The silhouette was way too familiar.
Cassius froze for a split second.
Then he let out a silent breath of relief.
Every tight muscle in his body relaxed at once, replaced by a mix of exasperation and helpless amusement.
It was Kristen.
How the hell did she get here?
Just then, her lashes fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes.
Those gray-green irises were still a little hazy from sleep, but they locked onto his face inches away and sharpened instantly.
A wicked, gotcha grin spread across her features. The corner of her mouth twitched upward, unable to hide her victory.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."
Her voice was deliciously raspy. "You partied pretty hard last night, Mr. Cassius. Called your name a dozen times and you slept like a dead pig."
Her whole face screamed I scared the shit out of you—ha!
The shock that had hit Cassius a second ago flipped straight into irritation.
He narrowed his eyes, voice low and dangerous. "So you wanted to give me a surprise?"
"Surprise?" Kristen blinked innocently, then deliberately tugged the sheet lower, letting more skin show. "Looked more like terror to me. Your face just now? Priceless. Thought some thirsty fangirl had snuck in, huh?"
Bull's-eye. Cassius felt his ears heat up, but he wasn't about to lose.
He stared at her smug little face, at the tempting curves barely hidden under the sheet, and felt a very honest morning reaction stir to life.
"Having fun?"
His voice dropped an octave. "Since you crawled into my bed and pulled that stunt—"
One arm snaked out, wrapped around her smooth waist, and yanked her flush against him.
"Ah!"
Kristen let out a tiny yelp, surprised by how fast he moved, but the sound melted into laughter. Her fingers poked his chest. "What, revenge already? Mmmph—"
The rest disappeared as Cassius kissed her hard.
She started playful, but his intensity swept her under in seconds.
Months apart, all that pent-up missing each other exploded in the morning light.
The sheet got kicked away. Sunlight poured over bare skin.
Cassius could feel every inch of her—silky, a little leaner than last time, but tighter, stronger.
Kristen, for her part, was discovering exactly how much he had changed.
His muscles were harder, more explosive, not gym-bulky but coiled with real power. The way his arms held her, the rock-solid control in his core, the endless stamina—
She was stunned.
"Wait—Cassius—you—did you secretly go full special-forces training behind my back?"
Her words came out broken, breathless, disbelieving.
She remembered him working out, but this? This was something else.
Cassius didn't answer with words. He answered with his body.
The upgraded Body Language and Emotion attributes meshed perfectly now. His control, his timing, his ability to read every tiny reaction and ride it—everything had leveled up.
Kristen went from teasing to lost to completely wrecked.
"Still feel like pranking me, Miss Stewart?"
He slowed just enough to watch her flushed face and glassy eyes, a satisfied smirk on his lips.
Kristen didn't even have the strength to glare. She huffed through her nose and buried her burning face in the crook of his sweaty neck.
"You cheated," she mumbled.
They stayed tangled for a while longer, letting the aftershocks fade.
Cassius kept one arm around her, fingers idly twisting her short hair.
"You just showed up without a word?"
Kristen lounged against his chest, lazy and content. "Magazine shoot wrapped half a day early. Thought I'd surprise you. Who knew someone would be passed-out drunk and impossible to wake?"
She paused, voice softer. "I missed you. These last few months shooting Green Lantern… we barely saw each other."
Cassius's chest tightened. He kissed the top of her head.
Green Lantern principal photography had wrapped, but Cassius wasn't exactly free.
Post-production was in full swing.
He was in the ADR booth daily, re-recording lines that needed cleaner audio or deeper emotion.
He also had to do a few pick-up close-ups for angle tweaks.
The work came in scattered bursts—never a full day off, but never a full week blocked either.
Most of the time he stayed in L.A., dropping by Warner's editing suites to watch early cuts and trade notes with Director Martin.
But those attributes sitting right on the edge of Level 4 kept nagging him like little cat claws.
So close.
Expression: Lv3 (590/600)
Especially Expression—only ten points away!
Watching the panel felt like being stuck at 99% in a game.
Daily practice and self-observation were too slow.
He needed the right environment, the right sparring partners, that high-voltage professional atmosphere.
Kristen's short break ended and she flew back to Europe for another magazine shoot.
Cassius rattled around the house alone.
He started scouting nearby sets where he could quietly farm attribute orbs.
That's when Rob called, voice dripping with mystery.
"Bro, getting moldy at home? Got an invite. Indie drama called Now Is Good. I know a guy on the crew—super intense emotional scenes, all raw feelings. You've been whining about wanting to observe real acting. Perfect timing."
Now Is Good?
Cassius remembered the film from his past life—a 2012 UK-French co-production directed by Ol Parker, based on a novel about a seventeen-year-old girl with leukemia making a bucket list in her final months. Heavy, intimate material.
Exactly the kind of set he needed right now.
High chance of quality orbs, high purity.
Regular sets weren't cutting it anymore.
The stronger he got, the fewer low-level orbs dropped. The ones that did drop were rarer and better.
On the Green Lantern set he'd barely seen gray or green orbs.
Plus—he remembered Dakota Fanning was the lead.
"I'm in."
"Done!"
Rob moved fast.
A few days later Cassius flew into the UK low-key.
The Now Is Good crew was shooting in a quiet coastal town in southern England.
No Hollywood chaos—just peaceful, almost somber vibes that matched the film perfectly.
