar Studios loomed ahead, its towering glass façade reflecting the darkening sky. Ethan had passed by this building more times than he could count, always with the same feeling gnawing at him. The dream. The dream of stepping through those doors, securing an audition, landing the role, and finally breaking free from the suffocating grip of anonymity.
Today, however, something felt different. As he approached the entrance, there was an electric charge in the air—an undeniable tension that seemed to grow with each step. The clouds above were no longer simply gray; they churned ominously, twisting and swirling as though something—someone—was about to break through.
Ethan paused for a moment, glancing up at the sky. The faintest rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. Something in the air felt... off.
He shook off the unease, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. It was just nerves. After all, this audition was no different from the countless others he'd attended. Another chance to prove himself, to claw his way out of the obscurity that had been his life for so long. Another opportunity to find the role that would finally give him the recognition he so desperately craved. Another step toward the dream.
As he walked up to the front doors of Silverstar Studios, the storm overhead grew louder, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the streets, blowing debris into the air. The lights of the studio flickered for a moment, and then there was a deafening crack of thunder, shaking the ground beneath Ethan's feet.
Without warning, a bolt of lightning struck the pavement just a few feet away, sending a surge of electricity through the air. Ethan's heart skipped a beat. The world around him seemed to twist and blur, as though time itself had bent and fractured. His body locked up, and for a split second, he felt like he was suspended between two worlds. His senses dulled. The hum of the city disappeared. His vision dimmed.
Then, the pain hit. A searing shockwave of heat shot through his body, as though his insides were being torn apart. He fell to the ground, his breath coming in shallow gasps, and the world around him seemed to collapse inward, as though he were drowning in darkness.
For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no sight, no feeling. Just pure emptiness.
And then—somewhere, deep inside the void—a voice broke through.
"Do you want to live?"
Ethan's body was frozen, locked in place by a force he couldn't comprehend. His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, his mind struggling to process the words, the situation, the feeling. The pain was still there, gnawing at him, but it felt distant now—like something that belonged to another life.
His thoughts scattered. His heart raced.
"Do you want to live? Answer: Yes or No."
The voice was clear, commanding, and cold. It was as though it had no interest in his hesitation, his confusion, or his pain. It demanded an answer.
Was he hallucinating? Was this what dying felt like? Was this some strange dream conjured by his mind as it spiraled into oblivion?
He didn't know. He couldn't know. All he knew was that he was here, and something—some force—was asking him a question.
A question that, for some reason, cut through the fog of his thoughts and reached straight into his soul.
He needed to survive. He had to survive. This wasn't the end. Not like this. Not here, not now, not when he was so close to his dream.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Ethan's mouth opened, his voice barely a whisper against the deafening silence.
"Yes."
It was all he could say, but it was enough.
As soon as the word left his lips, a rush of warmth flooded his body, chasing away the chill, the darkness, the pain. His breath steadied, the sharp edges of the world fading as something new began to settle in. A sense of clarity. Of awareness.
"System initializing. Welcome, Ethan Carmichael."
The voice returned, but now there was something unsettlingly calm about it.
"Your previous existence has ended. Prepare for transfer to a new reality."
A chill ran down Ethan's spine. What was happening? Where was he? Was he alive?
"This world is one of many," the voice continued, its tone devoid of emotion. "Your path has led you here, to a realm where entertainment, fame, and storytelling shape reality. Your journey begins now."
Ethan's mind spun as a flood of images bombarded his senses. Worlds unlike any he had ever imagined—each more fantastical than the last. A world of magic, where wizards and mythical creatures roamed. A world of cultivation, where warriors transcended their limits. A world of technology, a utopia of AI and cybernetic advancements. A world of monsters, where humanity struggled to survive against nightmarish beasts. A world of gods and demons, locked in eternal conflict.
The visions came and went in the blink of an eye, leaving Ethan breathless. His heart thudded in his chest as his senses snapped back into focus.
"These were not your paths," the voice explained. "Your story unfolds here, in a world where the stage is your battlefield, and fame your weapon. You have been granted a second chance. Rise, and claim your destiny."
Ethan tried to process the words, but his thoughts were muddled, as though the world around him was shifting. A strange buzzing noise filled his ears, and before he could even react, everything around him dissolved into nothingness.
Then, just as quickly, his senses returned. He felt the cold raindrops hitting his skin, the faint hum of the city around him, and the weight of the world pressing down on him. The pain had subsided, but there was something different now. His mind felt sharper, clearer. A quiet hum lingered in the background, like an unspoken presence.
He blinked, disoriented, and looked around. The world around him seemed exactly as it had been before—the storm still raged overhead, the rain fell in sheets, and the streets were as crowded as ever. But something had changed. He could feel it.
The door to Silverstar Studios stood before him, a silent monolith in the midst of the chaos. Ethan stood frozen for a moment, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He had been here before, countless times, but never like this.
"System linked successfully." The voice echoed in his mind again, the words clear but distant. "Welcome to Silverstar Entertainment Universe. Objective: Achieve global stardom. Secondary objectives: Build relationships, navigate the industry, and overcome challenges. Your journey begins now."
Ethan took a shaky breath. He wasn't sure what was happening. Was this a dream? A hallucination? Some kind of twisted joke? But there was one thing he knew for certain: He was still alive. And if this was real, if this was his second chance, he wasn't about to waste it.
With determination burning in his chest, he pushed himself to his feet, his legs unsteady but firm beneath him. He glanced up at the studio doors once more. The storm raged on, but the world felt different now. There was a sense of purpose he hadn't had before.
He clenched his fists at his sides, grounding himself in the moment. "Alright," he muttered under his breath, his voice steady despite the chaos around him. "If this is my second chance… I'll make it count."
The doors to Silverstar Studios beckoned. E
than took a step forward, his path uncertain but clear.
The curtain had risen.