The StarForge production team didn't waste time.
On day one, the contestants were tossed into a surprise challenge: Create a viral video using only props from a randomly assigned theme room. They had four hours. No crew. Just in-house tech and their raw creativity.
Lina pulled the "Fantasy Garden" card.
Fake flowers. Glitter. A fountain that didn't work. A broken tripod.
Kyra whistled. "What the hell are you supposed to do with this? Sell perfume to the moon?"
But Lina didn't panic.
> [System Suggestion: Activate Visual Composition – Tier 1]
Concept Spark – "Falling Stardust" Narrative Activated
She closed her eyes. Let the vision build in her head like a film.
Then started working.
---
While others scrambled, Lina scripted a short silent piece about a girl in a shattered world finding color again. She used the broken fountain as a reflection pond. The glitter became ash. The fake flowers became rebirth.
She filmed it alone.
Edited it in 30 minutes.
Posted it on her assigned platform just as the timer hit zero.
---
Three hours later, her video had over 1.2 million views.
And it hadn't even aired on the show yet.
By morning, global fashion pages were reposting it. Art accounts were dissecting the symbolism. A Chinese director even sent an inquiry about her availability.
Lina stared at the stats, stunned.
Kyra clapped once behind her. "Okay, stardust. I see you."
Lina smiled faintly. "That's the idea."
> [System Boost: Fame Surge – International Tier 1 Reached]
Unlocked Perk: Brand Interest +4 | Casting Visibility +2
---
But the higher she climbed, the more the shadows crept in.
Later that day, someone spilled juice on her mic pack.
Accident?
Maybe.
Then a clip of her supposedly ignoring a crying contestant was leaked online—cropped, of course.
Lina hadn't even seen the girl cry.
Kael sent her a secure text:
> "Damage control initiated. Don't engage. Let your work speak."
She replied:
> "I'm used to being misunderstood. It's fine."
Kael:
> "No. It's not."
---
Meanwhile, Mira posted a cryptic caption with an old photo of them:
> "Some people stay sweet on the outside, but rot in the middle. I guess you never really know someone."
The comments exploded.
Some defended Lina. Others jumped on the hate train.
Kyra leaned over her shoulder at breakfast.
"You pissed someone off good, huh?"
Lina looked at her, calm.
"I'm not sweet," she said. "And I don't rot."
---
That night, she returned to her suite to find a note slid under the door.
"Want to play fair? Or should we get our hands dirty?"
—A
She didn't blink.
Didn't flinch.
Just folded the note and slid it into her bag.
> [System Alert: Sabotage Protocol: Passive Defense Engaged]
AI Companion: "Do you want me to retaliate?"
Lina: "…No. Not yet."
AI Companion: "Understood. But when you say the word…"