Eva looked back up at the ceiling. The light in Eillya's room was still shining brightly, unwavering. She could imagine the girl writing lyrics in her quiet, calm silence.
Slowly, Eva raised her hand, her fingers beginning to move gently over the blanket—as if she were plucking the strings of an invisible bass. She gave a small smile and began to hum softly. It was only fragments of a melody without lyrics, yet it was enough to make her soul feel light.
In her mind, she saw herself standing beside Eillya on stage. Eillya was holding a microphone, singing a song she had created, while she herself accompanied her on the bass.
"One day..." Eva whispered, her voice barely audible, "...we will sing together again, and everyone will know the kind of world you see."
She closed her eyes, letting her small melody float, accompanying the night as it slowly sank into stillness.
The next day, during the first break, the classroom was still filled with the sounds of chatter and the casual footsteps of students. In the midst of the bustle, Eillya stood from her chair and helped Eva stand up slowly. Eva's movements had indeed improved, but she was still limping, causing several friends to glance over with concern, though none of them intruded.
Without much talk, the two of them left the classroom and headed toward the vocal teacher's room. Upon arriving, Eillya knocked gently on the door.
"Please, come in," a warm voice called from inside.
As the door opened, the somewhat senior vocal teacher raised her head and paused for a moment. Her eyes widened slightly seeing who stood before her. "Ah… look who's here."
"Eillya Elciane," Eillya said flatly, politely touching the chest of her uniform. "I would like to request your time and guidance for vocal training."
The teacher went silent for a moment, as if trying to process this unexpected information. However, her smile soon broadened. "Certainly. Of course, Eillya. You are a child full of surprises, it seems."
The teacher quickly explained, "We can use the school studio after the last period. Come with whoever you need."
Eillya nodded calmly. "Thank you."
With the business concluded, they returned to class and followed the lessons as usual. But in silence, Eva smiled to herself; she knew how big of a step this was for Eillya.
The last period finally ended. The school bell rang, and students began to pour out of their respective classrooms. Without many words, Eillya and Eva headed to the school studio, located in a wing of the old building, slightly separated from the main building. The room was soundproof and equipped with standard gear—simple, but sufficient for serious practice.
Once they entered, the vocal teacher was already waiting, sitting behind a keyboard and a small mixer. She smiled at their arrival.
"Let's get straight to it," she said, standing up. "I want to hear your basic range, Eillya. We'll start from 'A'. Don't think about technique or emotion yet. I just want to know how far you can reach."
Eillya nodded slowly. She stood tall in front of the microphone, her eyes slightly closed. The teacher played the first note.
"Aaaa…"
The low note sounded firm, clear, and strong.
The teacher slowly raised the scale. "A…"
"Aa—…" Eillya's voice followed, steady. Until finally, they reached the note E5.
Eillya's voice broke through quite cleanly, though there was a slight tremor at the end—a sign that her vocal cords weren't used to reaching that point again.
The teacher raised an eyebrow. "E5… Not bad. In fact, more than 'not bad.' With serious practice, you could hit G5. But we will build from the basics first."
Eillya only nodded, accepting the assessment without much reaction. However, behind the glass of the room's window, Eva wore a thin smile. Her heart felt warm.
'You've started walking again, Illya…' she thought in silence.
After discovering how far Eillya's voice could reach, the teacher opened a digital music folder on her computer. "Good. Now I want to hear how you deliver a full song," she said while adjusting the microphone and speaker volume. "Pick a song you feel you can sing, or if you're confused, I can recommend one for you."
Eillya went quiet for a moment, thinking. But before she could speak, the teacher offered a title. "How about 'Awakening Dusk'? The lyrics are emotionally broad. I want to see how you interpret it."
Eillya nodded. "Fine."
She stepped into the center of the studio, standing right under the soft light hanging from the ceiling. The microphone in front of her waited in silence. There was no audience, no cheers, only herself, Eva, and the teacher watching closely.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was the first time she was truly singing again after so long. Her heart trembled slightly, but it did not waver. "This isn't just about the voice," she thought. "It's about the me that once stopped… and is now moving again."
The music began to flow slowly.
As the first verse started, Eillya's voice came out, still a bit hesitant, yet soft and pure. But as the lyrics progressed, her voice began to find its shape again. She began to merge with the melody. The high notes that once felt distant now seemed like an extension of herself.
