บท 16: Prince of Acting (11)

A/N: There are mentions of gang-bang/rape, but nothing happens. I just want to say, I've seen this a lot in Chinese BL. Don't justify it. It's wrong to use this as a revenge method and things like that. But this Arc was kind of making fun of the people who do use this method, so please keep that in mind.

Edited by: Kuro, Lille, Nyxx

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In the last two episodes of Everlasting Bloom, King Felix visited the former Prime Minister's home one last time to take all the documents in his study. He knew the value of those documents and if he wanted to complete Vincent's, or more like his own dream, he needed all of them.

Upon further inspection of those documents, detailed accounts of the economic status dating back over 20 years and even ways to combat the failings of the system were written. There were many plans and solutions to both simple and complex problems. The reports on the country were so detailed, it was like the man had lived with the citizens, documenting everything from daily life struggles to a merchant's journey throughout the country. There wasn't a single thing missing in the study, even the King's daily habits were documented and even accounted for. He had plans to make it so that the King could continue his lavish lifestyle but also bring the people back on their feet. He could never convince the King to go through with those plans though.

Vincent had thought of everything. Even the economic status of other countries on the continent.

After King Felix took those documents, he rushed back to the palace and thought of what plans to initiate first.

These last two episodes showed the struggles King Felix and Knight Commander Lewis had to face together. They were scorned by the public but worked hard to fix all that the former king had done.

In just a couple of months, King Felix seemed to have aged. He was sitting in his study, looking at documents, and then sighing. His face showed that he was exhausted but this was something he brought upon himself.

"Prime Minister Vincent had gone through years of this, and here I am not even able to stand a couple of months... Am I really worthy of being King?"

The sadness and grief in his eyes were captured on the camera. The camera then zoomed and faded out. Signifying the end of the season.

This ending sparked a lot of complaints from the viewers. This open-ended ending was torturous. They were already brokenhearted at Vincent's death, but with the ending, they wanted to riot. Many comments filled the review sections of different websites. Even with the upset viewers, they couldn't give the show anything less than 4 stars.

The TV show was well-made. It showed the struggles of both the "Villain" and the Male Protagonist. It gave a realistic ending, one not filled with rainbows and butterflies. It left them wanting more. They wanted to know what happened to the King and to the people that Vincent had struggled so much to save.

Some were even confused as to how the second season would play out. Would they continue on with this concept? Would they change it? The company that produced this TV show was famous for other shows with seasons that had different genres and plots. Would this show be the same?

Then, some people wondered why the TV show had the name, Everlasting Bloom. Many people had come up with theories, but the most widely accepted theory was that "the Bloom" signified a particular person who didn't necessarily have to be the MC. In the first season, "the bloom" was Vincent. His impact and his love for his people were everlasting. His ideas, his plans, his solutions, and his revolution, had sparked a bud in the people's hearts. They would forever be grateful to him. That was probably the meaning of the name.

In times of darkness and in times of struggle, a seed would be planted in the hearts of everyone. Guiding their way, protecting them, and helping them through the darkness. There would be times when the darkness would pull the roots out of some hearts, but at the end of the day, what connected the hearts of the people was the root of the planted seed that was Vincent's existence.

This theory was then confirmed by the producers. It was the theme of the TV show. This had sparked their ratings to the highest it had ever been, more so than when the original Alec was there.

With the success of the show, the crew, the actors, and rich folks gathered at the hotel to celebrate.

In the Grand Hall of Ellington Hotel, the huge reception hall was decorated with the TV show's fantasy theme. A red carpet was rolled down the middle to the other side of the room where another door was placed. The white marble floor was polished to perfection and had rose petals scattered across the floor. The place looked just like the castle's ballroom with gold lavishing the walls and pillars, flowers in porcelain vases, sparkles, and glitter that danced in the dim lights. Round tables and chairs were scattered around the edges of the room, leaving the middle for people to socialize and dance. The scenery of the room made it seem like people had jumped into the TV show, making the guests happy.

As the main "villain" of the TV show, naturally, Alec had arrived early with Damien. He wore a simple, but form-fitted, black tuxedo with a black bowtie. Damien and Alec wore matching tuxedos, drawing attention from the crowd of people. The two were both extremely handsome, their heights were a bit similar, with Damien just a bit taller. Similar physiques, but Alec had a chilling and mysterious air around him while Damien seemed more elegant and noble. The two complimented each other very well.

Everyone knew Damien was Alec's manager, but he didn't pale in comparison when standing next to Alec. He complimented Alec's looks, so the two looked like they came straight out of a painting.

Many people flocked to greet Alec and congratulate him on the successful season. Alec calmly and slowly thanked everyone around him. He then greeted the other cast and crew members, expressing how much it was an honor to work with them.

Damien followed behind Alec closely, making sure no one bumped into him.

After greeting everyone, Alec decided to eat and rest at a table. Damien grabbed all of Alec's favorite foods and brought the food to him. They were sharing their plates, unaware of the many eyes that were on them.

"Here, eat this, you need more vegetables," Damien said as he picked up some broccoli and put it on Alec's smaller plate.

