Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 29: Star Mansion

<🎧 Song Recommendation: Team by Lorde>

...

As the stage lights dimmed and the production crew left. The room devolved into a mix of hugs, tears, and frantic exchanges of contact information.

Von remained seated for a moment, letting the adrenaline of his speech fade. He hadn’t planned it, but seeing the Quest completion screen hovering in his vision confirmed he had made the right choice.

Ding!

● Deliver a speech that will comfort and inspire the devastated contestants

[Quest Objectives Completed.]

● Reward: System Upgrade

[ALERT: Conditions not met to initiate upgrade.]

Von swiped the screen away with a mental command. He didn’t know what the Upgrade would do to him or the System, but it was welcome as long it improved him.

’Now I have to wait until I somehow meet those conditions.’

"Von."

He turned to see Conor standing there. The drummer looked exhausted, but the devastating panic from earlier had settled into a somber acceptance.

Von stood up immediately. "Conor."

"That speech..." Conor said slowly, running a hand through his messy hair. "I think I needed to hear that. I felt like my life was over for a second there."

Von placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. "It’s not over. You have the skills, man. So, go become big."

Conor nodded, forcing a small, crooked smile. "Yeah. I’m gonna go back to my friend’s van for a bit, maybe look for some session work. But... thanks. For the coaching. For everything."

"Don’t mention it," Von said softly. "Best of luck with the future."

Conor’s eyes widened slightly as genuine hope returned to them. "Thank you. And you better win this thing, Von. I’m rooting for you!"

"Hehe, I’ll do my best."

They exchanged a firm hug which served as a final goodbye between comrades in arms, before Conor turned and walked toward the exit where the eliminated contestants were gathering.

Von watched him go, feeling a strange heaviness. This was the reality of the industry. For every star that rose, a hundred others faded into the background.

"Touching."

Even though Von had only heard the voice ones. He didn’t need to turn around to recognize it. A blonde girl walked up beside him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Was that speech rehearsed?" Celine asked in a neutral tone. "Or just a very convenient moment of improvisation?"

Von raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Does it concern you?"

"It obviously does for me to ask you," she responded in a cocky tone, flipping a strand of hair over her shoulder. "Well, I have to give it to you. That was a smart move. You’ve secured the Leader narrative before we even entered the house. I underestimated your game sense."

Von chuckled at her words, but there was no warmth in it. He looked her up and down with dismissive boredom.

"I don’t need your analysis, and I definitely don’t need your praise," Von said coldly, stepping past her. "Get lost."

As he walked away, Celine wasn’t hurt by the disrespect. Instead, a mischievous grin formed on her face as she watched his retreating back.

"I see what game you’re playing, Von," she whispered to herself. "But when the dust settles, I’ll be the last one standing."

***

The next morning, the separation wasn’t kind.

At 8:00 AM, two vehicles arrived at the hotel entrance. One was a generic shuttle bus destined for the airport. The other was a sleek, black luxury coach with tinted windows and the show’s logo plastered on the side.

Von stood with his travel bag, watching the shuttle bus pull away first. He saw Conor waving from the window, his face pressed against the glass. Von raised a hand in return, watching until the vehicle turned the corner and vanished into the LA traffic.

"Alright, Top 24! Load up!" a producer shouted, clutching a clipboard and checking names off a list.

Von went aboard the vehicle. The interior was plush, with leather reclining seats and blue mood lighting that made the space feel more like a nightclub than a bus. But despite the luxury, the atmosphere was stiff. Most of the 24 survivors were eyeing each other, analyzing the competition.

Von found a seat near the back. He leaned his head against the cool glass, watching the palm trees blur past as the bus hit the highway.

They drove for an hour, winding up into the Hollywood Hills, climbing higher and higher until the city of Los Angeles looked like a circuit board spread out below them.

Finally, the bus slowed as it approached a massive iron gate.

"Welcome home," the driver announced.

