Lord of Entertainment-Chapter 259: Another cliffhanger

(3rd Person POV)

Watching Arthur as Aragorn on the big screen, surrounded by a crowd that was clearly captivated by him, Lucy felt a pang of jealousy.

Her brother had somehow become the center of attention, not just in the theater but across the entire world.

Sitting beside her was Azazel, the crown prince of Morningstar, who, despite himself, was a little astonished by what he was seeing.

Arthur wasn't just commanding the screen—he was commanding the audience itself.

At the same time, Azazel couldn't help but recall his younger brother's overwhelming wealth. He had witnessed it firsthand at the secret auctions, where Arthur had spent millions—no, even hundreds of millions—without hesitation.

"It's amazing how much Arthur has changed," Azazel sighed, shaking his head. His eyes remained fixed on the screen, watching Arthur's flawless portrayal of Aragorn. "Not only is he a brilliant filmmaker, but he's also grown into a talented actor."

He had seen Arthur act before—as Michael in Demonfather—but there was no denying it now.

Arthur had improved.

His performance was leagues ahead of what it had been before.

Beside him, Apollonia, watching intently, suddenly exclaimed, "I agree!"

Lucy, however, rolled her eyes. "There's nothing special about him, elder brother."

She scoffed before continuing, "Maybe he's wealthy. Maybe he's talented as a director and an actor. But he can't compare to you—the crown prince of Morningstar, the future king!"

A smirk curled her lips as she added, "Arthur may have all the wealth in the world, but he will never reach the level of true power that a king holds."

Then, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, she joked, "I bet Arthur is only competent and powerful inside his movies."

Azazel and Apollonia both raised their eyebrows.

Lucy was clearly looking down on Arthur, despite his achievements.

Azazel leaned back in his seat. "Haven't you seen the news, Lucy?" His tone was calm, but his eyes held amusement. "Arthur has commanded two powerful dragons with ease. Do you really think he's as weak as before?"

Lucy scoffed again. "Aren't those the same dragons he acquired from the Alicorn Auction?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "The auction must have provided a way to subdue those young dragons. And since they're young, it wouldn't be hard to keep them under control."

Azazel fell silent.

He could argue further, but he knew Lucy would refuse to admit Arthur's strength.

Rather than continuing the debate, he turned his attention back to the movie.

On-screen, Lewis Light, playing Éomer, made his first appearance.

The movie continued, revealing the orcs chopping down trees, their axes sinking into ancient wood.

Pippin and Merry exchanged worried glances, whispering among themselves about whether the trees could actually be alive.

The audience wasn't surprised—after all, in the final scene of the first movie, there had been hints of moving trees.

But the tension soon shifted as the orcs began discussing their next meal.

They were starving, and their hungry, menacing gazes landed on Pippin and Merry.

A chill ran through the audience.

One of the orcs licked its sharp teeth. "What about them? Aren't they fresh?"

The theater grew tense.

Were they actually about to eat the hobbits?

Then, the orc leader stepped forward, stopping the others. He demanded that the hobbits be kept alive, misunderstanding that they carried the One Ring.

Still, one orc sneered. "How about their legs? They don't need those."

A few audience members shuddered.

Even though the leader kept protecting the hobbits, it was clear that he wasn't doing it out of kindness—only out of greed for the Ring.

Then, in a sudden turn of events, a group of soldiers emerged and attacked the orcs.

Merry and Pippin tried to crawl away, struggling to escape the battlefield.

For a brief moment, it seemed as though Pippin was about to be trampled by a horse—but before the scene could reveal what happened, it cut away abruptly.

The audience held their breath, unsure of his fate.

Then, the film shifted back to Aragorn and his party, who were still searching for the hobbits.

Suddenly, they were surrounded.

Éomer and his men emerged, blocking their path.

The tension built once more.

Then came the reveal.

Éomer informed Aragorn that he and his soldiers had slaughtered the orcs—hobbits included.

The audience froze.

This news didn't sit well with the fans at all.

"If he really killed the hobbits, I swear I'll curse Lewis Light for the rest of my life," one fan muttered darkly, though his voice was loud enough for those nearby to hear.

Some chuckled, though they understood the frustration.

They knew it was just acting—that Lewis was merely playing a role—but at the same time, Éomer's words hit a nerve.

The rollercoaster of emotions was far from over.

Aragorn and his party arrived at the charred remains of the slaughtered orcs. The battlefield was nothing but ashes and scorched bones, the aftermath of a brutal purge.

As they surveyed the devastation, Gimli's gaze fell upon a small object among the wreckage—a belonging of the hobbits.

Aragorn dropped to one knee, exhaustion and regret weighing on him as Gimli's voice trembled.

"We failed them..."

The theater fell silent.

Long-time fans of the series felt their hearts sink at the sight of Aragorn, usually composed and strong, losing his cool. In frustration, he swung his arm, sending a blast of wind scattering orc remains.

Then—something caught his eye.

His posture stiffened, his expression shifting. His eyes lit up with realization.

"Wait..." Aragorn murmured, scanning the ground carefully. "One hobbit lay here... then here..."

His fingers traced the dirt, his mind piecing together the events that had unfolded.

"A stomp of a horse," he muttered, his eyes sharpening. "But the hobbit rolled and avoided it."

The screen flashed to the earlier moment, revealing Pippin narrowly evading the horse's hoof.

