The next morning, Aria arrived at Studio A exactly at 9:00 a.m.
Not 9:01.
Not 8:59.
Perfect punctuality.
Daniel had triple-checked her outfit:
simple training clothes, hair tied up, no snack stains (a miracle), and minimal danger potential.
She stepped onto the polished rehearsal floor.
Twenty people froze.
Cameras pointed at her.
Stunt harnesses hung from the ceiling.
The studio executives stood like judges at a gladiator arena.
Director Mason clutched a clipboard to his chest like a shield.
Julian stood off to the side, already warmed up, eyes following her like gravity had rules for everyone but her.
The head stunt coordinator, Marcus, stepped forward.
"Miss Lane," he greeted. "We're doing advanced mobility assessments today—controlled, safe, supervised."
Aria nodded politely.
"I can do that."
Director Mason whispered to the assistant director:
"She always says that right before something terrifying happens."
Test #1 — The Flip
Marcus pointed to a padded mat.
"We'll start simple. A basic front flip. Nothing fancy. Just show us the fundamentals."
Normal actors usually:
hesitate
warm up
ask questions
or spend three weeks training beforehand
Aria simply bent her knees.
"Like this?"
Marcus blinked.
"Uh—wait—don't—"
FLIP.
Aria soared.
Not flipped—
not rolled—
not tumbled.
She floated, almost weightless, then landed as quietly as a falling feather.
The room gasped in collective awe.
Director Mason dropped his pen.
Julian muttered under his breath,
"I knew it."
Marcus stared at her like she'd violated several laws of physics.
"…Miss Lane," he said slowly,
"That was a competition-level flip."
Aria blinked.
"Was it?"
Marcus: "Yes."
Aria: "Oh."
Test #2 — The Flip She Wasn't SUPPOSED to Do
Marcus cleared his throat.
"Now, can you do a back flip?"
Aria nodded.
"Yes."
"Alright, but—"
FLIP.
She did three.
THREE.
One after another, seamless and effortless, each landing perfectly aligned.
A camera operator whispered,
"She's not flipping. She's teleporting."
Julian looked openly impressed.
Director Mason grabbed Marcus by the arm.
"WHY DID YOU ASK HER TO DO THAT?!?"
Marcus sputtered,
"I—I didn't know she would—"
"WHY DOES NO ONE KNOW WHAT SHE CAN DO?!" Mason shrieked.
Aria raised a hand gently.
"Should I stop flipping?"
Marcus exhaled.
"…Let's move on."
Test #3 — Reflex Timing
Marcus set up a simple reflex test using soft foam batons.
"Okay. The assistant will swing this. You dodge."
Aria nodded.
"Understood."
The assistant swung—
Aria wasn't there.
The baton sliced through air.
Marcus blinked.
"Again."
Swing.
Aria sidestepped so fast the motion blurred.
Julian's jaw tightened slightly.
He recognized that speed.
Marcus took the baton.
"Miss Lane, I'll swing unpredictably."
Aria smiled politely.
"Okay."
Marcus swung from the left.
Aria wasn't where she had been.
She tapped his shoulder from behind.
Marcus jumped.
The executives gasped.
Director Mason dropped his clipboard.
Julian exhaled a quiet,
"…Wow."
Daniel prayed to any god listening.
Test #4 — Staff Curiosity Breaks the System
One young stuntwoman hesitated, then asked shyly:
"…Miss Lane? Can you do that flip again?"
Director Mason snapped,
"NO SHE CAN'T—STOP ASKING HER—MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT—"
Aria nodded sweetly.
"Okay."
FLIP.
Mason screamed into his hands.
The Executive Decision
The lead producer stepped forward, expression unreadable.
"Miss Lane," he said. "We expected… promise. Not mastery."
Aria stiffened just slightly.
Mastery was the word people from her past used.
Never a good sign.
She kept her face neutral.
The producer continued slowly:
"You move like someone who trained for years."
Aria answered softly.
"I just practice."
Julian watched her carefully, knowing it was a lie.
The producer exchanged a look with the stunt coordinator.
Then he nodded.
"She's hired."
Director Mason screamed again—this time from relief and terror.
Marcus clapped his hands once.
"Training starts Monday!"
Daniel burst into tears.
Julian smiled.
Aria blinked once.
"…Can I eat now?"
Director Mason pointed to the exit like Moses parting the Red Sea.
"YES. GO. BEFORE YOU START FLIPPING AGAIN."
The Internet Finds Out (Again)
An intern leaked a single blurry photo of Aria mid-air.
The hashtags were immediate:
#AriaCanFly
#FlipQueen
#PhysicsIsCrying
#JulianWatchingHerLike😍
Daniel's soul left his body.