Emotions slowly surged to the surface along with her powerful voice. Her flat expression began to change; her brows furrowed slightly as the lyrics touched upon pain, and her eyes blinked slowly as they alluded to longing. And without her realizing it, her right hand rose, accompanying each word with movements that were gentle yet graceful. It was as if her body was speaking too.
She didn't realize she had become the center of the room. There wasn't a single sound except for her singing. Even the teacher could only watch in silence at the girl who stood like a star that had just been reignited.
Eva, sitting on a chair in the corner of the studio, stared without blinking.
Her eyes began to tear up. Her heart tightened, like a knot being slowly loosened. The girl she thought had lost her glow was now shining again. But it wasn't just bright; it was warm. In silence, Eva gripped her uniform skirt tightly. Her chest felt full.
"Illya…" she whispered. "You've truly come back…"
And in the middle of that silent room, as the final verse was sung with a voice that was deep and full of hurt, yet full of hope, Eva felt as if she were being embraced by the voice she had long missed.
Eillya finished singing. She opened her eyes slowly, took a long breath… and simply stood there calmly. She was unaware that she had shaken the hearts of both people in the room.
The vocal teacher remained motionless, her eyes staring sharply yet full of admiration. "Eillya," she finally said, "you can do more than just sing… You live inside that song… no, you bring it to life."
Eva only bowed her head slightly, hiding her flushing face, but the small smile on her lips could not be suppressed.
'Welcome back, Illya…'
That night, in a room dimmed with a soft desk lamp, Eva stared at her phone screen. She wrote something in a messenger app—a short but meaningful message. After pressing send, she looked at the screen for a moment; the contact was simply labeled: Mama.
Meanwhile, in the room separated only by a balcony and a thin wall, Eillya sat quietly at her desk. The light from the hanging lamp illuminated the blank sheets of paper in front of her. With a steady right hand, she began to write. Not homework, not class notes—but new verses. Whether they were a song or lyrics, it was clear from the way her eyes followed each word that she was writing something meaningful. There was no other sound, only the friction of the pen and the ticking of the clock.
Two days passed. In those two days, as part of a routine that had become a habit, Eillya went to the studio after the last period. Every session was filled with intensive vocal training with the teacher constantly monitoring and guiding her. Eillya's voice was now far different from the first day.
The high notes no longer wavered. Her voice was now full of power, stable and firm—surging like a strong wind cutting through the silence. Even without specific training, a natural vibrato began to emerge. It wasn't too wide, but it was enough to give emotional depth to the end of every phrase. The teacher could only nod slowly every time a session ended. The girl hadn't just returned; she had risen.
And that afternoon, after school, Eva was a little surprised to find two large boxes standing neatly in front of her door. Her brown eyes widened for a moment before she hurriedly pulled them inside.
Once the door was locked tight, she immediately opened the first box. A small smile instantly graced her face.
A Crimson 4-string bass, her favorite instrument since she first started learning to play. And when the second box was opened, a black 5-string bass with gold accents appeared—her birthday gift from her mother two years ago.
It turned out that when she sent that message two days ago, it was a request to her mother who lived in Yesia, Eva's hometown, asking for her two basses to be sent to her current address in Keiya, Ifleheim. And now, both had arrived. One brought memories; the other brought the future.
Twilight began to fade, and the hanging lamp in Eva's room glowed softly, casting calm shadows on the walls painted a fresh orange. She had just put back some childhood photos today, including one with Eillya and another girl whose face... looked too much like Eillya's.
Before her now lay two instruments that were like parts of her soul—one old and familiar, the other new but promising.
"Alright, it's been almost a month since I played with you guys~ time for a warm-up~" she murmured to herself with a smile.
Eva reached for the Crimson 4-string bass first. Her hands moved slowly, touching the body of the bass which was slightly scratched but still felt warm. She sat in the chair near the balcony, leaned back gently, and began to pluck.
Her first pluck sounded intense yet controlled—deep but clean notes with a stable, rooted groove. Her fingers danced with precision, maintaining a constant tempo, 4/4, like a heart rate that was calm yet full of passion. Her fingers tapped the strings with confidence, as if they were speaking.
"This one... is like the old me," she thought. "Confined within a safe rhythm. But... always wanting to break through the limits."