The entire bar was bathed in bright light as Ronan ascended step by step, reaching the pinnacle of his performance, and the whole venue seemed to be showered in a meteor shower.
Under these circumstances, the quivering of the soul showed no signs of stopping.
Standing at the center of the stage, Ronan held the microphone with both hands, singing with all his might. Even as he sang with every ounce of his strength, his voice still trembled uncontrollably.
Hot tears nearly scalded his closed eyes, but he paid them no mind, fully immersed in the sensations on his skin's surface.
The slight warmth allowed Ronan to feel the flow of his blood and the steady rhythm of his heart. It was so tangible and unguarded, blossoming right there on the stage.
He cherished moments like these.
Then, the lights began to dim once more, and darkness crept inward from the edges like a tide.
Whoosh! Crash!
The entire bar was once again focused under a solitary spotlight, and the world was left with just this tiny island of light, directing the audience's attention toward it.
The spotlight gently illuminated Ronan's shoulders, and he opened his eyes once more.
Duncan could clearly see the glistening tears in Ronan's eyes, without concealment, fully revealing the fragility and fear in his heart.
In that moment, Duncan truly grasped the meaning behind this look and comprehended the band's unwavering commitment
They should give up. All signs pointed to surrender being the prudent choice. In the fiercely competitive music industry, there appeared to be no place for them.
They had persevered for long enough, and now it was time to relinquish, turn away from the stage, and return to tranquility.
Yet, they couldn't give up.
This was their dream, their dedication... Their obsession, deeply imprinted in their very genes.
"It isn't in my blood
I need somebody now"
Ronan sang softly, and the vulnerability hidden in his voice quivered slightly. The tenderness that emerged after completely releasing and lowering his defenses was evident once again.
However, the unwavering determination in his eyes told a different story, and his singing, though gentle, was unleashed once more.
"It isn't in my blood"
A high note, a modulation, and the straightforward interpretation was able to fully convey the lifeblood within the lyrics.
It gently coaxed the heart to beat once more, and emotions cascaded, drawing a perfect conclusion to the entire performance. Goosebumps ran from the soles of Duncan's feet to the base of his spine, one after another, impossible to stop.
Duncan's mind became hazy, akin to the sensation after a prolonged fever. His entire body felt warm and lightheaded.
He couldn't even stand on his own in this half-dream, half-awake state. Every bit of skin he could touch with his fingertips felt warm, and his vision was blurred.
The world seemed to have disappeared into nothingness.
His thoughts remained transfixed on the stage. It was as if a fragment of his soul had been left there, in the kingdom that belonged to the band for just one night.
Duncan couldn't recall how he left.
He couldn't remember how the band's performance had ended, how the next performance had begun, or when he had turned away and left, stepping gingerly like a wandering spirit. He staggered and groped forward.
Groping through the darkness, wandering dazedly,
It felt as if he couldn't find a glimmer of light, and more often than not, he could only remain in a nebulous realm, numbly moving about. Yet, the layered progression of the melody continued to echo in his mind, gently guiding his steps forward.
And then... Whoosh!
Pushing open the door, he entered from indoors to outdoors. The cool dawn air rushed in from all directions, causing his skin to prickle as the temperature dropped.
Goosebumps reappeared, and in an instant, his entire brain awoke. His focus and field of vision were reset, and he could once again see the lights on the street ahead flickering out, one by one, like a scene from a "Harry Potter" story, where the world retreated back into darkness.
However, this darkness wasn't pitch black but rather a dense, peacock-blue with a hint of moisture—a fresh, vibrant blue that carried a touch of coquettish beauty. It made everyone involuntarily hold their breath, widen their eyes, and carefully take in the scene before them. It was so beautiful that time seemed to stand still.
Whoa!
A beam of light tore through the night on the far horizon, its orange-red hue breaking free from the night's grip. Gradually, the bright red shifted to orange, then transitioned to pink, and finally transformed into a light blue.
These radiant colors spread freely, filling every corner of the world. The entire sky resembled a crystal-clear jelly, and the scenery was veiled in a dreamy haze.
The darkest hour had passed.
Dawn had arrived.
The boundary between night and day became distinct again after a brief interlude. The world transformed before Duncan's eyes, as if he had witnessed a completely new reality.
It felt like a lifetime had passed.
Especially after such an emotionally charged stage performance, the marvel of nature was even more awe-inspiring.
A song called "In my Blood" had taken them from darkness to light, just as Ronan had said.
They had walked hand in hand, fought side by side, waiting for the dawn, and now they had turned away from the chaos and anxiety of the darkest moment. For in their blood, there was no element of giving up.
Born this way, they refused to surrender.
From the stage to reality, from the realm of the spirit to the world of the living, from the world of melodies to the beauty of nature, the seamless connection between the two had delivered a dual shock on both the physical and spiritual levels.
Duncan, and everyone else, had been left breathless, unable to think, only humbly and reverently sighing.
Upon entering the bar, the world had been in turmoil. Upon leaving the bar, dawn had finally arrived.
It felt as if it had happened in a different lifetime.
Particularly after a soul-stirring performance, the artistry of nature was even more astonishing.
They had turned away from the chaos and anxiety of the darkest moment, because, in their blood, there was no giving up.
From the stage to reality, from the spiritual world to the real world, from the melody-filled scene to the beauty of nature, the seamless connection between the two had delivered a dual shock, both physically and spiritually.