A Tale of a Thousand Stars: Episode 1 Part 1

The series starts off with Tian (Mixx) narrating about how in the past he used to think that life was like a video game. Before people could pass each stage, we might die over and over again. We are granted a new life to start over again, so he never thought about death before. Of course life isn’t like a game, we can only die once.

Tian continues to narrate asking why we take death for granted. Have you ever imagined how you would die? He also asks if you have ever wondered what it would be like if you are lucky enough to get a second life like in video games. He’s narrating while his character is gambling. We also get a flash of a woman on a bus with a notebook as well as some military people in a jungle.

Tian (Mixx)

Tian is winning so far and goes to leave when the person he was betting with calls him back to increase the bet. The two both bet their watches. A friend asks Tian if he’s sure he wants to bet the watch but Tian just says he’s going to die soon anyway and can’t take it with him. The girl next to him asks “die?” But Tian claims he was joking and tells her not to be so serious.

We flash back to the lady on the bus writing in her notebook when she gets a call from her Aunt. The aunt wants to know when she will arrive. It’s now that we learn her name is Torfun. She tells her aunt that she will probably arrive within the hour as the bus left behind schedule. The aunt is cranky complaining about how she will have to say up and wait for Torfun. The Aunt wants to know why Torfun just doesn’t work in the factory.

Torfun

The aunt asks how long Torfun will stay and then complains about her not helping the aunt earn money. Torfun says she sends money every month but the aunt just complains that it’s enough. (I HATE the aunt). Torfun wonders if the aunt means it’s not enough money for living expenses or gambling. This upset the aunt even more (is that even possible?) The aunt says Torfun shouldn’t lecture her, like her mother did. Torfun says she will take cab home and see the aunt there. With that she hangs up the phone.

The camera takes us inside a forest at night, where a gun fight breaks out between some guys and the military unit.

We go back to Tian and his gambling. We hear his friend on the phone asking if the road has been cleared it sounds like Tian is going to go racing next. However as Tian comes down the stairs about to leave he gets a little lightheaded and faints.

We go back to the forest where the thugs are being rounded up. The Chief asks the thugs where there boss is but they claim not to know. Just then another soldier runs up and informs the chief that someone has escaped. The soldier asks the Chief what’s next. The Chief tells him to send the thugs to the border police. As the soldiers and thugs leave the Chief can’t help but swear at the fact that he didn’t catch the leader.

Chief (Earth)

We now go back to Torfun on the bus. She gets off at her bus stop and takes out her notebook to look at a picture of someone. She goes to put the picture back in the notebook when a gust of wind blows it away into the street. She grabs the picture just in time to be hit by car..

Roll those opening credits!

We see an ambulance pulling up to the hospital and we see Tian being rolled down the hallway on a stretcher. It must be bad because they have a bag giving him oxygen. His parents are there at the hospital and we can hear his Mom crying for him not to leave her. His Dad manages to pull his Mom back before the doctors enter the restricted area.

The doctor comes running up and Tian’s Dad asks Dr.Kit to save his son. Tian’s Mom is still in tears but Dad reassures her that Dr. Kit is excellent and they should trust him.

Some time later the parents are in the waiting room. Mom is saying how she’s worried. Dad says that Tian has been strong so far so they must be strong for him now. The doctor comes out to give them an update. Unfortunately, Tian is in critical conditions due to the chronic inflammation of his heart and he is prone to heart failure.

The best thing the doctors can do for him is to quickly give him a heart transplant. However, there are no matching hearts available right now for a transplant. the doctor has sent a request to the Organ Donation Center but hasn’t heard back from them yet. Mom tells the doctor he can take her heart but that’s not how it works.

Luckily a nurse comes up to tell the doctor that the Organ Center has called. The doctor excuses himself so he can take the call. Next thing we know the doctor is operating on Tian.

Torfun and Tian

While Tian is on the table his spirit is wandering in a dark place with a lantern. He sees Torfun in the distance and calls out to her. He comes towards her and asks for her name. There’s a flash and she disappears. Tian calls out again for the young lady. She shows up again a little ways away and Tian asks her what’s she trying to say. There’s another flash and then she’s right in front of him.

