As a director trying to break into the scene again, he'd been trying his best to make new connections. After all, the type of baggage that came with his line of work was rather unique. More than anything, he wanted to make friends and give to his dear fans that still loved him unconditionally.
He was at that horror director's house, awaiting the early viewing of his friend's latest project. His friend had insisted on everyone going in blind, saying that the trailer gave too much away for his liking — too much foreshadowing wasn't fun. He insisted 'a surprise should be a surprise, my friend!'
His director friend pranced around the room, welcoming everyone, expressing his thanks, and making conversation as the star of the night.
"Come on, come on! Get the chocolate fountains running, and keep the snacks flowing!" The horror director cheered, pumping his fists.
Alexei Gardenia walked up to him with a fond smile.
"Someone's real excited tonight." He smirked.
"This film is my beauty. Is this how you felt every time you took on each one of your projects…? I should have done this much sooner…!"
"Not exactly… I struggled a lot in the beginning with learning how to be a leader and with funding…"
His voice began to stray off.
"But I was absolutely ecstatic with the creative freedom. It's absolutely exhilarating, isn't it?"
Gardenia's jaw felt locked, each movement he made to talk more straining than the last as he unconsciously gnashed the back of his teeth.
"Yes, yes, yes! I was rather inspired by you gushing about Selene! Do you remember one of our first meetings–where you talked about the beauty in feminine death? You don't know it, but it really resonated with me. I was so inspired, that tonight's film is centered around it~!"
"I'm really curious about your metamorphosis; it is a celebration for this new chapter!" He tried to laugh, but the sound wouldn't budge from his mouth.
"Don't get me wrong, my dear Gardenia. I am still a horror director, but what I used to make was only what would sell…"
Uhhh. Using the beauty of feminine death in horror was fine… but… it was kinda iffy… didn't this guy make slasherfilms?
"You're a great man. I'm sure this film has been handled masterfully." Gardenia put his hand on the man's shoulder, patting it.
"Ahhh!" The female lead's high pitched voice rang throughout the theatre.
She was running frantically through the dirty white halls full of debris. The film followed her and her friends who'd been dared to explore the local abandoned mental asylum at night. They were all cocky college students, ready to bring back dramatic stories of how they swore it was haunted.
But none of them believed in ghosts – besides for a skeptic who'd bought some paranormal detection at an antique store beforehand. As the night went, the gear kept spazzing out. The others had called it a cheap fluke, and said that it was a scam that tricked the paranoid.
But unbeknownst to them, there truly was a demon.
The college student ran and ran, using the salt trail to guide her back. However, after what felt like forever – she realized it was all a loop! There was no end. The only rule was written with a past victim's blood on the wall "the maze is only broken by dawn's light."
Exhausted, she accepted her fate. The demon brutally banged her against the wall. Her brain was being blended. Something in her head broke, causing her soupified brain to pour out from her mouth.
After her brain was thoroughly bashed, and her flesh was grinded in the holes of the concrete walls, the demon dropped her body to the floor. The demon proceeded to desecrate the corpse.
Gardenia was gripping at his arm rests, trying to not puke from the graphicness as his eyes bore holes into the floor. It was horrifying in the worst way possible; a crude, cheap shock value moment, and a fetish for the dead.
It felt jarring… he obviously didn't belong here. But he kept his cool, congratulated the his director afterwards, and went home.
Alexei Gardenia felt empty.
He didn't feel horrified, he felt shell-shocked, he didn't even react. And that felt so, so much worse. He… had gotten used to the horror… was it his inevitable fate as a man to accept a woman's suffering as… oddly beautiful?
Alexei Gardenia didn't know why… but these past few weeks… he'd actually been thinking of switching up the ending to Selene. After taking even more of the bluish power his friend had lent him at the party… his head was insanely clear and focused yet… simultaneously foggy.
'Wouldn't it be more tragic to be doomed by fate, rather than your choices?'
To have never been given a chance by the universe at all; to be star-crossed lovers.
The story of Selene was one of intense naive yearning, so for it to be nipped in the bud instead of letting it grow into fervent passion was heart-wrenching.
If either of them had tried to pursue a romance, then they could say they actually tried. But in this alternate ending, they'd have nothing at all to show their affections. It would be much, much more tragic.
"Why don't you add your own sci-fi spin?" Emiliano had asked in the past.