He arrived at the location right on time.
A production assistant met him outside.
"Dakota's filming today's big scene—a heavy confrontation with her father about her illness and the bucket list. It's emotionally draining. Wait here, I'll take you in after they wrap."
Cassius nodded and stood quietly at the edge of the monitor area.
On the makeshift set, Dakota wore an oversized sweater that made her look even smaller. Makeup had her skin pale and fragile.
Opposite her, Paddy Considine played the exhausted father.
"Action!"
Dakota slipped into character instantly.
Her voice trembled as she confronted him. Silent tears poured down.
Despair, rage, and desperate love for life—all of it raw and piercing.
Even from a distance Cassius felt the power.
A golden orb dropped from her while she was still deep in the scene:
[Ultimate Tragic Immersion & Emotional Explosion +12]
Just that one orb pushed his Emotion bar visibly forward.
This trip was already worth it.
He absorbed it on the spot.
A deep, layered understanding of turning crushing grief into nuanced performance flooded his mind—purer than anything he'd absorbed before.
"Cut! Excellent, Dakota. Take a break, reset."
The director called.
Dakota kept her head down, shoulders still shaking slightly. An assistant hurried over with a coat and hot water.
She needed time to pull out of Tessa.
That's when the PA led Cassius over.
"Dakota, look who's here."
She lifted her head. Tear tracks still streaked her pale cheeks, eyes red.
The moment she recognized him, her blue eyes—still swimming in character—widened in shock.
The heavy weight of Tessa slowly lifted, replaced by shy surprise.
"Cass—Cassius?"
Her voice was hoarse, disbelieving. "What are you doing here?"
"Had some business in the UK. Heard you were shooting nearby, figured I'd swing by."
Cassius smiled and handed her a pack of tissues. "Just watched your scene. That was powerful."
Dakota took the tissues, wiped her face.
"Thanks—God, I look like a mess. I can't believe you came!"
She fussed with her hair, a faint blush breaking through the pale makeup.
[Dakota Fanning Favorability +5. Current: 80]
"You really went out of your way for a 'swing by'!"
She finally relaxed, tone lighter. "Kristen didn't come with you?"
"She's on another job. I had some free time and wanted to watch real acting up close."
Cassius half-joked.
"Oh please." Dakota laughed. "You're the new Green Lantern, male lead on an A-list blockbuster. Slumming it on my tiny indie set for 'research'?"
They were still chatting when director Ol Parker walked over.
Cassius introduced himself politely and apologized for the intrusion.
Ol was easygoing. "Welcome, Cassius. Dakota talks about you all the time—says you're one of the most talented guys she knows."
He grinned. "Though we don't have aliens or power rings here. Just a lot of crying."
Everyone laughed. The set tension eased.
Cassius stayed to watch the rest of the day's scenes.
Next was a quieter moment.
Tessa and her best friend Zoe sit together. Zoe reveals she's unexpectedly pregnant and keeping the baby.
The scene needed delicate micro-expressions and eye work—two girls facing life and death at the same time.
Dakota and the actress playing Zoe were flawless.
Every glance, every twitch of the lips, said volumes.
[Deep Eye Narrative +8]
[Breathing Rhythm Sync in Intimate Scenes +5]
Orbs started dropping.
Before Cassius could absorb them all, a purple one floated from the director too:
[Laser Focus +7]
He absorbed everything.
In just half a day of watching, both his Expression and Eyes bars smashed past 600.
[Expression Leveled Up! Current: Lv4 (5/800)]
[Eyes Leveled Up! Current: Lv4 (2/800)]
The back-to-back notifications lit him up.
During a break Dakota slipped over with a coffee.
"So, big hero, watching us suffer and die—pretty boring, right?"
"Opposite, actually."
Cassius took the warm cup, sincere. "Way harder than explosion scenes. Gave me goosebumps."
The coffee was perfectly hot—freshly made.
Dakota watched his serious face and felt something soft shift inside her.
Shooting wrapped before five.
The final scene was a solo: Tessa sitting alone on the seawall, staring at the sunset.
No lines—just eyes and tiny expressions conveying love for life and the slow letting go.
Dakota poured everything into it.
Even minutes after "Cut," she stayed seated, gazing at the sea, part of her still lost in Tessa.
Cassius didn't disturb her. He stood by the monitor, watching the playback of that pale, story-filled face.
He quietly absorbed the orbs still drifting from her while she was half in character:
[Lonely Atmosphere Immersion +9]
This one was special.
It didn't boost a single technique.
It fed both Aura and Emotion.
Aura +5, Emotion +4.
First time he'd seen an orb that split across attributes.
He was starting to understand—top-tier performances were all about attributes blending and exploding together.
He had a feeling he'd see a lot more multi-attribute orbs from now on.
"Wrap!"
Director Ol Parker called.
The crew sprang into action, packing lights and cameras.
Only then did Dakota stand, pulling the thick coat tighter around her. She walked over to Cassius.
Her face was still pale, but her eyes had cleared—except for a lingering trace of exhaustion.
"Every time I finish a Tessa scene, I feel completely hollowed out."
She stopped in front of him and rubbed her temples.
"I can tell."
Cassius handed her an opened bottle of water. "You were so real."
"Thanks."
Dakota took a sip, glanced at the crew packing up, then back at him. "You got plans after this? If not, there's a cute little town nearby—quiet, good food."
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