Odyssey of a Star

Journey 6

"Beneath the dazzle of fame's bright allure,
Lies the weight of expectations, obscure.
Each smile crafted, a mask for the pain,
As the struggle for authenticity remains.

In the relentless storm of scrutiny's reign,
A celebrity battles, against the strain.
Yet within the chaos, resilience finds flight,
For in the struggle, emerges their light."

*****

Isabella couldn't forget what she heard in the car.

Isabella Cruz is a low tier star who only passed as an extra. Her fan base is also small. Projects doesn't come to her and she has to fight for an opportunity to be seen.

She was envious of celebrities like Eirene, a star younger than her yet more popular than her. In fact, Eirene is her senior in the industry regardless of their age. And Eirene always has work coming to her without any effort.

At first she felt unfair about it but when she watched Eirene's movies, she couldn't help but be drawn to the girl. The emotions she displayed on the screen was much more powerful than her voice. She hooked Isabella with her acting skills.

Then, she started following the girl. The girl was always smiling in front of the camera, always kind to her colleagues, and friendly to the workers. She was the ideal girl. But strangely, no one sees her as an object of romance. Just someone they have to protect like a younger sister or their youngest daughter.

And Isabella was one of those people. She thought that Eirene is a precious child that has to be protected. Because she was pure that Isabella didn't want the girl to be tainted by negative things. That's why when she was about to jump off the building, she didn't continue her action for fear that it will scar the girl for life.

It was a bad timing for Isabella who didn't want to suffer from the negative comments about her.

But the girl who Isabella wanted to protect was the same girl who told her that she was her ally. Really, instead of being protected by people, it was Eirene who soothed her heart.

However, the things she heard in the car was a little dizzying. 

"Yes. Don't forget, this industry is a battlefield where good public image is the goal, the words are swords, and the people are the warriors. Their screens will be their shields. They just have to fight for what they want"

She said so. And Isabella saw the strength in her eyes. She watched as Eirene's amber eyes sparkled like gold.

Pretty...

Isabella had a sudden realization. The people thought about Eirene wrong. She's not someone who needs to be protected, she's the one who protects others.

Isabella remembered now. From the start, Eirene was always the one who protected others but they just thought of it as her being kind as usual.

Now, not only was Isabella hooked by Eirene's acting skills, she managed to hook Isabella with her strong image.

Because of Isabella's small fan base, she never relied on her fans to prove her innocence. But seeing how Eirene trusted her fans to support her, she felt inspired. Right, rather than ending everything with an eternal rest, why don't she fight for the sake of the people who still believed in her?

When she looked back on her previous action, she felt ashamed. Isabella and Eirene, both works in the entertainment industry, one was younger than the other yet, they have the strength to stand for themselves.