Catherine approached Phoenix, a determined glint in her eye. "I have an idea," she said, her voice filled with excitement and a hint of nervousness.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "An idea? About what?"
"About your contract," Catherine replied, lowering her voice. "I think I've found a loophole."
Phoenix's eyes widened, a mix of hope and fear crossing his face. "Catherine, we have to be careful. If we try to break the contract—"
"Not break it," Catherine interrupted, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Work within it. Trust me, Phoenix. I've been thinking about this for a long time."
Phoenix hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Okay, I'm listening. What's your plan?"
Catherine took a deep breath. "We're going to do an interview."
"An interview?" Phoenix's brow furrowed in confusion. "Cat, you know I can't—"
"Not a normal interview," she interrupted again, her eyes shining with excitement. "I'm going to interview you, but there's a catch. You can only answer in a very specific way."
Phoenix leaned in, intrigued despite his reservations. "How?"
Catherine smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You'll see. Just follow my lead, okay? And remember, no matter what I ask, stick to the rules I'm about to explain."
Over the next hour, Catherine laid out her plan in detail. Phoenix listened, his expression shifting from confusion to understanding to cautious hope. By the time she finished, he was nodding slowly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"It's risky," he said, "but it just might work."
Catherine squeezed his hand. "It will. We just have to be careful and stick to the plan."
The next day, they set up for the interview. Catherine sat across from Phoenix, a camera rolling to capture their conversation. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. The studio buzzed with nervous energy as crew members adjusted lights and checked sound levels. Catherine sat across from Phoenix, her hands clasped tightly in her lap to hide their trembling. A camera rolled to capture their conversation, its unblinking eye a constant reminder of the high stakes.
Catherine glanced at the producer, who gave her a thumbs up. The weight of their plan pressed down on her, making each breath feel like a monumental effort.
"Ready?" she asked Phoenix, searching his face for any sign of doubt.
He nodded, his eyes filled with trust, but she could see the tension in the set of his jaw. "Ready."
Catherine turned to the camera, summoning her most professional smile. She could feel beads of sweat forming at her hairline, and she prayed it wouldn't be visible on camera.
"Good evening, viewers. I'm here with the one and only Phoenix Astar, ready to delve into the story behind his hit song 'Demons & Her' and the mysteries surrounding his career. Phoenix, thank you for being here."
Phoenix nodded, a nervous smile on his face. His fingers tapped an erratic rhythm on the arm of his chair, a detail that didn't escape Catherine's notice.
Catherine leaned in, her expression serious. "Let's start with the basics. Phoenix, your song 'Demons & Her' has captivated millions. What's the real story behind it?"
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Phoenix took a deep breath, his eyes darting briefly to the exit as if contemplating escape. Then, visibly steeling himself, he began to sing softly, "Demons, they live inside us all. Demons, they will make me crawl."
The crew exchanged puzzled glances, but Catherine pressed on, encouraging him with a nod. "Interesting choice of words. It sounds like you're battling something intense. Can you elaborate on these 'demons'?"
Phoenix continued, his voice growing stronger, "Demons, they made me fall. Oooh, they made me fall."
Catherine noticed the producer's brow furrowing in confusion. She forged ahead, her heart pounding. "Fall from what? Your career was skyrocketing."
Phoenix's hand twitched, as if he wanted to speak normally, but he caught himself. "Demons, all in the night. Demons, they make me fight."
A cameraman whispered something to his colleague, both looking perplexed. Catherine felt a bead of sweat trickle down her back.
"This sounds more literal than metaphorical. Are you actually fighting something?"
Phoenix's eyes met hers, a silent plea for reassurance. "Demons - it's just not right. It's just not right."
Catherine nodded, trying to convey confidence. "I agree, it doesn't sound right. Let's shift gears a bit. Your fans have been eagerly waiting for new music. Can you tell us about your creative process?"
Phoenix hesitated, clearly struggling with how to answer within the constraints they'd set. Finally, he responded, "Demons, they live inside us all. Demons, they will make me crawl."
The producer made a cutting motion with his hand, but Catherine ignored him. "It's almost as if you're bound by something. Is there a force preventing you from creating?"
Phoenix's knuckles whitened as he gripped the chair. "Demons, they made me fall. Oooh, they made me fall."
The tension in the room was palpable now. Catherine could see the confusion and concern on the faces of the crew. She pressed on, her voice steady despite her racing heart.
"This is quite revealing. You mentioned 'she' in your song. Is there someone who could help you?"
Phoenix's expression softened, a glimmer of hope breaking through the tension. "But she, she will break these chains from me, she will set my soul free."
Catherine leaned forward, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "These 'chains' - are they related to why you can't make new music?"
Phoenix nodded silently, his eyes never leaving Catherine's face.
"Who is this 'she'? Someone close to you?"
Phoenix's voice was thick with emotion as he responded, "She is my deepest fantasy, she means everything to me."
Catherine felt her heart skip a beat. "Do you believe she can change your situation?"
"She will make the world see."
Catherine paused, realization dawning on her face. "Phoenix... Am I the 'she' in your song?"
The room fell silent, the tension almost unbearable. Phoenix looked directly at Catherine, his gaze intense. "She. She will break these chains from me, she will set my soul free. She."
Catherine's shock was genuine as she asked, "This interview... is this your way of revealing the truth?"
"She will make the world see."
Catherine turned to the camera, her voice trembling slightly. "Viewers, I believe we're uncovering something extraordinary here. Phoenix seems to be bound by some supernatural force, prevented from making new music. And somehow, this interview is part of breaking that bind."
Phoenix's response was immediate, "Demons, they live inside us all. But she, she will break these chains from me."
"Phoenix, are you saying that by having this conversation, by me asking these questions, we're actually fighting against whatever is controlling you?"
Phoenix nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "She will set my soul free. She will make the world see."
Catherine addressed the viewers again, her voice filled with a mix of awe and trepidation. "This is unprecedented. It appears that Phoenix has been under some kind of supernatural contract, likely related to his hit song. And this interview, this moment of truth, is his way of breaking free."
"She means everything to me. She will make the world see," Phoenix sang, his voice filled with emotion.
Catherine turned back to Phoenix, her expression a mix of determination and fear. "Phoenix, I promise you, we will get to the bottom of this. Together, we'll make sure the world knows the truth."
As the cameras continued to roll, Catherine and Phoenix exchanged a look of mingled hope and terror. Had their gambit worked? Or had they just made a catastrophic mistake? Only time would tell.
The producer signaled for a cut, his face a mask of confusion and concern. As the red light on the camera blinked off, Catherine and Phoenix remained frozen in place, the weight of what they'd done settling over them like a heavy blanket.
What would happen next was anyone's guess.