Content Warning:This chapter contains morally disturbing themes that may not be suitable for all readers.
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(3rd Person POV)
Hellfire Studio made history once again as Titanic became the second film to reach the billion-dollar box office milestone. Media outlets worldwide seized upon the achievement.
"Hellfire Breaks Barriers Again! Titanic Reaches Jaw-Dropping 1 Billion Dollars!"
"Simple Romance Film Achieves Billion-Dollar Box Office! Is This the Dawn of a Romance Genre Era?"
"Hellfire Sets New Standards for Romance Genre—Will Other Films Follow Titanic's Path?"
The success dominated conversations everywhere. Ironically, Titanic's theatrical run had ended not due to declining profits—it was still earning money despite natural box office decline—but because the original contract specified only four weeks of continuous screening.
Countless people still wanted to see the film but had no choice except to wait for the Titanic VHS release.
Across the United States of Empirica and throughout the world, disappointed voices echoed similar sentiments.
"I missed all the hype surrounding that film," one man sighed. "Never got the chance to watch it."
"I wasn't interested in romance films initially," his friend replied. "But hearing it reached one billion dollars made me curious."
They weren't alone. People worldwide were regretting being left out of the phenomenon.
"My brother keeps bragging that he saw Titanic and I didn't," a sister complained. "I thought it would be a waste of money."
"From what I've heard, it was incredibly romantic," her friend responded. "There are people everywhere pretending to be Jack and Rose."
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In Franklindale, U.S.E., the Grand Whale—the ship that had portrayed the Titanic—became a major tourist destination.
Visitors flooded in and out constantly. Most were wealthy or well-off, as airship travel remained expensive. They spent generously throughout the city, particularly seeking experiences aboard the Grand Whale, now permanently known as Titanic.
The ship operated as a luxury cruise line, generating substantial profits for Hellfire.
Watching the Grand Whale from a distance stood Ozias Storm, head of Whale Line Heritage—the company that had previously owned the vessel. Observing the ship's renewed vitality, he couldn't help but smile.
"The Grand Whale's spirit must be happy now," he murmured, his white hair tossing in the ocean breeze. "It's completely different from before, when she sat isolated and forgotten. I'm truly pleased with this outcome."
Like many others, he had initially regretted selling the Grand Whale to Arthur. But witnessing the current results, he felt profound satisfaction with his decision.
Other elderly humans who had cherished the Grand Whale in her earlier days shared his contentment.
"Would you look at that," one old man said wistfully. "She brings back so many beautiful memories."
"Indeed," an elderly woman agreed. "Although she became popular through that demon's film, there's no denying the ship has been completely revived."
"Absolutely right," another nodded approvingly.
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Meanwhile, in the Horn Kingdom, a storm that would shock the business world was quietly brewing. Billy Dark continued his regular meetings with Arthur, delivering payments while finalizing contracts for their upcoming company collaboration.
Present at these meetings was George, Arthur's best friend and fellow dwarf who served as a key member of Hellfire's executive team.
George felt increasingly uncomfortable about the partnership. Despite sharing Billy's dwarf heritage, he couldn't bring himself to trust the notorious tycoon. Something about Billy's calculating smile and overly friendly demeanor set his instincts on edge.
He watched in silence as Arthur smiled and laughed alongside Billy, the two acting like old friends conducting casual business.
'This fellow... Don't tell me he's already replacing me as his closest friend?' George wondered uneasily. Though he knew this was purely business, he couldn't shake the feeling that his longtime friendship with Arthur was being threatened.
"I heard there's land for sale in Golden State, near Angel City," Arthur mentioned casually to Billy. "If you can manage it, I'd like you to contact the sellers. I want to purchase property there—actually, I'm looking to buy a substantial chunk of land in that area."
Billy raised his eyebrows with interest. "I'll look into it immediately. Consider it handled." He paused thoughtfully. "Are you planning to build factories in that region?"
Arthur's smile widened mysteriously. "No, nothing like that. I'm actually planning to construct a massive dome there."
"A dome?" Both Billy and George leaned forward with curiosity.
Arthur nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, a dome. And inside that dome, I plan to install a complete weather system, advanced lighting controls, temperature regulation—essentially a fully controlled environment."
Both Billy and George exchanged confused glances at the elaborate description.
"Why would you want to do all of that?" George asked, his bewilderment evident in his voice.
Arthur smiled, his eyes gleaming with long-held ambition. This dome entertainment concept had occupied his thoughts for months, but he'd never had the proper opportunity to pursue it—until now. With his connection to Billy Dark and his control over the U.S.E.'s current president, all the pieces were finally in place.
"I want that dome to be a city where actors live ordinary lives," Arthur explained calmly.
"What? Why?" George's confusion was evident. "Do you really need to spend that kind of money? Even without a dome, actors can live ordinary lives." He couldn't understand Arthur's reasoning. Billy shared his bewilderment.
