Chapter 67
My hands trembled slightly as I realized the sheet music had been swapped. The familiar notes I had prepared were gone, replaced by something far more sinister. I looked up at the staff member responsible for turning the pages, but he refused to meet my gaze, his eyes deliberately averted. A cold wave of realization washed over me as I scanned the audience, searching for answers.
My eyes landed on Lorcia, who had just finished her performance. She sat confidently in her seat, her lips curled into a smirk that radiated endless provocation. Beside her, Sorcia was laughing, her face twisted into a mockery of what I imagined my own expression might have been. The two of them had clearly orchestrated this, bribing the staff to sabotage me, and now they were sitting there,
aiting for me to fail.
A murmur rippled through the audience as the delay in my performance became apparent. The restless chatter grew louder, and I could feel the weight of hundreds of eyes on me. Panic threatened to rise, but I caught sight of my father, Ethan, seated at the judges‘ table. He was watching me closely, a slight frown creasing his brow, as though he could sense something was wrong. But as a judge, he couldn’t intervene. I had signaled that I was ready, and now I had to prove it.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed aside the overwhelming urge to give in to the fear. I sat down at the piano, letting the familiar feel of the keys ground me. Without the sheet music to guide me, I had no choice but to rely entirely on my memory and the music ingrained in my heart.
The room fell into an uneasy silence as I pressed the first note. The delicate sound echoed through the hall, and with it, the murmur of the crowd faded into nothingness.
The theme of this year’s competition was, ‘Melody of Love that Never Dies.‘
The piece I chose to perform is a suite composed by my father, which is divided into four chapters. It is a challenging work that requires not only the technical skills of the performer, but also deep emotional expression.
These days of hard training have helped me to memorise the nuances between each note and phrase. I was determined to play it perfectly, despite Lorcia’s best endeavours in playing it as well.
move
The first movement began with a sweet, tender melody, like a whispered conversation between lovers. Each note flowed into the next, gentle and warm, capturing the innocence of newfound love.
My fingers danced over the keys, coaxing the melody to life, letting it fill the room with its soft, lilting tones. The audience was silent, their attention rapt as the music wrapped around them, drawing them into the story it told.
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Suddenly, my tempo picked up and the chords became more complex, like a storm falling, reminding us of the second movement.
Ethan named the second movement ‘Life is Calling‘ because it tells the story of the love and anxiety
he felt when I was born.
As the music flowed out of my hands, the corners of my eyes moistened and I could feel Ethan on the jury table looking at me with loving tenderness.
He had written his life into the suite, and he had given me a piece of music with such an important meaning to play. Because of this, I couldn’t fail to live up to this expectation.
The third movement that follows is even darker and more brooding as it tells the story of lovers
parated by fate. As I played, I could almost feel the weight of that eternal separation, and with my playing I let this emotion flow from my soul to the audience.
The audience all held their breath as they waited for the last movement. What would I play on the piano in the fourth movement? Will it be a counterattack in the face of destiny, or will it be a crushing defeat?
At the beginning of the fourth movement, however, I eased my fingers at this point, and no one expected a return to the theme of love in the last movement.
The final movement was a triumph, a celebration of love in its purest, most selfless form. It spoke of a love that transcended personal desire, a love for the world and for music itself. The notes were powerful, the rhythm strong and unwavering. As I played, I felt a sense of release, of joy and gratitude for everything that had brought me to this moment. The music swelled to its climax, filling the room with its brilliance, and then, finally, it was over.
The last note hung in the air for a heartbeat before fading into silence. The room was still, as if the audience was holding its breath, caught in the lingering emotion of the performance. Then, slowly, the applause began. It was tentative at first, as though the audience was still processing what they had just heard. But it quickly grew into a roaring ovation, the sound of it filling the hall with an energy that took my breath away.
I stood, my heart pounding, and bowed deeply to the audience. The applause was deafening, a wave of sound that seemed to shake the very walls. As I straightened, my eyes found Lorcia’s face in the crowd. Her smug smile had vanished, replaced by a look of disbelief and anger. I couldn’t resist the urge to smile back at her, a small, victorious curve of my lips. I had won, despite her attempts to sabotage me.
From the judges‘ table, Ethan was leading the applause. His eyes met mine, and I saw the pride in his gaze, the unspoken acknowledgment of what I had just accomplished. I smiled back at him, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the applause. I had done it. I had played the
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ece from my heart, and I had won not just the competition, but also my father’s approval.
si stepped off the stage, my legs felt like they might give out beneath me. The emotional toll of the performance was heavy, and my mind was still spinning, as though I had truly lived through the experiences the music had portrayed.
I saw Lorik waiting for me backstage, and he looked at me with very complicated eyes.
You know what? The way you play the piano reminds me of something.‘ Lorik stared at me, ‘The way you just played the piano reminded me of someone. I don’t know why, but I always associate you with that mysterious pianist ‘Monologue‘.