"Thank you," Alec replied, obediently eating it.

"Here, this shrimp tastes really good too."

"Hmm."

It was normal for Damien to be attentive to Alec, but this was the first time people witnessed it.

"You both are quite close. You look more like a married couple than a manager and actor." Stephan walked by with a smile on his face but only a few others knew that he was irritated at the fact Alec had the center of attention instead of him, the main character of today's party.

"Married?" Alec looked over at Damien with a slight blush on his face. "Hmm… not really." He looked very shy.

Damien felt like he was attacked by Alec's cuteness and almost pulled the man into a hug.

Stephan's eyes twitched watching their lovey-dovey mood that was created unconsciously. He could even say, Alec seemed a little cute, and that's what annoyed him the most.

"Well, I hope you enjoy the party, and let's hope we star in another movie or TV show together." Stephan then walked away without hearing Alec's reply. Most people thought he was being nice, and some picked up the hostility in his voice. His hand moved oddly, before being put into his pockets. No one else saw this but Alec.

Regardless, Alec didn't care and he took a sip out of his now spiked soda. He pretended like he didn't know and continued to eat and take a couple more sips.

After Stephan left, Alec and Damien went back into their own world as Alec seemed more serene around Damien, releasing a very warm aura. It made it hard for people to disturb the two.

After finishing their plates, Damien got up to go to the restroom. Kyle sat down with a huff as he wanted to relax by Alec for the rest of the night. He had finally gotten away from the crowd of people, especially from the man who seemed to follow him around like he was the Mama duck. He knew he was always a Mama friend, but didn't think he would be followed around like so.

"Kyle, why are you pouting like that?" Alec asked his friend, concerned.

Kyle glanced over at a man who had been annoying him the whole night and huffed once more. The man who was annoying Kyle, Joshua Henderson, was actually the second male lead in the original world plotline that was only mentioned a few times. Joshua had brown hair and dark brown eyes, a perfect smile, and a well-toned, slim body. He was shorter than Kyle and had a bit of an androgynous feel to him. He wore a tailored black tuxedo and wore a black bowtie as well (as it was part of the dress code).

Alec had never met him, but he knew that Joshua was head over heels in love with Kyle and mourned when he was killed. He spent his whole life trying to figure out why Kyle died and when he was close, he was also killed by Stephan.

"A face that I recognized from University ran into me recently and has been pursuing me ever since." Even though he sounded annoyed, he seemed kind of... Happy? Alec judged that the two would eventually get together even without him pushing Kyle towards Joshua. He decided to watch over his friend.

As he talked more with Kyle, he felt the drugs kicking in. His body was a bit hot, his heart rate was speeding up, he felt the need to pee but not pee at the same time.

It was the start of Stephan's "grand plan." How typical, how stupid. But Alec jumped right in because he knew he could make it out alive while also taking Stephan down. Why not enjoy the show that was graciously given to him?

He made sure that System 225 would be there to help him keep some of his consciousness.

"Kyle, I need to use the restroom, I think I ate something weird." Alec's face was a little red and he was slightly sweating.

"Eh? What did you eat? Are you okay? Do you need help getting to the bathroom?" Mama Kyle's instincts kicked in and he was even ready to take his friend to the hospital even if it was for a simple stomach ache.

"I'm okay, I will probably run into Damien on my way to the bathroom, so you don't need to worry. If I don't come back, please come looking for me." Alec reassured his friend that he would be alright before he "made" his way to the restroom.

When Stephan saw Alec leaving the room to use the restroom, Stephan looked at his manager and then left the room. The manager stayed behind to let people know that Stephan had gone to the restroom. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but there was nothing he could do to turn back time. All he could do was pray that Alec would be okay…

Before Alec could even reach the restroom, someone pulled on his suit jacket from behind, making his already drugged body lose its balance. His body went limp and he allowed the people to drag him down the hall.

'Send a message to Damien on what room we are in. Also, call Damien and have this conversation recorded. When Damien enters the room, do as planned.'

[Understood, Host.]

'Thanks, System.'

His train of thought was ruined when he felt himself being pushed into a room and then shoved onto a bed. He groaned a bit and looked around to see 4 random people and Stephan.

Stephan grinned when he saw Alec's flushed face lying on the bed. He looked weak, which made him feel all sorts of pleasure. "I hope you enjoy my gift to you for completing a successful season."

Alec sarcastically said, "Seems like your idea and my idea of gifts is a bit different."

Stephan clicked his tongue. "Even while under the influence, your shitty personality is prevalent."

"Sober, your personality has always been skewed."

"What do you know?! Who are you to tell me how I really am?"

"Talk about hypocrisy. Your real self has already leaked through your mask."

Hearing these words, Stephan wanted to kill Alec himself. But he wasn't stupid enough to get himself physically involved in the crime. He knew that if he touched anything, his fingerprints or DNA would be found, so he decided to calm his anger and huffed.

"Take care of him, boys. He's all yours."

With that, Stephan had someone open the door for him as he walked out. He even used a different-sized shoe today, showing that he had some knowledge in getting rid of people. He had done this so many times, he felt happy about this particular one.