"This isn't about actors living ordinary lives for themselves," Arthur clarified. "They'll be acting ordinary for the main character of the show."
"Main character of the show?" George and Billy spoke simultaneously, glancing at each other before turning back to Arthur.
"Exactly. I plan to have a child grow up in that dome and live what appears to be a perfect life there." Arthur chuckled softly.
"What exactly are you planning?" Billy's brow furrowed with growing concern. "What's the reason for all this trouble? Just to have a baby live a perfect life in a dome?"
The more Billy interacted with Arthur, the more he suspected the young man was becoming a complete lunatic.
"That main subject will be monitored around the clock and broadcast live on my Hellfire Network," Arthur smiled. "Imagine it—an entire life, from birth to adulthood, captured authentically. No scripts, no acting from the main subject. Pure, genuine human experience as entertainment."
The more they heard, the more both men began to think Arthur was reverting to something from the dark ages—not just a civilized demon like any other race, but one of the ancient primal demons from history, the pure devils that existed before demons became civilized.
'What kind of sick idea is this?' Billy felt deeply uncomfortable, a rare sensation for someone of his ruthless business background.
"Arthur—I don't think playing with lives like that is right," George stood up firmly. "Don't do this."
Arthur's expression softened with apparent sympathy. "Hey, trust me. This isn't playing with life. Think about it logically—this person will live in absolute paradise. Perfect weather, no crime, no poverty, no war, no disease. They'll have loving family, genuine friendships, meaningful work, and complete happiness. They'll experience the most beautiful, fulfilling existence any human could imagine. How is giving someone the best possible life a cruel thing? They'll never know they're being watched, so there's no psychological harm. In many ways, we'd be giving them something better than reality."
George hesitated, unable to argue definitively against Arthur's reasoning.
Billy's mind raced with hidden terror. 'All this guy thinks about is entertainment! I don't think he values life as much as he pretends to!' He stared at Arthur with barely concealed fear.
'He's completely obsessed with making everything entertaining. This level of casual cruelty is beyond anything I've ever encountered.' Billy wondered, deeply disturbed. Despite his own ruthless methods as a tycoon, Arthur's casual disregard for basic human dignity genuinely terrified him.
Arthur could sense Billy's terror, but he didn't care in the slightest. He hadn't mentioned that besides livestreaming the human in the dome, he also planned to create a movie for the moment when the main character discovered his life was fabricated.
This was an ambitious project that would likely take twenty to thirty years—possibly longer if the main character failed to discover the deception. Arthur simply needed to ensure the subject noticed the carefully planted hints, and everything would proceed smoothly.
"What will you call this project?" George asked, still visibly uncomfortable.
"I'll name it 'The Human Show,'" Arthur replied. "I want the dome populated exclusively by humans."
He continued, "As you know, our world contains four races—humans, demons, elves, and dwarves. But inside that dome, only humans will exist. The main character will live what appears to be a perfect life, believing that humans are the only intelligent race in existence."
"That's..." Billy found himself speechless.
"What do you think? Pretty fascinating concept, right?" Arthur chuckled.
"It's certainly... interesting," Billy nodded, forcing a smile. "The project explores the fantasy of human-only existence—something many humans dream about. I believe human-dominated nations like the U.S.E. would eagerly tune in to such programming."
"Exactly my thinking," Arthur agreed. "It should prove extremely popular."
"I'll ensure you acquire the necessary land for this dome, Mr. Pendragon," Billy nodded firmly.
"I'm counting on it." Arthur smiled as Billy departed.
Alone with George, his friend released a heavy sigh. "You're absolutely unbelievable. Your ideas grow more bizarre, crazy, and terrifying each time. I don't agree with this, but I can't stop you either." He paused before adding, "By the way, what's your real arrangement with Billy? Are you seriously considering a collaboration with his company?"
Arthur stood and placed a reassuring hand on George's shoulder. "Don't worry, George. I have everything under control. Just trust me." He met his friend's eyes directly.
George studied Arthur's expression carefully before sighing and nodding. "Alright. I'll trust you."
Arthur smiled warmly. "I'll need you to handle all the paperwork with Billy."
"Ugh." George's face fell. "You're dumping all your work on me again."
"Come on, I'm extremely busy. Still filming that new project," Arthur protested. Seeing George's continued grumbling, he added, "I'll let you produce a Batman television show if you handle this properly—"
As a secret Batman enthusiast, George's eyes immediately lit up. "Really? You promise?"
Arthur nodded. "Absolutely. You seem quite excited about that."
George caught himself and quickly composed his expression. He cleared his throat with an awkward cough. "I... I apologize for that outburst." After a pause, he continued, "I'll go prepare the paperwork. I'll leave you to your business."
"Sounds good." Arthur smiled knowingly. 'He's still pretending he doesn't love Batman.'