A melody played out from the loudspeakers after the applicant on stage readied himself at the simple mic stand. The light of the bright stagelights radiated down, driving away all darkness in every corner of the stage. Hitting his hair, the black locks shone with a shiny luster.
Closing his eyes, he immersed himself in the music.
A layer of mystery and gloom seemed to overlay itself on him.
A pleasing, cool voice drifted down from the stage and into the audience area.
It was so extraordinary that it subconsciously prompted the listeners to close their eyes and open up their ears to the widest, wanting to absorb every sound and word that came out of those lips.
The song told of a windy day where dark clouds covered the sky and outsmarted the sun to rule over the world. Now, instead of light, there was only gray and darkness.
The initial start of the song gave off a gloomy and unpleasant feeling that brought discomfort to the hearts of the listeners and subconsciously made them reject it.
The vibrations that shook their bodies from the incessant beating of drums oppressed their hearts with a gradually increasing pressure.
Their heart strings tightened.
Just as their hearts were about to burst.
Suddenly, the melody changed, the beats became uplifting and full of hope as the sun made a comeback and fought against the gray clouds, much to the listeners' delight.
It fought fiercely and unrelentingly for the sake of the world, for the sake of the people who needed it. In order to drive away the everlasting darkness and misery.
The lyrics lit up like blinding lights in the night sky. Contrasting black and white.
The unpleasantness and gloom disappeared.
The sun was shining. The world was bright.
All too soon, the song came to a fading close.
Backstage, all the applicants could be seen closing their eyes and enjoying the lingering melody in the air.
Only after the remaining traces of the song completely disappeared into the air did enthusiastic applause pour out like running water.
The clapping lasted for a while before they reluctantly stopped.
"Thank you, Applicant Benjamin," Instructor Mary said with an appreciative smile after the other finished his exceptional performance. "You may go down now."
On stage, Benjamin with his black hair and brown eyes nodded, bowed, and walked off the stage, leaving the microphone stand there.
Looking down at the list of applicants, Instructor Mary saw that there was still one last one.
Coughing to clear her throat, Instructor Mary shouted, "The last applicant, please come up!"
Right as her voice ended, something ominous happened. Out of nowhere, the lights in the auditorium dimmed and then brightened, then dimmed and brightened over and over again until at last all the lights went out.
All at once, the entire stage and auditorium room was drowned in complete darkness.
Not even one's own fingers could be seen in this dense blackout.
At first, Instructor Mary was stunned by what was happening. Then she became furious.
Losing their complete sight and ability to perceive, everyone was in a panic.
She could clearly hear the screams and shouts of panic and confusion coming from backstage. Intermittently, she even heard cries of pain, knowing in her heart that the situation in the back had become messy and dangerous with the occurrence of this sudden situation.
During such an important event where the young master was present, this kind of thing actually happened right under her nose when she was in charge. She had made sure to check everything, no matter how small or big, more than once even just the day before the talent showcase.
And now something like this happened. Even if someone told her that this was an accident, she wouldn't believe it.
Wanting to pound her iron fists onto a table, Instructor Mary held back the violence in her heart, afraid of angering her young master with her rudeness in addition to her incompetence that led to the current unfortunate event.
While Instructor Mary was fuming and feeling guilty, Butler Srca was also anxious and sweating.
His son was back there! Each time he heard the sound of someone screaming in pain, he thought it was his son.
Quickly, he told himself to calm down. It can't be his son. Out of all those people back there, there's no way it just happened to be his son who got hurt in the chaos.
He was unable to leave his master's side without his orders.
Holding himself back, Butler Srca felt suffocated, but he also thought he had to keep his relationship with Rip hidden.
—For his family's protection and safety.
Both Instructor Mary's heart and Butler Srca's heart felt as though they were being gnawed on by hundreds of ants.
Finally, they couldn't take it anymore. The situation was getting worse as time went by.
Just as Instructor Mary was about to turn to her young master and ask for her punishment and just as Butler Srca was about to ask for Ian's permission to retrieve his son, the calm and steady sound of a pair of footsteps was heard coming from above.
Turning her head in the direction she thought was the stage, Instructor Mary heard the sounds of a chair being placed down, the shifting of feet, and the pleasant hum of strings being strummed.
Shocked, Instructor Mary had a vague premonition about what was about to happen. Subconsciously, a light of joy flickered in her heart.
Expectant, she looked towards the stage dressed in black.
Ian preferred the dark, so this sudden darkness did not affect him at all. Similarly, next to him, Levi was also unaffected, in his heart, there was no difference between light and darkness.
With his pair of eyes, if he wanted, he could see as clearly in the night as he could in the day, so it made no difference to him whether or not there was light.
He was clear what was in his heart, so he need not use his eyes to see. He only wondered if his little Ian was scared.
Right now, although Ian and Levi could only see as well as any other person in this darkness with their ordinary eyes, their ears were working just fine so they also heard what Instructor Mary heard.