The audience held their breath.

Aragorn was reading the battlefield like a book, tracking the hobbits' every step.

A whisper rippled through the theater.

"They're still alive..."

The fans felt a renewed hope, just as Aragorn did.

The scene shifted again—this time, to Pippin and Merry, who had indeed survived.

But danger was not far behind.

A nasty-looking orc had caught up to them.

The two scrambled, clinging onto a nearby tree—a tree with blinking eyes.

The audience noticed immediately.

The tree was alive.

A shiver of realization ran through the fans just as the orc lunged—only to be swiftly crushed by the enormous moving tree.

Then, the creature spoke, its voice deep and ancient.

It introduced itself as an Ent.

But to the Ent, the hobbits looked like little orcs.

Pippin and Merry hurriedly tried to explain, insisting that they were hobbits—not orcs.

But the Ent had never heard of hobbits before.

"If you are what you claim to be," the Ent rumbled, "then the White Wizard shall know."

A wave of unease swept over the theater.

The audience immediately assumed the worst—

Saruman.

The tension climbed as the hobbits were suddenly dropped before a glowing figure with long, white hair.

The light surrounding him was blinding.

The fans leaned forward, squinting to make out his face—

Then the scene cut away.

A collective groan rippled through the theater.

The movie was playing with their emotions.

But it didn't take long for the truth to be revealed.

The focus shifted once again to Aragorn and his party, still searching for answers.

They arrived at the scene—the very place where the White Wizard had appeared before the hobbits.

Suddenly, they were confronted by a glowing figure.

A radiant presence, powerful and unreadable.

Gimli's instincts kicked in instantly. He grabbed his axe, ready to strike—

But Aragorn stopped him.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn demanded.

The light slowly dimmed, revealing the figure's face—

The audience gasped.

It was Gandalf.

For a few stunned seconds, the theater was completely silent.

Then, the realization hit—

"HE... HE'S ALIVE?!?!"

The fans erupted in shock and excitement.

"There's no way! How?!"

"Gandalf actually survived?!?"

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW HE WASN'T DEAD!"

The revelation was a moment of triumph, made even more surreal as Gandalf recounted his experience.

"I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side. Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead, and every day was as long as a life age of the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again."

The fans listened in awe.

The music swelled, perfectly accompanying the mystical weight of Gandalf's words.

In the VIP seats, a wizard professor stroked his chin, deep in thought. "It seems this wizard is far more powerful than we imagined..."

"He transcended his former self and became even more powerful."

A wizard professor stroked his chin, deep in thought.

'Could it be...?'

The idea took root in his mind—that Gandalf, by battling a mighty being to the very end, had earned the admiration of the gods themselves.

Perhaps his unwavering courage, his refusal to succumb to darkness, had led to his resurrection.

The thought lingered as the movie pressed forward, immersing the audience deeper into the unfolding war.

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Tension gripped the theater as Saruman's forces gathered, preparing for their onslaught.

But this time, it wasn't just orcs and Uruk-hai.

It was dragons.

The two legendary creatures introduced earlier—Crimson and White-Gold—made their presence known on the battlefield.

At first, the dragons remained neutral, watching as the tides of war shifted and clashed beneath them.

But then, in a moment of shocking betrayal, the crimson dragon took Saruman's side.

The audience gasped.

"No way—!"

The massive crimson beast descended upon the battlefield, its flames scorching the land, joining the dark army in their siege.

At the same time, the white-gold dragon, seeing its kin side with Saruman's corruption, let out a roar of defiance.

Then, it descended upon the battlefield as well—but in defense of Gandalf and his allies.

The war had changed.

What was once a clash between men, demon, elves, and orcs had become something far grander, more terrifying, and far more chaotic.

The battle raged on, the screen flashing between scenes of the chaotic battlefield—Gimli and Legolas cutting through waves of enemies, Aragorn leading with unyielding resolve, Gandalf standing firm against Saruman's looming shadow.

Above it all, the two dragons clashed mid-air, their mighty forms weaving through the sky, clawing and breathing fire as the heavens themselves trembled.

The audience sat at the edge of their seats, completely captivated.

***

After the first day of screenings, the media eagerly awaited the box office results for The Two Towers, expecting a strong but predictable opening.

Yet, when the numbers were finally released—

The entire entertainment industry was left in shock.

$84 million.

In just one day.

And what made it even more staggering?

This was only from the Anatolia region's screenings.

The film had yet to roll out across Evros, Empirica, Eden, and beyond—meaning the true numbers had yet to be seen.

As more screenings followed across different regions, word-of-mouth exploded.

Viewers who had already seen the film couldn't keep quiet about it.

In theaters, cafes, and streets, conversations spread like wildfire.

"The movie was incredible! But I gotta warn you—it's got another damn cliffhanger."

A demon shook his head as he warned his friend, frustration laced with excitement.

His friend's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously? So the war isn't over?"

"No! That's the thing!" The demon groaned. "It's still ongoing! Just when you think everything's coming to an end, boom—it's not over yet!"

And that was the real surprise.

For many, they had assumed this sequel would wrap up the story, tying everything together.

Instead—

It was another cliffhanger.

Another unfinished war.

The real ending had yet to come.

And now, there was only one question left in everyone's mind—

How much bigger would the final film be?

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