Anubis quickly strode to the other side of the trailer and carefully laid his boy on the sofa. He went to the bathroom and got a warm cloth, returning to clean up the fake blood splashed on Star's face. Anubis then lovingly draped the blanket from the back of the chair over the boy's body. Star rolled over, and his cell phone tumbled to the floor, vibrating frantically. There was a silver chain with a carnelian crystal attached to it, and Anubis wondered where it had come from. He quickly picked the phone up and saw the name Dent with a heart and smiley-face emoji on the screen.
Who the fuck is Dent?
A wave of envy crept up within Anubis, yet he quickly quashed it. He had to remind himself that Star was not his, and he had no right to be jealous. He needed to build a relationship with him first. The sooner, the better. Anubis hoped Dent was not a romantic partner, for Star would have to break his heart when Anubis claimed him. Anubis waited for the feeling that he was doing something wrong, like breaking his own rules of not going after one of his cast members, but instead, he got excited.
He always had the mindset of going big or not at all.
However, even with determination in his heart, there was a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. There was something that bothered him when it came to Star. The boy was too good to be true, from his temperament to how he fit perfectly in his arms. It was as if he was sent for him. A weird thought popped into his head, but Anubis pushed it away. No way would his father intervene with his love life. They’d had the discussion many times over. With a heavy sigh, Anubis placed the phone down and silently departed the trailer. He had to attend to a few errands, like speaking with Star's assistant and his own.
* * *
Star slowly opened his eyes,hearing the shuffling of papers and two voices; one he recognized, the other he didn't. He had his back turned, so he couldn’t see who Anubis was talking to.
“My Lord Anubis, you requested to see me?”
My Lord? What the fuck? Is he some kind of royalty? Or is it a BDSM thing?
“Yes, I need you to investigate something for me,” Anubis's deep voice rumbled. “Look everywhere, leave no stone unturned.”
There was another round of paper shuffling before the other person spoke. “I will do my utmost to get you what you need.”
“Good, you may go,” Anubis ordered.
“My Lord, there is something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Your father wishes to see you.”
“Funny, he came across my thoughts earlier this evening. Tell the old man I will see him in a few days.”
“As you wish, My Lord.”
“Oh, and Ye Chen, keep your mouth shut about what you've seen here. I don't need the family to butt in. They tend to go way overboard and mess things up.”
“Yes, My Lord Anubis.”
The room was silent again except for the clickety-clack of fingers pressing on a keyboard, and Star wondered if he was alone. Slowly, he rolled over and sat up, pretending he had just woken up.
“You’re awake.”
Star's gaze locked on Anubis, sitting on the other end of the large sofa with a laptop on his lap. The man stared at him intently, as if he knew Star had eavesdropped on his conversation but saved him some grace and didn't call him out.
"Hmm...I am," he murmured, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. He couldn't help but note that the furniture and decor appeared far more expensive than anything he'd ever been able to afford in any lifetime.
“Where am I?”
The last thing he remembered was being on set and the memory of his past flooding back. The second he saw the splash of blood, his mind became shrouded in darkness, yet he knew he wasn't asleep. He wasn’t even sure if or how he got through the scene. At one point, Star could have sworn his soul had slipped out of his body, and he was watching as another version of him played out the scene. And then, in another breath, it was as if he was in an eternal nightmare, watching himself kill Thornton repeatedly, cackling madly as if he were gleaning joy from what was happening and saying something that Star didn’t understand.
“I’ll find you soon, and then we will wreak havoc on this world.”
The longer he watched, the more terrified he got. Star knew that he had never gotten joy from killing Thornton, and it wasn’t him. It had to be someone else. Star called out to the cackling version of him to stop what he was doing, but he didn’t stop. Star had whimpered, turning himself into a ball, hoping to disappear, seeing that he couldn’t stop what was happening. And it was as if his mind or body knew he was in distress, and his heart slowed, and everything shifted to a pleasant dream. His parents were alive and healthy, and he was a beloved movie star. He had a devoted lover whose face he couldn't make out, yet they had a familiar scent that had a calming presence in his life. Star was so happy he felt like he was in heaven and didn’t want to wake up.
“You're in my apartment,” Anubis answered, bringing him back to his senses. “How do you feel?”
“Rested,” Star smiled. “I guess I should thank you for that.”
Anubis gently placed the laptop aside, then shifted to sit beside Star, ensuring enough space remained between them. With a soft, earnest tone, he looked into his eyes and said, “I need to apologize to you.”