She touches his chest and tells Tian to “take care of it for me.” Tian then backs up into the Chief. Tian turns around to look at who/what he bumped into. Only to be stunned by the Chief, his heartbeat gets a little loud.. and then he wakes up.

Tian wakes up in a hospital bed where a nurse tells him to breathe normally. Tian asks what happened to him. The nurse informs him that he just had a heart transplant surgery, his condition is stable but he needs to rest. The nurse then leaves to go inform the doctor that his patient has woken up.

Some time passes and the parents are in Tian’s room. Mom is talking about trying to reach a Director Wanchai but his secretary said he was busy at the ministry. Dad tells Mom to leave it alone. Dad also says that they may need to get advice from Dr. Kit for that. Mom says that she doesn’t want to leave it for too long. Mom says that Director Wanchai helped Tian to jump the queue. Dad says that’s why he needs to take all things into consideration and make sure it won’t have and adverse impact on them.

Tian Wakes up and his parents rush to his bedside. Mom asks how he’s feeling then promptly asks if he wants water. Then she goes to get a glass of water for him anyway. Dad tells him that he’s very strong. Mom gives Tian a bit of water via straw, then asks if he wants more. Tian just shakes his head. Mom tells him that she was worried. Tian just tells her that he’s not dead yet.

A nurse comes into the room to tell Dad that the doctor would like to talk to him. The parents both leave the room. The nurse asks Tian how is feeling and if he got any sleep. Tian asks the nurse if he can know who donated the heart. The nurse says she can’t tell him because of the rules. Tian tries to argue with her, but she just tells him to have a full rest as it. Will help him recover quickly. Tian asks if the donor was female but the nurse doesn’t know.

The nurse offers to take him for some fresh air. While waiting for the elevator, some gossipy nurses come by. One of the nurses mentions that she was in on a heart transplant of some high ranking official’s son that Dr. Kit was in charge of. The nurse says that it was an urgent case which leads her friend to ask how much the female donor’s family got? Just then one of the two gossipy nurses notices Tian in the wheelchair and shushes the other one.

Elsewhere we see the memorial for Torfun. The Chief enters the memorial room and sits down in one of the pews. The Chief recalls a memory of him, Torfun and Dr. Nam on a cliff taking pictures. Torfun was trying to take pictures herself when Dr. Nam offers to take pictures of her. However, Torfun keeps staring at Chief Phu so Dr. Nam tells the Chief to come stand by Torfun so he can take a picture.

After the picture is taken Torfun wants to see it but Dr. Nam says the polarid hasn’t developed yet. Torfun eventually grabs it from him though and then tells him how she hopes his girlfriend doesn’t love him. (Ouch).

Chief Phu meanwhile is staring at the view ignoring them. Torfun calls his name and when he turns around snaps a picture of him.

We flashback to the present where Chief Phu tells his friends that if he had given her a ride this wouldn’t have happened. His friends promptly tell him it’s not his fault. Dr. Nam says at least she is resting in peace now. Chief Phu says he knows that but he is pissed off at the person who ran over.

Dr. Nam tells him no one wants stuff like this to happen. The party responsible has already claimed it was an accident. Chief Phu says that everything can be settled with money easily but he will never forgive that person.

Five months later…

At Tian’s home, Tian doing physiotherapy exercises. Tian finishes and tells his Mom that she doesn’t have to be there all the time, he’s not a bedridden patient anymore. His Mom says that she needs to make sure that he follows all the instructions from his doctor. The nurse praises him for walking longer today and not panting as much as the day before.

The nurse asks on a scale of 1-10 how tired is he? Tian replies with a solid 5. Mom worries that 5 might be too risky and asks the nurse if they reduce the distance of his walk? The Mom keeps trying to play doctor while Tian tries to give the nurse a chance to respond.

The nurse finally gets her chance to speak and tells the Mom that doing the exercises every day is a good thing the only other thing to do is to take his medications on time. The nurse reminds him not to skip any medications. The nurse than goes on to say how lucky he is that Tian received a matching heart in time, it’s a miracle. Tian scoffs at the miracle and goes to leave. Mom clings to him and asks where is he going? His response is to the toilet. Mom lets go a little embarrassed.

