(3rd Person POV)
It almost felt magical.
The camera swept across the glistening sea, revealing the majestic Titanic in all its glory. Moored at the port, the ship dwarfed everything around it. The crowd buzzed with activity—passengers boarding, families waving goodbye, porters shouting orders.
For the audience, it wasn't just a scene. It was a memory. A recreation of a moment that had echoed through the past.
The film may have called it Titanic, but to the older members of the audience, it was clear—this was inspired by the legendary Titan Ship.
"The details… they really got everything right," murmured an old elf with silver hair, leaning forward. "Feels like I've stepped back into history."
Another demon, white-haired and nearly 150 years old, nodded solemnly. "I remember the Titan… when it was first launched. And when it sank."
The lifespans of elves and demons allowed some of them to witness—or remember—those tragic events firsthand. And now, here they were, reliving it through film.
The immersion was so complete, even Scarlet had to admit it:
'I see why mortals lose themselves in movies like this…'
Her eyes flicked to the popcorn bucket of a child sitting beside her.
In a blur, her hand darted in—too fast to be seen. She snatched a handful of popcorn without the kid noticing, then casually munched on it as the film continued.
Onscreen, the camera revealed an old woman in a wheelchair—silent, ignored. The crowd moved past her without a second glance.
Old Rose.
Just a ghost of her former self, narrating the memories of a lifetime long past.
She just watched the scene before her—the car being lifted onto the ship's deck with heavy rigging, sailors calling out commands as it hovered midair. A little girl near the railing clutched her father's coat and pointed with wide eyes.
"Daddy, it's a ship!" she exclaimed in awe.
Just then, a loud car horn broke through the hum of the port. A sleek, luxurious Renault drove forward, forcing the bustling crowd to part in two, clearing a path like royalty arriving at court.
The car came to a smooth stop.
From within emerged a young woman in an elegant traveling suit, a wide-brimmed hat casting a shadow over her refined features. Her gloved hand rested lightly on the car door as she stepped onto the dock.
She paused, lifting her gaze to the Titanic.
The sheer size of it loomed overhead like a floating city.
Her fiancé, Cal, stepped out of the car next, dressed sharply and with the air of someone used to getting what he wanted. Rose looked at the ship, unimpressed.
"I don't see what all the fuss is about," she said dryly. "It doesn't look any bigger than the Mauretania."
Cal turned to her, already slipping into the role of guide and expert.
"You can be blasé about some things, Rose," he said, gesturing grandly, "but not about Titanic. It's over a hundred feet longer than Mauretania, and far more luxurious. It has squash courts, a café… even baths."
A moment later, Ruth—Rose's mother—stepped out as well. Her posture was rigid, her expression measured. Like her daughter, she showed no sign of being impressed.
"Your daughter is much too hard to impress, Ruth," Cal remarked, glancing at a puddle. "Mind your step."
Ruth gazed at the leviathan of a ship.
"So this is the ship they say is unsinkable," she said with a tinge of skepticism.
"It is unsinkable," Cal said with the pride of a man unveiling a palace. "Not even the Three Known Gods themselves could sink this ship."
He said it with such confidence, it almost sounded like a blessing.
Hearing such a bold claim, several audience members glanced at Cal with pity. A few shook their heads.
"Confidence like that never ends well," someone muttered.
Even Scarlet paused mid-chew, her brows furrowed. Though it was just a movie, the line still rubbed her the wrong way.
Beside her, Lance leaned over, trying to ease the tension. "According to records on the Titan Ship's sinkage ninety years ago, there was a wealthy man who said something similar. Some even claim he was the reason the Titan sank."
Scarlet snorted. "Foolish. He dared to mock the gods. Of course they punished him."
"Right…" Lance nodded slowly. But inwardly, he couldn't help but think it was a little extreme—to sink an entire ship over one man's arrogance.
As the film moved forward, the mood shifted.
The scene cut to a smoky, dimly lit room filled with chatter and clinking glasses. There sat Jack—played by Arthur—laughing as he gambled with his friend Fabrizio.
Jack slouched in his chair, feigning defeat, while his opponents leaned back with smug grins.
"The moment of truth, boys," he said coolly. "Somebody's life is about to change."
Fabrizio tossed his cards onto the table. So did the two men—Olaf and Sven. Jack, meanwhile, kept his cards close to his chest.
"Let's see…" Jack mused, flipping through each hand with dramatic flair. "Fabrizio's got niente. Olaf, you've got squat. Sven… uh-oh. Two pair. Mmm."
He turned to Fabrizio with mock sympathy. "Sorry, my friend."