The gates swung open, revealing the Star Mansion.

It was ridiculous. That was the only word for it. It was a sprawling, modern compound of glass and white stone, perched on the edge of a cliff. There was an infinity pool that looked like it dropped off into the sky, a massive outdoor lounge, and enough bedrooms to house an army.

But as the bus parked and Von stepped out, he noticed something else.

Cameras.

They were everywhere. Robotic pan-tilt-zoom cameras mounted on the walls, cameramen with heavy rigs jogging to catch their arrival, and GoPros tucked into plant pots.

"Okay, cut! Let’s get that exit again, but with more energy! Smile like you won the lottery!" a director yelled through a megaphone.

’What the fuck?’ Von almost questioned outwardly but had to do as said with a resigned sigh. He grabbed his bag again and plastered a fake smile on his face, stepping off the bus for the second time.

*** 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Once inside, the glamour faded into bureaucracy. The group was ushered into a holding area where they were briefed on strict procedures.

They were made to sign a thick stack of documents, including an NDA that ensured they weren’t allowed to reveal song choices, elimination results, or production secrets to outsiders. The penalty for leaking information was a lawsuit that would bankrupt them three times over.

After the paperwork was signed, they were finally assigned their rooms.

Von looked at his key card: Room 4.

He walked down the hallway and pushed the door open, finding himself in a spacious room with four beds. Luckily for him, Julian remained his roommate.

"I call dibs on the first bed!" a slightly plump man called out with a grin, rushing past Von. He dumped his suitcase on the mattress closest to the window and flopped onto it face-first.

Von found his behavior strange. "No one was dragging them with you."

"Oops," the man sat up, covering his mouth dramatically. "But it’s mine anyway. I’m Max, Rank 19!" he said, spreading his hands outstretched like a game show host.

"Von Varley," Von replied shortly, dropping his bag on one of the remaining three beds.

Julian walked over to the boy and took the hand which Von had ignored. "I’m Julian, Rank 2. Nice to meet you."

Max’s grin widened as he held on to Julian’s hand for a little too long. "Rank 2... wow."

He finally let go, and Julian turned away to pick his bed.

The last guy in the room was slightly more mature. He had shaggy black hair that hung low over his forehead, covering his eyes in a way that made him look brooding. He didn’t bother with an introduction. He simply walked to the last remaining bed, threw his duffel bag down, and sat on the edge, pulling out a pair of headphones.

They all recognized him anyway. He was Alex Hall, the No. 3 contestant on the leaderboard.

Von narrowed his eyes, remembering the stats from when he used [Inspect] back at the hotel.

[Name: Alex Hall]

[Vocals: B+]

[Skill: Audio-Visual Projection (A)]

● Description: A rare auditory phenomenon. When the user sings with intense emotion, they can induce mild hallucinations in the audience, making listeners ’see’ the imagery within the lyrics.

The skill still surprised Von. He hadn’t seen such a skill before. It almost felt supernatural, and Von knew this guy was going to be a serious contender. If Alex could make the audience hallucinate during a performance, he was dangerous.

Von ignored the awkward silence filling the room and grabbed his toiletries. "I’m going to shower."

***

The shower was less of a "refresh" and more of a battle for privacy.

Von had barely turned the water on when a knock rattled the door.

"Hey, Von! You in there?" Max’s voice came through the wood. "Open up! We can be faster if we share! We’re all guys here, right?"

Von stared at the door, the water dripping down his face. "Get lost, Max."

"Oh, come on! Don’t be shy!" The doorknob jiggled violently.

Von quickly locked it, his annoyance spiking. He finished his shower in record time, not because he wanted to, but because Max started singing loudly right outside the door.

When Von finally stepped out, he ignored Max’s pouty face and climbed onto his bed. He followed the other guys to put on headphones, effectively numbing out everyone in the room.

They still had some time to themselves before they got called down, so he used the quiet moment to access his gains from the upgrade.

’System, Status.’