It turned out to be a very intriguing question.
Emiliano had a surprise for him today, but he had no idea what it was — it was a surprise after all.
"Where are you taking me…?" Gardenia stared at the car window. It had been hours and hours of the Virosian countryside.
"I felt that you deserved something for your work. I was rather enamored with your vision… I snuck into your room and saw your notes. The drawings were~ absolute~ly~ stunning~"
…
Gardenia was about to question how he managed to sneak into his room, but remembered the man owned the building he lived in.
"…What is wrong with you."
Emiliano flashed his devilish smile.
"Oh Alexei… we both know the answer to that."
In the distance, he saw a large intricate mansion — something straight from Atlantis — yet still kept the sweet likeness of modern architecture.
"Oh, that's a pretty nice mansion" Gardenia whistled.
"Really?"
"It doesn't compare to any of your properties, though." Gardenia already knew he was a brat, one that quite liked being buttered up at that.
"Oh…! That hurts me so much Gardenia. Actually… it's not one of my properties. Its your property now."
"Huh."
"I modeled it after your Selene, my dear. I gave the architect unlimited budget, so here I thought that this would be the most darling mansion… but my Gardenia doesn't think so… You've hurt me."
Was this dude bipolar or something…? He could never get a read on him.
"No, I was mistaken. Now that I can see the intricate details, it's a work of art in of itself. I'm impressed how much Virosian culture is captured in the design."
"Oh—! I know you love Virosiad oh so much, I hired a museum to help assist the architect research some historical design aspects."
"It's a great feeling to support the community, isn't it?"
"Anything for my Alexei."
"…How'd you get it done so fast anyways…?"
"I'm Emiliano Almazer."
Fair enough.
Emiliano held up a notebook titled 'Infini'
"Oh? What's this, plans for a new film?"
"How'd you know?"
Alexei Gardenia was hunched over his desk. His trembling fingers death gripped his eraser as he furiously conceptualized in another notebook. He'd been jotting down and erasing various ideas all week, forgetting to even eat — or sleep, at that matter.
He burned with a desire to create. His body was bursting with energy, heart pumping adrenaline as he fought his system to stay awake just so he could record his mushroom-induced ideas. Who knew how long he'd been high like this… He knew he was going to regret it, but he knew he probably wouldn't live for long, anyway.
"You sure do love your pretentious one word titles."
"…You don't have to say it like that."
"But its true~ it's what I love about you oh~ so~ much~"
…Oh saintesses, he really was his little mistress.
"Wow… thank you." Gardenia awkwardly accepted, feeling his eyebags grow even darker and heavier.
"Let me guess, it's a film based on Mobius?"
"Ding ding ding."
"Mind sharing?"
"I've explored existentialism, but I haven't reached my peak. Etoile was fascinating — feeling like a speckle of light in the myriad of stars; But this time, I would like to explore the boundaries of life and death. What does it mean to live? Is there truly an afterlife, a karmic system — or the soul cycle?
They say Mobius is dead. But ancient gods never die, its more like an eternal slumber. Time flows differently for them. I'd love to explore the idea of him living in a world that has no more use for him, a world ruled by his 'killers' and a world without his beloved. But at the same time, he would be absolutely free to explore the beauties of the modern world. What would he live for — beyond the grief?"
"How… peculiar. That sounds rather poignant with your silent film signature."
"I'm… actually thinking of evolving. I've explored the hard limits of silent films, and I think 'Infini' requires other techniques. After finding my love for directing again, I forgot how beautiful it is to learn, and I would love to keep learning for my whole career, if I can."
"You're… moving on?" Emiliano blinked.
"Not moving on. Silent films will always have a special place in my heart. But Emiliano, it is hindering my expression with the vision I have for 'Infini'."
"I… see. You've always made your visions come true, so I will trust you on this. Though, how will you reason an ancient god's revival? You'd need rather good logic, or to rely on suspension of disbelief — which doesn't sound very much like you."
"I used to write sci-fi short stories in college. I was persuasive in my papers, so I applied the same logic to fiction. It's really not all about being smart, rather, it's sounding smart. But, personally, I've come up with my own theory that's pretty legit sounding."
Emilano perked up, hunching over Gardenia.
