Rewind With A Superstar System

Chapter 158: Hollywood Dream

<🎧 Song Recommendation: drop dead by Olivia Rodrigo>

...

Von read the message twice to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

"Hey, Aura. Leviathan just sent me a DM. He’s asking if he can crash our channel for five minutes."

Aura stopped typing on her end. "Wait, Canadian rapper, Leviathan? Right now?"

"Yeah. You’re a fan?" Von asked with a chuckle.

"Yess! I’ve always been. Let him in of course," she said.

Von gave her a teasing smile before dragging Leviathan’s username into their private voice channel. A second later, a video request popped up. Von accepted it and a third video feed filled the center of his screen.

Leviathan looked exactly like a superstar who had nowhere to be. He was fair-skinned with a huge, perfectly trimmed beard. He was lounging in a massive leather chair inside a recording studio, wearing a lavish gold silk robe. On his head sat a black silk durag that almost looked like a shower cap, and he was casually chewing a piece of gum.

"Yo, Starfall," Leviathan laughed into the microphone the second he connected. "Had to come pay my respects. You kids absolutely violated Rogue today. Madd, you two."

"Thanks for the praise," Aura greeted him with a bright smile. She kept her cool, even though they were casually speaking to arguably the biggest rapper of the modern era and an idol of hers.

"We’re cool, man," Von said, leaning back in his chair. "But you’re still next, tomorrow."

Leviathan threw his head back and started laughing, slapping his hands on his legs. "Quite the confident one, I see. But sorry, kid. We won’t be taking it easy on you tomorrow."

"Yeah, you wish... if only you were a main player on your team," Von muttered with a smirk.

Aura burst into laughter, completely agreeing with Von’s bold disrespect.

Leviathan felt playfully bullied by the teenagers, but he knew it was just a joke. He shook his head, chewing his gum a little slower.

"Alright, alright, say less," Leviathan grinned. "You two play like you share a head, eh? So what’s the deal? You two actually dating or sumn? The whole internet is talking about it."

Aura refuted the claim almost immediately, waving her hands in front of her camera. "Oh, no. No chance at all. We’re really good friends though."

Leviathan raised one of his eyebrows, clearly amused. "Ookay. If you say so. But honestly, I’ve heard your track... what’s it called again?"

"Far Away," Aura reminded him.

"Yeah! That track is tough. It’s lit for real," Leviathan nodded approvingly. "Your vocals are crazy, Aura. Listen, I’ll be working on something major after this lockdown lifts. I might invite you up to Toronto to share the studio with me. No promises, but keep your phone on."

Aura’s eyes widened. She couldn’t hide how excited she was hearing the news. Even though it wasn’t a signed contract yet, getting those kinds of words from him was a massive deal.

"Wow... thanks," Aura said quietly. "I’ll be waiting."

Von also had a bright smile on his face, genuinely happy for the opportunity presented to her.

Leviathan then shifted his gaze on the screen, looking directly at Von. "And you, Von. Gotta acknowledge what you’re doing right now. You’re one of those few independent artists that just can’t be stopped from dominating. You’re moving mad out here. Massive respect, blud. Nine plats ain’t easy work for a nineteen-year-old."

"Appreciate the praise," Von responded with a smile. "It’s been a crazy year, but the grind doesn’t stop."

They spent the next few minutes discussing other random stuff. Von asked Leviathan how the music scene was holding up in Canada during the lockdown.

Leviathan complained about having to cancel his entire summer stadium tour and how boring it was to be stuck inside a mansion all day.

They shared a few laughs about the tournament casters, specifically Tim and Max, and how they completely lost their minds during the Quarterfinals.

They even talked about the game itself. Leviathan admitted that K-Z0 was forcing him to run aim-trainer drills every morning just to prepare for Von’s aggressive playstyle.

It was a remarkably casual conversation for three people who were dominating the entertainment industry.

Eventually, the conversation shifted back to business. Leviathan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his studio desk.

"So... the music is cool, the gaming is cool," Leviathan said, looking at both of them. "But what’s the grand plan? Or do you just wanna drop singles forever?"

Aura answered first, her tone shifting to a more serious note. "Well, stadiums, world tours, and eventually owning my own masters. I love making music, and right now, that’s my entire focus."

Leviathan nodded, more than satisfied with her answer. "That’s the right mindset, girl. Ownership is everything in this game. What about you, Von?"

Von thought about the question for a while. He knew what he wanted, and he didn’t see a reason to hide it.

"Well, music was just the start for me," Von said. "My first dream was always acting. I want Hollywood."

Leviathan’s eyebrows shot up. "Acting? For real? You got any experience, or are you just relying on a pretty face?" he asked in pure intrigue.

"Not really," Von admitted with a shrug. "I don’t have any professional experience yet. But I learn fast."

Leviathan chewed his gum thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

"Look, man. Tours are dead right now because of this H-19 lockdown," Leviathan explained, getting serious.

"I’m taking my capital and pivoting. The news will be out soon, but I just bought the rights to something big, and I’m executive producing the movie. Film and TV is where you build real equity. It elevates your status from pop star to global icon."

Leviathan gave Von an evaluating look. "But I’ll tell you right now, acting isn’t just reading lines. You gotta make people believe the lie. You can’t fake it on a big screen."

"Congratulations on the movie rights, that’s a huge move," Von remarked. "And I know acting isn’t easy. But I’m more than willing to give it a try."

"I respect the ambition," Leviathan smiled.

They continued to share a few more jokes, ending up talking for over twenty minutes. It felt good to just talk normally with someone of that status.

Finally, Leviathan checked the clock in his studio.

"Anyway, I gotta get going. I have a mix to finish," Leviathan said. "Good chatting with you two. See you in the bracket tomorrow."

Leviathan hovered his hand over his mouse, but stopped for a second. He gave Von a challenging smirk.

"And Von? If you’re serious about that Hollywood dream, prove you can walk your talk tomorrow when the pressure is on."

Von effortlessly returned the smirk. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you in the lobby."

Leviathan laughed loudly at the comeback. "Bye, Aura. Hopefully, we can work together real soon."

"Bye, Leviathan!" Aura waved.

They waved their goodbyes, and Leviathan disconnected from the call.

"Well, that was unexpected," Aura breathed out once they were alone in the channel again. "He’s actually really chill like I imagined."

"Yeah, he is," Von agreed with a teasing smile. "But he’s still our enemy tomorrow. So don’t take it easy because you’re a fan girl."

"Never," Aura laughed, instantly getting back into a competitive mindset.

They spent another hour fine-tuning their strategies, memorizing every possible angle Abyss could use against them. They wanted to make sure there were zero surprises. When they were finally satisfied, they called it a night to get some rest.

The night went by quickly, and the next day arrived with a massive surge of internet hype. X was flooded with predictions, fan edits, and highlight reels from both Starfall and Abyss.

The entire gaming world was holding its breath. It was the pseudo-final everyone had been waiting for.

Von spent the day doing his usual routine. He worked out, did his vocal warmups, and kept his mind clear. He didn’t look at social media, instead focusing on having a good time with his family at the mansion.

In no time at all, the sun went down over Miami, and it was almost time for the match up.