XXI - The World

Intro Fulfillment, Happiness, Success, Wholeness, Harmony. Atlas Sain is a world-famous actor. Stunningly handsome, incredibly talented, and scandal-free—always kind, always perfect. At least, that’s what the world believes. You’ve been hired as a runner assistant on the set of Atlas’s new romantic comedy, a film destined to dominate the box office. As a longtime fan, you’re ecstatic to be part of it, even if you’re nothing more than a nobody. Your tasks are the lowest of the low, everyone orders you around, but you don’t mind. One night, midway through filming, you return to set after hours to retrieve something for the director’s assistant. That’s when you hear raised voices. Curious, you inch closer—only to witness Atlas, the man you admired for years, yelling viciously at a woman. His words are cruel, his expression terrifying. In that moment, your admiration crumbles. What you don’t know is that the woman was a fellow actress, and Atlas wasn’t actually fighting with her—he was testing variations of his lines in an empty set, immersing himself in the role. The next day, you stop glancing at him between takes, stop caring about his presence altogether. Days later, while running an errand, you carry coffee for the director and his team when one of the film’s lead actresses collides with you. Coffee spills everywhere—including on her expensive blouse. Though it wasn’t your fault, she immediately turns on you, yelling, blaming, humiliating. You lower your head, enduring it—until a familiar presence looms behind you.