"What sorry?" Fabrizio snapped. "You lose my money?!"
Jack grinned wider. "Sorry, buddy. Looks like you're not gonna see your mama for a long time…"
He slammed his cards onto the table.
A full house.
"Full house, boys!" he declared. "We're going to Empirica!"
Fabrizio exploded. "YEEAAAAAH!!"
The table burst into chaos—shouting in bad words as Jack raked in the winnings and, more importantly, the two precious tickets to board the Titanic.
Jack turned to the . "Sorry, boys. Three of a kind and a pair. I'm high, you're dry, and…"
He winked at Fabrizio.
"…we're going to—"
"Empirica!!" they both shouted in unison.
Olaf, the larger of the two, clenched a massive fist. For a second, it looked like he might punch Jack.
Instead, he swung around and socked his cousin Sven, who collapsed backward onto the floor with a dazed expression.
Olaf launched into a furious tirade, chewing out his cousin, while Jack and Fabrizio erupted into laughter.
Jack grabbed the tickets, kissed them like they were gold, then leapt onto Fabrizio's back and rode him around the pub like a cowboy.
The Titanic was about to depart.
So Jack and Fabrizio burst out of the pub, carrying everything they owned in kit bags slung over their shoulders. They sprinted through the bustling crowd near the terminal.
Shouts rang out behind them as they bumped into slow-moving gentlemen and weaved past families and porters. Dodging luggage and squeezing between groups, they finally reached the pier—only to freeze in place.
The ship's hull loomed above them like a metal wall, rising seven stories high and stretching nearly a quarter mile in length.
The Titanic was… monstrous.
Fabrizio grabbed Jack's arm and yanked him back to reality. They ran again, racing toward the third-class gangway at E Deck.
They arrived just as an officer at the top began detaching the ramp.
"Wait!" Jack shouted, breathless. "We're passengers!"
He waved their tickets in the air, face flushed, eyes wide with urgency.
The officer narrowed his eyes. "Have you been through the inspection queue?"
"Of course!" Jack replied cheerfully, not missing a beat. "And don't worry—we're clean. We're Empiricans."
He cast a quick glance at Fabrizio and added, "Both of us."
The officer let out a sigh, then motioned to a nearby crewman. "Fine. Let them aboard."
The ramp was reattached, and Jack and Fabrizio hurried up. Another crew member at the entrance took their tickets, glancing over the names and scribbling them into the manifest.
He gave Fabrizio a second look—his features drawing suspicion—but said nothing.
Jack stepped in quickly. "Come on, Sven," he said, grabbing Fabrizio by the arm.
They whooped in triumph, sprinting down the white-painted corridor, grinning like children.
"We are the luckiest sons of bitches in the world!" Jack yelled, laughter echoing off the walls.
The audience chuckled at the scene. A few even laughed aloud.
"Hmph. Vulgar man," Scarlet muttered, unimpressed. As an Angel who lived in the Altair Station, she wasn't used to such coarse language—much less the smooth, shameless lies used to board the ship.
And yet… the scene worked.
It was simple, but it stirred something.
Tension rippled through the audience—nervousness as Jack and Fabrizio bluffed their way past the officers, relief when they made it on board.
Jack and Fabrizio even waved excitedly to the strangers below as the Titanic finally set sail. The track "Southampton" swelled in the background—the choir voices rising like a hymn. It sounded almost sacred.
The audience leaned forward in their seats, completely drawn in. For a moment, it felt as though they were no longer watching a movie.
They were on the ship.
For most, it was just immersion. For Scarlet—it was something else entirely.
She didn't know why, but she felt herself being pulled into the world on screen. She had felt it since the opening scene, brushing it off as her imagination. She was too confident in her powers to think otherwise.
She had no idea anything was wrong.
To her, it simply felt as though she was part of the movie—like Old Rose, drifting through her memories like a ghost.
She chewed on popcorn absentmindedly, eyes glazed, her attention locked on the screen but not really seeing. She didn't even notice her own daze.
'It's just that immersive,' she told herself.
Lance noticed. He glanced at her from time to time, sensing something off. But he said nothing.
Unbeknownst to either of them, in the VIP row, Arthur sat back casually in his seat—hands folded, eyes fixed forward—while casting a subtle illusion spell. Slowly, delicately, it wrapped around Scarlet like silk.
He wasn't reckless with it. He applied it in soft layers, just enough to keep her from noticing.
'Just a little trick to help her fall in love with the film... and maybe talk to me afterward without that cold attitude,' he thought, smiling to himself.
Everything had to go according to plan.
After all, Angel Scarlet wasn't just a guest tonight.
She was going to be a very important pawn.