The orange streaks on the western horizon had been completely swallowed by the deep ink of night. The lakeside park, once tranquil, was now transformed into a landscape of stiff silhouettes under a budding starry sky. Alia finally rose from the wooden bench. She adjusted her school bag, which felt heavier than usual, not because of the weight of her books, but due to the pile of thoughts that couldn't seem to find an outlet.
Her footsteps on the sidewalk sounded monotonous, rhythmic yet aimless. Each streetlight she passed offered only a momentary illumination before she stepped back into the shadows. Her mind kept circling back to a single point: Life.
What made the guitar strings she plucked feel dead, while Eillya's vocals and Eris's drumming felt so pulsed with life? She searched for answers in every corner of her memory, trying to dissect the musical techniques and theories she had studied for years, but the result remained nil.
Upon arriving home, the familiar atmosphere of silence greeted her once again. Without greeting anyone since there was no one waiting for her with warmth, Alia walked straight upstairs. As soon as her bedroom door closed, she tossed her bag into the corner and headed for the bathroom.
Under the spray of cold water from the shower, Alia stood frozen. The water washing over her face and body seemed unable to cool her head, which was burning with frustration. She closed her eyes tightly, leaning her forehead against the cold ceramic wall.
"Why..." she whispered hoarsely, her voice nearly lost in the sound of the splashing water. "Why is it that the more I think about it, the tighter my chest feels?"
She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. A strange sense of anger began to creep into her chest, an anger not directed at others, but at her own inadequacy. She was angry because she didn't understand. She was frustrated because she felt like a robot programmed to play correctly, yet failing to be a human who could feel. Amidst the water vapor and the piercing cold, Alia was unconsciously feeling her first pulse of true emotion: a frustration born from a profound desire to be "alive."
At the same time, several blocks away, the atmosphere in Eillya's house felt much warmer despite being shrouded in quiet.
Eva sat on the edge of her friend's soft mattress. She folded her legs, hugging her knees tightly, and rested her head there sideways. Her copper-brown hair fell over part of her face as her clear eyes gazed to the side. There, Eillya sat upright in her desk chair, submerged in a pile of books and lyric notes.
A brief silence graced the room, broken only by the sound of Eillya's pen scratching across the paper.
"Not going home?" Eillya asked without looking up, her voice flat but no longer as cold as it used to be.
Eva didn't answer immediately. Instead, she let out a sweet, small giggle a sound that always managed to break the stiff atmosphere between them. "Ehehe... in a bit. I'm still comfortable here."
Eillya stopped her pen. She turned her chair slightly, meeting Eva's gaze with her deep, sharp sea-blue eyes, a look that seemed capable of piercing through any secret layer.
"Alia..." Eillya began, her voice lowering. "She reminds me of you when we were little. Even if the direction is different."
Eva raised her head, slightly intrigued by Eillya's observation.
"If you were once someone whose heart was 'killed' by circumstances," Eillya continued calmly, "then Alia is someone who seems to have been born without a heart at all. She is hollow in the place that should be full."
Hearing that, Eva was stunned for a moment. A gentle smile then spread across her lips, a smile that carried a hint of bitterness but was full of recognition. "Your eyes are as sharp as ever... You can always see what others try to hide or don't even realize."
Eillya didn't respond to the compliment. She fell silent again, her eyes returning to her desk. To her, the childhood promise and the figure of Eva beside her were her only real anchors.
Her memories of their childhood remained intact of how they promised to see the world through song. However, on the other hand, there was a vast empty space in her memory, a black fog that completely swallowed the figure of her mother and the name 'Amily.' To Eillya, Eva was the only truth left from her past.
Eva stood up slowly. She walked over to Eillya's desk. From inside her blazer pocket, she pulled out a piece of paper that had been folded neatly and with great care. She placed the paper on the desk, right next to Eillya's lyric notes titled 'Oath.'
"This..." Eva said softly, her finger still touching the paper. "This is all of my feelings. Think of it as a reply to the lyrics you wrote yesterday. Read it when you have the time."
Eva gave Eillya's shoulder a light squeeze before heading for the door. "I'm heading home now; the house next door is calling. Don't forget to sleep, Illya. Don't fall asleep at your desk again."
Eillya only gave a small hum in response. Once the sound of the front door closing signaled that Eva had left, Eillya put down her pen. She reached for the paper from Eva, unfolding it with slow movements as if the paper were something incredibly fragile.