Meanwhile, Damien was on the line in complete silence. He heard the whole conversation and was currently running to the room sent by System 225 through text. Alec was in no rush and was actually leisurely slumped over on the bed. He didn't panic and didn't even make a sound.

"Alright guys, let's have a little fun." The obvious boss of the group took off his shirt first. This man had no care for gender and would fuck anything for money. This was nothing new to him.

The other 3 men joined him and started to strip. They didn't try to trap Alec because he was drugged. They thought that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Come here pretty one. Let's see how that face of yours changes underneath me. I'm sure I will have you moaning so hard you will lose your voice." The leader's dirty talk was atrocious.

Alec felt his eye twitch before he scooted back on the bed. "How about no."

"Don't be like that baby, I promise to make you feel good." He reached over to grab his legs but was kicked by Alec.

"Why don't you wash your dirty hands first? Oh wait, no matter how much you wash, you will never be able to clean them. How unfortunate."

"Fellows, hold him down."

Two people from the group quickly came over to each side of the bed to hold Alec down. Even drugged, Alec was still able to put up a fight. He didn't let them hit him, but he couldn't get them to go away.

As he fought, his clothes started to get tugged and ripped. His body started to slowly show, showing a well-toned body, and muscular legs. This made the leader lick his lips. "A powerful body. I am sure we will have a lot of fun if you would just stop fussing."

The leader started pulling off Alec's pants, but he was getting annoyed with Alec trying to kick him. Even with him being held down and drugged, Alec was still a pain in the ass to deal with.

"I fucking told you to stop moving!!" The leader raised his hand to slap Alec but felt pain at the back of his neck instead. He immediately tumbled over, unconscious, to the ground.

Damien, who hit the leader in the back of his neck, was the first one to arrive inside the room. Security and policemen filed into the room immediately after Damien and surrounded the henchmen.

The henchmen were quickly rounded up by the security and police and were escorted out of the room. Someone dragged the leader out by his arms, leaving Alec and Damien alone... All of this was done efficiently and quickly.

"Good grief, I thought I was going to murder him." Damien sighed as he put his blazer over Alec. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm, I'm okay now," Alec said as he leaned his head on Damien's shoulder. He did that to hide his smile as he knew he had successfully and easily completed the main mission.

[*Chirp chirp* Everything has been sent and we will see the results soon, Host. Have a good sleep.]

'Thank you, System…' Alec soon closed his eyes and let Damien take over the rest.

This world was easy, but it made sense since it was only an F-ranked world. He knew that the worlds would get more difficult as they progressed, so he decided to enjoy the peace and leisure of these easy worlds.

Seeing Alec fall asleep in his arms, Damien held him tightly but gently. The smile on his face that was used to calm Alec down soon turned into a frown. Then he smirked angrily. "Stephan, hmm, enjoy your last bits of freedom while you can."

*****

The whole incident was immediately broadcast on TV and streaming on the internet. Many people were worried and wanted to know if Alec was okay. Thankfully, he didn't drink a lot of the spiked beverage and was able to flush the drug out of his system.

On the other hand, the leader and his posse confessed about everything from being paid to do this to even who paid him. They also found out about what he was paid to do, which was to have Alec gang-banged in one of the hotel rooms. This caused a social outcry for justice and the locking up of the mastermind.

The information was sent anonymously to the police station showing various conversations, emails, and video footage of Stephan. The man behind everything was outed by the anonymous source and showed how everything was connected.

Stephan, the Light Prince of Acting, was immediately put to trial for many things. With the evidence against him, the man was going behind bars for the rest of his life. He was found guilty of many things, which included drug trafficking, attempting sexual assault/rape, and even 5 counts of murder charges, shocking the public.

Meanwhile, Alec was able to leave the hospital the next day. Somehow, none of the police officers asked him questions, so he knew that was all Damien's doing. Should he have finished what he started? Probably, but Damien had everything covered so there was no need for him to be stubborn about finishing the revenge. As long as Stephan was behind bars for the rest of his life, he had nothing to worry about.

He even completed the Main Mission so easily. System 225 came around when the verdict was made about Stephan.

[*Chirp chirp* Host, Main mission: Expose the Light Prince, has been completed. Congratulations.]

'Thank you, System. Thankfully, this world was easy.'

[Yes, the next world will be easy as well but you must stay vigilant, especially as we progress.]

'I know, I will prepare myself.'

When Damien and Alec got back to Alec's apartment, they acted as if nothing had happened. Though Damien decided to move in to take care of Alec full-time. Even though Alec thought that Damien was just exaggerating, it seemed the scare of getting kidnapped affected Damien more than it did Alec.

Kyle even came by with Joshua, crying his heart about how his precious baby, Alec, was almost hurt. He sobbed about how worried he was and hugged Alec as hard as he could. Joshua, who finally got Kyle to notice him, was patiently waiting for his beloved while also putting the flowers they had bought together in a vase.

It seemed that Joshua was the one comforting Kyle while he was caught up in Stephan's mess. It made Alec's job easier.

Everything was going according to plan. All he had to do now was to become a top actor and watch over his best friend…