CHAPTER 65: FIRST SPOTLIGHT: LEAD ROLE

As Erisia scrolled through the latest posts about Sierra being taken to the asylum, a soft chuckle escaped her. The comments were brutal — some mocking, others vindicated — but all of them satisfying. She was still reading one particularly vicious thread when her phone suddenly switched to the incoming call screen.

Caller ID: Lennard Crewe.

Her breath caught for a split second before she straightened up instantly, composure snapping into place. She quickly answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello," she said, trying to sound calm, though her heart was already doing cartwheels.

"Oh, you’re not asleep? That’s good," Lennard’s smooth, measured voice came through the line. "I just thought I’d try and call you. Anyway, I was free and decided to check your portfolio. The headshot was good — though there was no need for the makeup. The reel was good too. I must say, you’re better than I thought. Though your bio was a little sparse, we can work with it. I’ll send you something via email; you just have to act out the monologue and send it to me tomorrow. After that, I’ll call you and give you feedback."

Erisia’s lips parted in disbelief before a wide smile broke across her face. "Really? That’s... I’m happy to hear that. It meets your standards?"

Lennard exhaled, the sound thoughtful. "Yes, it does — though there are places you could work on, it’s satisfactory."

"Thank you. Sure, you can send the mail, and I’ll act out the monologue and send it as soon as possible. Thank you."

"Good," he said. "I’ll be waiting for it."

The call ended, and Erisia just sat there for a moment, gripping her phone tightly, the echo of his voice still ringing in her ears. Then she flopped back onto the bed, unable to stop smiling.

The soft hum of the city outside her window filled the silence — faint car horns — grounding her in the moment. She could feel the cool fabric of her sheets beneath her fingertips, her hair spilling over her shoulders, the faint stir of victory in her chest.

Immediately, she grabbed her phone again and opened her email app, refreshing it once. Twice. A third time.

On the fourth try, the new message finally appeared.

Her pulse quickened. She tapped on it. The screen lit up with Lennard’s name at the top, and the subject line read: Self-Tape Instructions – Monologue.

⸻

Subject: Self-Tape Instructions — Hinterland (Role: Maren Vale)

Hi Erisia,

As discussed, I’d like you to prepare a self-tape for consideration for Hinterland. Please find the project and role details below, along with specific instructions for your audition tape.

Wait. Audition tape? Was this... have they started auditions? If they have then does that mean... he will be using this as her submission for the first round of auditions and for the leading role!

⸻

Project Information

Title: Hinterland

Director: Lennard Crewe (Festival Award Winner, "Still Water")

Genre: Psychological Mystery

Logline:

A woman returns to her remote hometown after her brother’s disappearance. The townspeople insist he never existed.

⸻

Role

Character: Maren Vale

Age Range: Late 20s–30s

Character Notes:

Maren carries a quiet intensity — emotion should live beneath the surface rather than in expression. She should feel haunted yet grounded. Avoid glamor or vanity; authenticity is key.

⸻

Audition Instructions

• One close-up monologue.

• Natural lighting only — no ring lights, filters, or studio setups. Use window light or any available soft light source.

• No makeup. Keep the face natural and bare.

• Perform the "missing brother" scene described below.

• Include a 30-second improvisation titled: "Describe a dream you can’t forget."

Submit your self-tape as one file, clearly labeled:

Erisia_Wrenford_Hinterland_SelfTape.mov

⸻

Scene Description

Setting:

Maren stands in a small, dimly lit kitchen — quiet except for the soft hum of the refrigerator. The morning light through the window feels muted, almost colorless. She’s been alone for a long time; the place shows it. The phone rings, an unfamiliar number.

Scene Moment:

When she answers, someone from her hometown tells her that her brother has "disappeared again."

Maren doesn’t speak right away. The words settle, heavy and absurd, like a dream she’s already had. The camera should linger close enough to catch every flicker of disbelief and memory.

Deadline: Tomorrow, by 8:00 PM.

Send To: [email protected]

Looking forward to seeing your interpretation.

– Lennard Crewe

⸻

Erisia read through it again and again, her eyes darting across the screen as if she might have misread something. But no — every word was real. Lennard Crewe really wanted her to audition for the lead role.

She tried not to laugh out loud, pressing her hand against her lips as a wave of giddy disbelief washed over her. This was huge.

Then, her expression slowly shifted into a thoughtful frown. Wait. If this was part of the official audition process... how was she supposed to know any updates? She wasn’t in any casting groups, not on any director Lennard’s shortlists, and Lennard hadn’t exactly explained how the rest of it worked.