They subconsciously looked up to the source of the sound.
Someone was up on stage, about to perform despite this normally disheartening, fearful setback.
Levi admired their spirit and heart.
Not everyone can be like him, unafraid of the light and the dark. Only the people within his family had a pair of eyes like his, after all.
Ian felt interested and slightly amused. Previously, he had felt a little displeased with this sudden incident. Instructor Mary had always been very meticulous, so something like this should never have happened, yet it did. This must mean that those pests were involved. But why? For what reason? How did doing this benefit them?
Both Ian and Levi looked forward to an extraordinary performance in this sightless and soundless black world, during this trying time.
Since their initial expectations were high, whoever was on stage at this moment must show 200% of their ability in order to truly impress them. And perhaps,... exceed their wildest imaginations.
The weight of their combined gazes pressed down like an invisible hand onto the person onstage.
The air was dense and the atmosphere was tense.
A normal person would've broken down with all this heavy pressure on them while performing.
However, despite being unable to see the other party, Ian could tell that they were calm.
Calm and confident.
A confidence that stemmed not from arrogance and self-assurance, but from a kind of indifference that will never allow the world to affect them.
The darkness seemed to not faze them at all.
They strummed the guitar in their embrace gently.
A beautiful chord rang in the air, instantly clearing away the panic and fear in the listeners' hearts.
With just that one chord, both Levi and Ian could tell that the player had real skills that were practiced and honed.
Within the darkness, all the subtle sounds from breathing to the rustling of fabric could be heard in their sensitive hearing as their unnecessary sight weakened to give strength to their ears.
But all the noises ceased the moment the song started, as if absorbed into the music.
The person on stage, their gender unknown, started playing an intro.
The song was gentle and beautiful, yet it carried a hint of sadness and gloom. Like perpetual darkness that was about to swallow the graceful light.
Before any lyrics were sung, the melody told a story of its own, wordless but speaking a thousand words.
It went from gently happy to the highest peak of satisfaction and contentment, then the slow and gentle melody suddenly changed as if turning its face.
The once lively and enviable sounds abruptly transitioned to a low and dangerous growl, as if expressing anger and animosity.
Danger and threats were looming in the air, hidden in every look, every word.
The melody quickened as anxiety took over.
Running and running, escaping from something.
However, at the end of the exciting chase laid only a dead-end—caught and brought back.
Before long, the strings strummed to an indifference and calm gained from suppressed anger and numbness.
The intro was unusually long, as if telling the world its whole story for it to judge, but at the same time, despising the world for its unspoken judgment.
Yet no matter how beautiful the melody was, it went on for far too long, taking an entire four minutes and still ongoing, causing the listeners to feel frustrated. They heard the melody and understood its message in their hearts, however, they wanted something concrete, something more. Something that's not so vague and ambiguous.
They wanted to hear the singer sing.
Eventually as the song droned on into its minutes, the listeners started feeling annoyed and wanted the song to end. All the initial love and touching feelings disappeared like fleeting clouds.
The higher the expectations, the greater the fall. Not to mention the frustrated applicants and instructors, Ian and Levi were starting to feel disappointed.
The interpretation was outstanding. The song was beautiful and catchy, and the rhythm constantly changed from the beginning to now bringing with it a fresh excitement each time, but so far, it has stayed in the phase of indifference and numbness. Making the listeners numb as well.
The same melody repeated over and over again, especially without lyrics, was like background music used to entertain occupied passersby, not meant to catch the listeners' devoted attention. It only made people feel bored after a while of listening.
If there were lyrics, they would really bring this song to life and deliver the singer's message through the song to the audience. The melody would serve to strengthen the power of the lyrics and stir people's hearts more easily.
Thinking that this applicant was the last one and that the entire room was still enshrouded in darkness that has yet to be solved, Ian made the call to stop this performance and leave. There was nothing interesting to see, and since all applicants were already seen, there was no reason to stay longer.
As Ian was about to call this performance to a stop, his ears were shocked as his mind numbed pleasurably. Tingles went up his spine and he felt his mind controllably drift towards the front.
The words that had not been given time to come out slipped back down the throat and were snuffed out like a candle.
"Biting coldness takes over the heart,
"It is numb. It is cold.
"Fighting the world for just one breath,
"It's hard for me to understand,
"All I knew was warmth, warmth and light and love,
"Now I know the cold, heartless and cruel,
"The numbness takes over me~
"——————"
The words scripted out in Ian's head were instantly wiped clean. In a moment of confusion, Ian forgot what he was going to do, and taking advantage of that second, a side thought sneaked in and suggested he finish listening to the song performance first before trying to remember. It would be a great regret if he missed such an otherworldly show.
In the auditorium, within this darkness, no one spoke a word, some didn't even dare to breathe for fear of distracting the singer. It would be a huge sin.
