The student dormitory was quiet for once, its usual hum of laughter and chatter replaced by the faint sound of muffled music seeping through the thin walls.
Cynthia sat cross-legged on her bed, her laptop perched precariously on her knees as she mindlessly scrolled through YouTube.
She wasn't searching for anything in particular—just the same mindless cycle of videos she always found herself falling into during her rare moments of free time.
Cynthia was a third-year law student, and though her grades were decent, her true passion lay elsewhere. The law was fine—it paid well, it demanded respect—but it didn't make her pulse race.
No, what really lit a fire in her chest was the world of celebrities. The scandals, the drama, the glamour, and, of course, the chaos. She was obsessed with it all.
Her friends often teased her about her fascination, calling her a "celebrity parasite," but Cynthia didn't care.
One day, she was going to be a celebrity lawyer, standing in courtrooms defending A-listers and whispering advice during high-stakes interviews. Her future would be shiny, loud, and steeped in fame.
For now, though, she was just another college student, wearing baggy sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun.
She had three case studies to finish by the next day, but instead, she was buried in her comfort zone—celebrity gossip.
Cynthia's cursor hovered over various thumbnails, none of them catching her attention for long.
Makeup tutorials, cooking videos, music videos—it all blended together in a haze of mediocrity. She yawned and slumped further into her pillow, letting out a low groan of boredom.
Then, her eyes landed on a familiar logo: That'sTV.
The channel was one of her guilty pleasures. They were infamous for their clickbait and hyperbolic titles, but occasionally, they delivered good content. Her lips curved into a small smile as she clicked on the channel's latest video.
The thumbnail showed Derek Cain, a name she knew all too well. Once a Hollywood heartthrob, he was now more known for his scandals than his talent.
He was smirking in the thumbnail, his arms crossed in that signature pose he used in all his movie promotions. Beside him was a young man Cynthia didn't recognize, and honestly? She didn't care. Her focus was on Derek.
She clicked the video eagerly, but as it started playing, her enthusiasm waned. The opening shot didn't feature Derek. Instead, it focused on a polished studio set where James Payne, That'sTV's resident interviewer, sat across from a young man.
Cynthia squinted at her screen. The young man wasn't anyone she recognized. He was… plain.
Messy brown hair, average features, a slightly awkward posture—he looked like someone who belonged behind the camera, not in front of it. She frowned, wondering if the thumbnail was a mistake.
"Who is this?" she muttered, glancing at the video title. It simply read: Exclusive: The Cast of 'A Love Remembered.'
Her annoyance grew. She'd clicked for Derek, not for some nobody. She moved her cursor toward the back button, ready to find something more interesting, but just as she was about to leave, something on-screen made her pause.
The young man had been smiling, his bubbly demeanor almost too sweet to bear. But as the interview progressed, he shifted. It wasn't a gradual change—it was instant, like flipping a switch.
One moment, he was all awkward charm, laughing nervously as James asked him about the film. The next, his face hardened. His shoulders squared. His eyes, once bright and uncertain, dulled to an eerie stillness.
Cynthia blinked, her hand freezing on her mouse. The transformation wasn't dramatic in the traditional sense. He didn't grow more handsome, nor did he exude the kind of magnetic charisma she expected from actors. But his eyes…
She leaned closer to the screen, her curiosity piqued. His eyes were empty. Hollow. Lifeless.
The sight sent a strange shiver down her spine. Cynthia wasn't one to romanticize dark or brooding characters—she preferred the flashier, confident types like Derek.
But there was something about this young man's dead-eyed stare that made her pause. It wasn't just acting; it felt too real. She could tell this man did not give a single fuck.
Her lips parted slightly as she continued watching. The way he spoke now, his voice colder, clipped—it was like he'd become a different person entirely.
"What the hell…" she murmured under her breath, her frown deepening.
She didn't understand why she couldn't look away. He wasn't attractive. If anything, he was forgettable. But something about the way his lifeless eyes bore into the camera made her stomach twist.
It wasn't admiration or respect that kept her glued to the screen. It was something far stranger.
He looks like he's already died once, she thought.
The realization sent another shiver down her spine, and she shifted uncomfortably in her bed. She wasn't the type to be moved by intensity or emotional depth in actors. She preferred her entertainment light and glamorous. And yet, this nobody had her full attention.
James Payne's voice droned on in the background, but Cynthia barely registered the words. Her focus was entirely on the young man and the unsettling aura he radiated.
As the interview continued, the young man's expression softened again. The switch flipped back, and he returned to his bubbly, awkward self.
Cynthia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. For some reason, she felt like she'd just been pulled out of a trance.
She glanced at the video's progress bar. Barely two minutes in. Derek hadn't even appeared yet, but she no longer cared.
Her eyes flicked to the comment section below the video, where viewers were already dissecting the interview. Most of the comments were about Derek, of course, but a few mentioned the young man.
"Who is this guy? He's kinda weird but lowkey interesting."
"Bro looks dead inside, lol."
"I swear his eyes scared me for a sec. Is he supposed to be in the movie?!"
Cynthia smirked, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. She was tempted to join the conversation, to type out her own thoughts about how unsettling the young man was. But something stopped her.
Instead, she replayed the moment where his demeanor shifted. Again, her stomach twisted at the sight of his dead eyes. And again, she found herself unable to look away.
"Who are you?" she whispered to the screen, her curiosity burning brighter than ever.
I'm that moment, Cynthia didn't stay because she was interested in his acting. It was just that the dead look in his eyes…. It was kinda hot.