Erisia sighed, leaning back against her pillow as her excitement began to settle under her skin. She reached over and switched off her phone, smoothing her expression as if the act itself could still her racing thoughts.

She’d call Soraya in the morning. And if necessary, she’d ask Director Lennard directly once he called again.

Setting her phone down on the nightstand, she lay there for a while, thinking about the scene Lennard had described — the missing brother, the ache that was going to be beneath Maren’s calm. Her mind replayed the details of the scene description like a reel.

Just as she was starting to drift toward sleep, a soft, crystalline chime rang faintly in her head. Her eyes fluttered open. The translucent silver panel appeared above her, glowing faintly in the darkness — the familiar panel of Echo.

[ New Mission Generated: "First Spotlight." ]

[ Objective: Secure your first on-screen appearance (protagonist) within 30 days. ]

[ Time Limit: 30 days. ]

[ Success Condition: Receive a signed offer or confirmed principal role for a filmed project. ]

[ New: Probability of mission completion – 60/100 ]

[ Completion Rate: 40% ]

Below the mission header, the reward panel unfolded like digital glass sheets sliding into view.

[ System Reward — Upgrade Tier ]

[ Because the probability of mission completion is higher than average, the first half of the mission will be released. ]

• Talent Analysis Function — real-time performance diagnostics (frame-by-frame acting feedback during recording; emotion-consistency index; microexpression flagging).

• Digital Integration Node — covert interface with nearby electronic devices: read/playback file retrieval and ephemeral display projection on compatible systems (read-only; stealth access for retrieval/display only).

(System privileges will function within narrative constraints and require in-world proximity to target devices.)

Erisia stared at the text for a long, quiet beat, the faint blue-white light reflecting in her eyes. The Talent Analysis Function felt almost tailor-made — something that could help her polish her performance before submitting it. The Digital Integration Node felt very useful—a way to pull evidence or play a clip on a projector without fumbling for adapters.

She exhaled slowly, a small smile curving her lips.

"Accept," she murmured.

Her voice barely left her throat, but Echo responded immediately.

[ Mission accepted. Initial talent baseline recorded. Talent Analysis Function: calibrating. Digital Integration Node: standby mode enabled.]

Erisia frowned slightly, her sleepy mind catching on the earlier part. "What does ’System privileges will function within environmental boundaries and so on’ mean?"

[ Environmental Boundaries: The system cannot override the laws of the physical world. Access is restricted to devices and networks within the host’s current environment. ]

[ In-World Proximity: Digital Integration Node may interact with any technological device physically nearby — including computers, cameras, recorders, projectors, or phones — as long as they’re within the host’s perception or range. ]

Erisia blinked, trying to process that. "So... it’s only based on the level of technology in this world, and as long as the device is somewhere around me?"

[ Correct. The system adapts to the host’s current world setting. If this world can produce it, the system can interact with it — but only within proximity. No remote access beyond your physical range. ]

She hummed thoughtfully, absently running a finger along her bedsheet. "So no hacking satellites, no jumping into servers halfway across the city."

[ Yes. ]

[ Host Erisia, Lyra’s single will be released at exactly midnight. The performance might or might not follow the story. ]

"Mm. Goodnight, Echo," she murmured, already halfway into sleep.

[ Goodnight, Host Erisia. ]

The soft silver light dimmed and disappeared.

⸻

Morning arrived with crisp sunlight spilling through the curtains and the hum of life stirring outside — the distant honk of a cab, the rattle of a vendor cart down the street. Rein’s soft meow broke through the stillness as the kitten hopped onto the windowsill, stretching before curling into the sunlight.

Erisia blinked awake, momentarily dazed, before the memory of last night returned.

She bathed, got dressed quickly and reached for her phone, dialing Soraya almost on instinct. When she picked up, Erisia could already hear the sleepy rasp in her voice.

"Soraya, you’re not going to believe this," Erisia said, pacing lightly across her room as she explained everything — Lennard’s call, the email, the role, all of it.

By the time she finished, Soraya was wide awake. "Wait — really? He told you to act out a monologue and send it to him? Erisia, that’s not just feedback — he’s practically personally helping you through the first round of auditions!"

"First round?" Erisia echoed.

"Yes!" Soraya’s voice rose with excitement. "Because this is mostly how the indie film process starts — a self-tape for the first stage, followed by a callback, and then the third or final round. You’re already in the running, babe. Lennard Crewe doesn’t just give feedback for fun."