While Tian is walking he looks at his reflection in the glass window and see Ms. Torfun’s reflection staring back at him. A moment later his own reflection is there.

A little while later he is on the phone with his friend. His friend says that Tian has been absent from social media lately. Tian says that it’s really boring at home. His friend teases him that if he typed RIP on Tian’s Facebook feed people would think he was dead for real. Tian admits that he doesn’t feel like doing anything. Tian’s friend asks if he wants him to visit. Tian says no, he would rather meet his friend outside since at the house his mother keeps following him around.

His friend asks if he’s okay to go outside. Tian says he feels fine, strong enough to scold him in fact! His friend says that’s okay, Tian can just take his Mom with him. Tian snaps back that his friend can take his dad with him too. The friend says Tian must be fully recovered after all and he will see him later.

Tian shows up to meet his friends who promptly tease him about the way he’s dressed. Tian tells them that he wasn’’t told that he must come there. His friend then touches his arms and tells Tian that he’s getting too skinny. Tian agrees that he’s too slim but he’s only allowed to eat clean healthy food.

His friends ask what took him so long to get there. Tian tells them he had to get a ride because his parents sold his car without telling him.

His friend tells Tian that he shouldn’t just drink water and attempts to give him an alcohol drink. Tian says that he’s been given a list of Do’s and Don’ts for a hundred of things. Tian’s Mom even hired a personal nurse to care of him, it feels like he is in kindergarten.

His friends ask about his wound. Tian lets the girl touch it and she cries out in shock. She wonders if it still hurts. Tian says it doesn’t. Then she asks how it feels to have someone else’s heart inside of him? (Rude). Tian says it doesn’t feel like anything. Then the girl’s boyfriend asks if Tian ever felt for a moment like there was someone else in his body? Tian’s friend points out that those two are imagining too much.

Tian’s friend asks if he was curious as to who the donor was. The friends keeps saying that he should know who the donor is and how the donor died. They also say that he’s changed since he drinks water now. His friend pushes the alcohol towards Tian telling him to drink it to prove them wrong. Tian starts to feel the pressure from his friends and drops a glass. They ask if he’s okay and if something’s wrong with his health. Tian apologizes but he’s going home.

Tian goes home only to get the 3rd degree from his Mom about why he’s coming back so late. She complains that he didn’t pick up her calls. Tian says that he was hanging out with Tul and the gang. Mom complains that he didn’t tell her, and next time he has to pick up her calls. Tian points out that if he did tell her, she probably wouldn’t let him go.

Mom doesn’t know when to stop because she’s then asking him about what he had while he was out. She reminds him that the doctor said he had to be careful about what he eats. Tian says he knows, he’s been on this new diet for months. How could he possibly not remember what he’s allowed to do and what he isn’t. Mom says he smells like cigarette smoke, did he drink too?

Tian says why bother asking when she has already made up her mind that he smoked and drank? Tian’s Dad tells him to watch his language when talking to his Mother. Tian just points out that she’s smothering him. Mom says she’s just worried about him and doesn’t want him to live the way he was before. Dad tells him not to cause trouble and live like he deserves this second chance after all, not everyone is that blessed.

Tian just straight up asks who the donor was. Dad claims not to know as that’s the hospital’s protocol. Tian tells them just to tell him. Do they honestly think he doesn’t know that they know? Mom tells him just to think of it as a miracle, a second chance. Tian tells them that he really wants to know. Dad repeats what Mom said about the miracle. Dad also says the donor was just an ordinary person. Dad also tells Tian that if he wants to leave the house he has to tell his parents every single time.

Tian angrily stomps off to his room. Tian can’t sleep as his thoughts circle around what happened that day. Everything from his friends to his parents. While the rest of the family is asleep, Tian goes through his Father’s office looking for answers. His Dad wakes up and notices the light on in his study.

Dad enters the room and calls out to Tian to ask him what he’s up to? Tian caught, claims he came in for the alcohol since they won’t let him go outside. Dad makes Tian hand over the bottle then tells him that if he doesn’t love himself he should at least love his mother.

Tian just leaves the room. Tian has already seen the organ registration form so he knows Torfun’s name now. So up in his room he types her name into his computer’s search engine.

Roll the credits because that’s the end of part 1.