The voice was heavenly.
Nothing else could describe it.
The unique low yet sometimes high natural pitch scratched the itch of the listeners at the right times and at the right spots. Bringing about a sense of satisfaction and delight.
The high pitches tugged at the heart strings while the low pitches brought about an inexplicable sadness, making the listeners cry silently. Their hearts numbed from heartache.
The lyrics were simple but sung by that voice, it became surprisingly touching. Then complemented by the flowing melody coming from the guitar, the combination was simply beyond words.
It was a joy to the soul despite the sorrowful tears that ran down countless cheeks. They found themselves addicted and unable to quit.
Keep playing.
Keep singing.
They never want the song to end.
"Colors disappeared before my eyes, only black and white,
"But did I forget or did I just become numb?!
"The fire burned high,
"The ashes flew low,
"Away with the cold wind,
"As if it never existed~!!"
As the end of the song drew near, the ethereal voice got louder and louder, almost shouting with complicated, intense feelings that stimulated the emotions within the listeners' hearts.
"I begged you to leave, you left but the darkness stayed,
"I begged it to stay, it stayed but the emptiness remained…"
Right then.
Just as the music reached its peak.
The clear, calm voice turned into a mournful cry and then faded into indifference and nonchalance.
The last line of lyrics was about to leave the singer's thin, trembling lips.
Blink.
Suddenly, the hot spotlight appeared and shot down passionately with devotion onto the person onstage.
It was as though time had stopped.
The spotlight gleamed over their ink-black hair and reflected a pair of pitch-black eyes that saw no bottom. It was empty but clean. At first glance, a gloomy aura seemed to spill out of him, making people not dare to take a second glance without goosebumps breaking out and uneasiness taking over the mind.
But the more you look at him, the more you can spot a peculiarity.
Although a gloomy air surrounded him, it could only touch his surface and not his depth. It hovered around him, but was distinct from him.
Looking into his pair of dark-colored eyes, besides the gloom were flashes of indifference and calm. As if he did not care for the world, not for anything or anyone. Only himself.
Softly singing into the revived microphone the final line of lyrics, a hint of gentleness but unshakeable indifference colored his black eyes.
"It was so long ago that I forgot,
"Only emptiness remained…"
Hearts were thumping from excitement. Being able to hear such a divine, out of the world performance at least once in their life was more than enough to make them all content. To say nothing of how calmed and soothed they were by the voice that suddenly appeared in the dark like a guiding light in their panic.
Calm, but expressionless, the last applicant to perform bowed to the judges and departed the stage with evenly-paced and light steps.
This was not a formal or even an actual competition, so no grades or comments were given by the judges on the spot. That's why all the applicants left right away after each of their performances for the next person to come up.
After he left the stage, as if time had unfrozen, delayed applause rang out like thunderclaps in the spacious, echoing auditorium, coming down like a rainstorm from backstage.
Ian and Levi, as well as all the instructors, clapped for the brilliant and mind-numbing performance of this applicant.
Standing up to leave, Levi smiled and his eyes narrowed into thin lines like thread.
Ian could practically feel his happiness and pride radiating off of him.
Helpless, Ian asked, "Are you really that happy to hear him sing?"
Levi flapped open his fan with a swoosh. The fan instantly spread open like a peacock showing off its gorgeous tail.
While fanning himself, Levi smiled smugly. "Why wouldn't I be? I can say for sure that he was the most outstanding performer tonight and his talent is extraordinary. His voice was simply… indescribable. I would love to hear it more in the future."
Ian laughed, amused. He said, "I'm sure you will."
After another thought, Ian showed an amazed look on his gentle and innocent face, like the wonder of a child after seeing the world for the first time.
"I never would've thought that Blake would possess such an enchanting and heavenly voice. His singing ability and guitar playing skills are beyond expert level. And that voice of his can be called a gift from god."
Levi smirked.
Folding his fan, he tapped it lightly on top of Ian's head.
"Now you know how awesome and capable I am. Seems like my eyes are still better than yours, young one. You are far behind me, it's still much too early for your inexperienced self to take charge," Levi took the opportunity to tease and provoke Ian.
Sadly, Ian did not bite this time as well.
Ian replied with a faint, polite smile. "Of course I am inexperienced compared to you—I'm only 15 years old." Then he retorted as if unintentionally, "Seems like behind that sly-looking face of yours really lives a cunning old fox who can sniff people out like an animal."
Flashing a gentle and polite smile at Levi, Ian walked off with Butler Srca closely behind him.
Levi was stunned in place.
Coming back to his senses, Levi shook his head with a wry smile.
With a hint of nostalgia in his narrowly slit eyes, Levi sighed, relieved yet with a heavy heart. "That little Ian, he's all grown up now. He can even talk back to me so elegantly and calmly without losing his temper."
Shaking his head with mixed feelings, Levi walked off back to the Everett Mansion after Ian.