"It sounds rather stupid, but actually so so simple it makes sense in hindsight. In 'Infini' Mobius is simply reincarnated. A head on revival is pretty stupid, since it'd take way too much energy."
"Too much energy?"
"Yes. But with reincarnation, Mobius wouldn't have to justify his 'existence' with heaps of energy. Since Mobius' soul stuck between life and death, it would only make sense for it to go back to the soul cycle eventually. The soul cycle is the closest thing to death for an ancient god like him. For a viewer, it's quite the believable argument."
"Aha, how simple indeed."
"I think… it would also be quite lonely in his perspective. Have you ever heard of Saintess Aul?"
"I have not, except for that time you brought her up."
"I heard she was his lover… so I was thinking of also reincarnating her in the story."
"Oh my, how romantic. You've really done your research for this film."
"As for the karmic debt aspect of the film — he did awful things with black magic, because he thought that it was justified. I think he needs to see the consequences of his actions, really. I've been researching cults lately, and I've got various rituals in my notes, soul splitting… consciousness implantation… sacrifices… vessels; I think even he'd be scared by all that."
"Can I see these rituals?"
"Hell no. Knowing you, you'd probably do one just for fun—"
"Why don't you join?" Emiliano chuckled "I can buy beers and cigarettes."
"No?!"
Ah… his mind felt so enlightened… but he would have to fight against time… he could feel his brain deteriorating. Everything would go into Infini.
It was the first dinner party at Gardenia's new mansion — a housewarming, and a celebration of Selene's successful release. All of his director friends were, yet here Gardenia was, being whisked away to the balcony, alone with this man.
"Gardenia, how is dinner?" Emiliano clinked his wine glass against his.
"It was amazing as always. It sated a hunger I didn't even know I had."
The lights flickered in different colors, and Gardenia's vision blurred at the edged. Something was… off. He'd have to stop using those mushrooms after he finished the plotting of Infini.
"Oh, how you flatter me. How does it feel being at the peak of your career?"
"Don't say that now, that's unlucky. I've barely came out of my hiatus, yet you call this my peak?"
"Very well then. I was wrong." Emiliano nodded along.
"Hmph. Now that Selene is done — and now that I'm reflecting on the movie as a whole, it was rather cathartic. I feel myself moving on. As much as it pains me to say this… I have finally processed her death. Emile is still buried in my heart, I am forever indebted to her."
Gardenia sighed. "I have learned to let go."
"She'll always be with you now."
"That… kind of contradicts everything I just said. But I know what you mean—" He started tugging at his collar, feeling the heavy sweat drip off of his skin.
"Alexei Gardenia." Emiliano smiled. "Thank you, for being my first zombie."
"What—"
"You know, I personally flew over to fetch Emile's body to commemorate your first meal. I made extra sure your horror director friend didn't have a round with the corpse. How does it feel, being joined with your beloved in death?"
Gardenia blinked.
"What are you talking about? I'm clearly not dead."
Emiliano slowly clapped, smiling his sly smile.
"The mycelium I developed is neat, isn't it? Oh boy, you didn't even feel a thing. How does it feel, knowing that a parasite has already eaten through your brain?"
"Huh—"
Emiliano grabbed him by the chin, pulling him close enough their eyeballs were about to touch.
"You were so cautious… but nothing will ever get past me. Did you ever get a sense of deja vu? I'm curious."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You think you never told me anything, hahaha. I think a little debrief is due, it's the ethical thing to do after psychological experiments."
"…I did tell you nothing."
"Ah, but you told me everything I needed to know." Emiliano exhaled heavily, the warmth of his breath lingering on Gardenia's skin.
"I've been hypnotizing you this whole time."
Gardenia blinked, before him, Emiliano's pupils turned into slits. Gardenia's vision began to swirl. His whole body spasmed. He began to drool like a dog onto Emiliano's hand. Suddenly, he stilled.
"I only need one last thing from you." Emiliano caressed his cheek with his drool-soaked hand.
He walked forward, backing a listless Gardenia until they reached the edge.
"You'll be my messenger between life and death. Tell Mobius that his kin is here to get him."
After so long… he could finally revive his ancestor.
Emiliano placed a palm over Gardenia's heart, helping him onto the ledge.
"Die for me."
With a light tap, Alexei Gardenia fell headfirst into a garden plot. His neck hit the ground with a loud CRACK!