The desk lamp illuminated Eva's neat and soulful handwriting. Eillya began to read it silently.
"I wrote down a memory of how I found you..."
"Your voice is the melody of my life."
Eillya paused for a moment. Her chest vibrated gently. She continued reading, verse after verse, feeling every word pulse beneath her fingertips.
"I stayed beside you, come what may—."
That sentence made Eillya's eyes sting slightly. She remembered how Eva had returned to this city just to find her, the version of her that was broken and frozen. She read the Chorus with bated breath.
"So hear me now, across the gray of years,"
"I wait, unshaken, through every fear"
"I held your dream when you let it fall,"
"Until you rise and remember it all..."
"Until I remember everything?" Eillya whispered hoarsely. Her gaze shifted to the end of the paper, where the promise was written with absolute conviction.
"Even if you never recall the spring"
"Where our laughter first learned how to sing..."
"Let this Vow eternally and never leave again."
Eillya folded the paper back up and pressed it to her chest. Outside, the night grew deeper. In the house next door, the light in Eva's room began to dim, while here, Eillya felt a new strength flowing through her veins.
If Eillya had her 'Oath,' then Eva had her 'Vow.' Two different songs, yet born from the same root. The day ended with one certainty: whatever Eillya forgot, Eva would remain the voice that led her home.
The long-awaited night finally arrived. The Keiya sky was blanketed in thin clouds that allowed the moonlight to dim, contrasting with the neon lights that were beginning to bring the district where Live House Horizon stood to life. In front of the old building, its walls covered in indie band posters, a small crowd began to snake around. The atmosphere was bustling with the scent of wet asphalt and thick anticipation.
Inside, behind the heavy entrance doors, Eillya Elciane walked in with a calm that was almost inhuman. According to the registration she had completed the day before, the name listed on the performance order was just one word: Nameless.
Eillya appeared in her signature minimalist yet sharp style. She wore a dark, form-fitting inner layer, wrapped in a matching shirt outer that she left unbuttoned. Her jet-black hair wasn't left loose as usual. This time, she swept the right side back, revealing her sharp jawline and clean ear, giving her an asymmetrical look that was both mysterious and focused. On her feet, black flat strap sandals were tied tight, ready to support her every step on stage.
Beside her, Eva Arabella walked with a warmer but still elegant energy. She wore a neutral-colored A-Line Blouse that gave a soft impression, paired with shorts above the knee that accentuated her long legs. However, the most eye-catching thing was the black GigBag she carried on her back. Inside, her beloved Crimson Bass seemed to pulse, waiting to once again emit that vibrating low sound.
The two of them walked down the narrow corridor toward the preparation room. The room wasn't very large, filled with the smell of old wood, perfume, and the tension of other contestants. Tonight's audience capacity was estimated at ±450 people—a small number for the professional music industry, but a high mountain for those just starting to climb from ground zero.
In the corner of the room, the organizers had prepared rows of mineral water and trays of light snacks. Eva placed her bag carefully on an empty chair, then took a small sip of mineral water to moisten her throat.
Eillya sat beside her, her eyes staring straight at the large mirror in front of them. Her mind seemed to be rearranging the thousands of notes she had studied.
"Eva, you remember the order, right?" Eillya asked softly, breaking the silence between them.
Eva turned, giving the confident smile that usually always managed to calm Eillya. "I know it by heart, Illya. Two cover songs to warm up the atmosphere, then we hit the main menu, our three original songs. The order is Oath, then Vow, and we close with Seele's Aria. No changes, right?"
Eillya nodded slowly. The regulations from Horizon allowed each performer a five-song set.
"I'm going to let everything out tonight," Eillya murmured. Her voice wasn't loud, but there was a vibration of powerful determination in it. She knew this concert was her first step to reaching back for that "Beautiful World" she had left to gather dust for so long, and now, she was lifting it up again.
Time seemed to move so fast inside that stuffy waiting room. Finally, a staff member with a walkie-talkie on his shoulder approached them.
"Group 'Nameless,' please get ready at the wings of the stage. It's your turn next," the staff member said firmly.
He took the GigBag containing Eva's red Bass to be brought up to the stage by the crew first so it could be set up in front of the amplifier. In his other hand, he received a flash drive from Eillya. That flash drive contained the soul of their performance tonight: the playback arrangements for the instrument positions that were still empty.