Director Mason prided himself on three things:
1. His award shelf.
2. His perfectly calibrated "serious director" reputation.
3. His ability to hold his artisanal, imported, limited-edition oat-milk latte without spilling a drop.
That third pride point died today.
Because the moment Aria walked onto the second test stage, Mason—one of the most respected directors in the industry—
dropped his coffee.
Violently.
Onto his shoes.
Onto the floor.
Onto his dignity.
Why?
Because Aria Lane casually did something no normal actress should be able to do.
Anything at all.
Just existing was enough.
But this time?
This time she was looking at a wall.
A plain, white, boring wall.
The assistant director whispered, "Uh… Miss Lane? What are you doing?"
Aria pointed.
"This wall is uneven."
The crew shared looks.
It wasn't uneven.
It was a perfectly smooth set wall imported from a design company that charged more per panel than Daniel's monthly salary.
Mason sighed.
"It's not uneven."
"No, it's… hollow inside," Aria said.
Mason rolled his eyes.
"It's drywall. Of course it's hollow—"
Aria lifted her fist.
"WAIT—DON'T—"
She tapped it lightly.
CRUNCH.
The wall cracked.
The entire room froze.
Daniel made a squeaky noise.
The assistant director dropped his pen.
The sound operator stopped breathing.
Julian muttered, "Oh my god."
And Director Mason?
Director Mason watched his artisanal latte fall from his hand in devastating slow motion.
PLAT.
Milk exploded across the floor like a tiny dairy war crime.
He whispered,
"…She broke my wall."
Aria blinked at the hole.
"It was poorly reinforced."
Mason pressed a trembling hand to his forehead.
"Miss Lane… this wall cost more than my car."
Aria nodded sympathetically.
"You should buy a cheaper car."
Mason nearly fainted.
The Crew's Reaction
A lighting tech muttered,
"She tapped it. She TAP-tapped it."
A set painter whispered,
"I just… finished painting that…"
The stunt coordinator nodded like a man recognizing a fellow demon.
"Yep. That's structural awareness. She heard the hollow."
The makeup artist:
"No, she sensed it. Like a bat."
Julian crossed his arms, pretending to hide his smile.
"She's… very perceptive."
Mason pointed at him in despair.
"STOP sounding proud of her!"
Mason Tries to Recover
He grabbed a towel, wiped his coffee-soaked shoe, and inhaled through his nose like a man reciting anger management mantras.
"Okay—okay—we can fix walls. We can fix shoes. We can't fix cameras, Miss Lane, so please don't touch any."
Aria nodded politely.
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"Yes."
"Swear it?"
"…If it makes you feel better."
"It does."
Julian whispered aside,
"He's unraveling."
Daniel whispered back,
"He unraveled three chapters ago."
The Real Test Begins
Mason cleared his throat.
"Alright. Physical scene test. Last one."
The stunt coordinator stepped forward.
"Miss Lane, we're going to test movement in tight spaces."
Aria tilted her head.
"What kind of tight?"
Before anyone could explain, she walked straight into the test area—
a narrow corridor set between two prop walls, just enough space for a human to slide through sideways.
Julian followed behind her.
"Aria—wait—"
She was already halfway down the corridor by the time he finished speaking.
The crew blinked.
One second she was walking.
The next—
She vanished.
Completely.
Julian stared into the corridor.
"…Where did she—"
Aria's voice echoed from above them.
"Here."
They all looked up.
Aria was perched casually on a ceiling beam like a bored cat.
Mason screamed.
"GET DOWN FROM THERE!!"
Aria blinked innocently.
"You said movement test."
"I DIDN'T MEAN VERTICAL MOVEMENT!"
Julian covered his face to hide his grin.
"She really is incredible," he murmured.
Mason heard it.
"STOP ADMIRING HER! SHE'S GOING TO KILL MY ENTIRE DEPARTMENT!"
The Producer Walks In at the Worst Moment
The studio producer—notoriously strict, famously humorless—walked in right as Aria hopped down from the beam with perfect balance.
He stared.
She stared back.
The producer slowly turned to Mason.
"…You hired a ninja."
Mason clawed at his scalp.
"I KNOW!! I KNOW!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!! SHE DID THIS TO ME!!"
Aria politely corrected,
"I didn't do anything."
The producer adjusted his glasses.
"I love her. Keep her."
Mason's eye twitched violently.
Julian Knows What He Saw
While Mason had a meltdown and Daniel begged for a break, Julian approached Aria quietly.
"You hid from us on purpose," he said.
Aria looked at him, expression unreadable.
"That corridor was too easy," she replied with a small shrug.
Julian stepped closer, voice dropping.
"You passed the audition the moment you walked in.
But that—"
he pointed to the ceiling beam—
"that wasn't acting."
Aria's lips curved slightly.
"It wasn't meant to be."
Julian inhaled.
There it was again—
that feeling that she wasn't just talented…
She was dangerous.
And someone had taught her to be.
Director Mason Accepts His Fate
With no energy left to fight destiny, Mason slumped into his folding chair.
His assistant asked softly,
"Sir… should we proceed with hiring her?"
Mason stared into the void.
Then nodded slowly.
"We've seen God today," he whispered.
"Hire her before Marvel does."
The assistant scribbled notes.
"Yes, sir."
"And someone fix that wall," Mason added weakly.
"And buy me another coffee. A bigger one."
Aria stepped down from the test platform, smiling casually as if she hadn't just broken architecture and physics.
Daniel sighed.
"Aria… please try to act normal."
Aria blinked.
"I am normal."
Julian gave a quiet laugh.
"That's what scares us."