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Despite saying that, I didn't start singing right away.
The guitar was being passed around in a set order, and my turn hadn't come yet.
I had no choice but to wait my turn, fiddling with my fingers.
As I sat there, mouth closed, lost in thought, the students' singing voices reached my ears.-Playing is the best! Friends gather around...
-Ethics are tattoos on our hearts...
-Don't even think about touching a burning fire...
The students belted out their songs with passion, and the professors clapped along enthusiastically.
Laughter and applause mixed with the music, creating a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
'...Not bad.'
Carried away by the cheerful ambiance, I couldn't help but let out a small smile.However, the curve of my lips felt awkward and unfamiliar.
I quickly erased the expression before anyone could notice, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and averting my eyes.
-Crackle, crackle...
My wandering gaze landed on the bonfire.
The flames danced and flickered, greedily devouring the firewood and casting a warm glow that illuminated the surroundings, even under the pitch-black night sky.
It was like a fragment of the shattered sun.
"..."
The chilly autumn air was gently warmed by the heat of the bonfire.
The moon and stars stood side by side in the darkness, casting their faint light upon us.
I admired the scenery, bathed in silence.
As I sat there lost in thought, the guitar, having made its rounds, returned to me.
"Hey, Maniac. Your turn."
"Right."
It seemed I was the last one. Golden Boy, Margaret, and all the other students had already taken their turns.
For the record, Golden Boy had sung the latest street song popular in the capital.
It was surprisingly bearable.
Golden Boy, the soulful crooner... what a terrifying thought.
Margaret had chosen a classic, a bit older than Golden Boy's selection.
As for what she sang... well, to protect the Lady's image, I'll refrain from commenting.
"You know how to play the guitar, right?"
"To some extent."
"So... what are you going to sing?"
"What to sing... hmm."
I tapped the guitar in my hands thoughtfully at Golden Boy's question.
To be honest, I had already decided on a song.
There was only one song I could actually play properly.
And it was also the only song I wanted to sing.
"I've made up my mind."
"What song?"
"You wouldn't know it even if I told you."
It was a song from my past life... a modern song.
It wasn't something the people of this world would be familiar with.
It was a song my brother, Changho, had introduced me to, and it had become my favorite.
It was a melody that had helped me through one of the toughest times in my life.
I lightly strummed the guitar strings, starting the intro.
The familiar vibrations traveled from my fingertips, following the smooth movements of my hand.
As I set a melancholic mood with the somber melody, my eyes met Margaret's for a fleeting moment.
Her red eyes seemed to hold a mixture of complex emotions.
I gave her an awkward smile and began to sing the first verse.
-The threshold, once crossed, is a dizzying place.
-It is my comfortable boundary line.
-It only confuses my heart, useless emotions I had pushed aside are now covered in dust.
-To leave here is death, the unfamiliar happiness is scarier than the familiar sadness.
-I'm afraid I'll become like my worn-out shoes, abandoned.
-The world, time, and people will all wear me down.
My voice, accompanied by the melody of the guitar, resonated through the darkness.
The calm and quiet singing filled the night air, seeping into every nook and cranny.
I didn't rush, letting the notes flow out slowly and deliberately.
-Am I even worthy of happiness?
-Why do I drown myself in even the shallowest of wounds?
-Life may be a barrage of arrows for everyone, but why is the target stuck to my heart so big?
The chatter of the surrounding students gradually died down.
One by one, they fell silent, turning their attention towards me.
My singing created a vacuum of silence, which I then filled with the next verse.
-My emotions swing from one extreme to another.
-I'm left breathless, unable to control my own heart.
-I'm letting go of the world, happiness is just a few steps away, but I keep raising the stairs, one step at a time.
I could feel their gazes upon me.
From the sides, from the front, and from behind.
It felt as if everyone had stopped what they were doing and were now focused solely on me.
Uncomfortable with the sudden attention, I closed my eyes.
The song had reached its climax.
-Now I cry without tears.
-I cry again, as easily as breathing.
-In the sadness that has become my home.
-Even when I try to take a step away, I cry at the threshold.
With each line I sang, a dull ache spread through my chest.
My eyes felt hot, as if tears were threatening to spill, and my throat tightened.
I took a shallow breath, trying to calm the overwhelming emotions welling up inside me.
A bittersweet memory from the past flashed through my mind.
-Huh? What am I doing? Oh, just listening to some music.
-Want to hear it?
-It's the song I always listen to when I'm feeling down.
It was the song Changho had shared with me.
The only person who had tried to save me from my miserable life, his memory etched into the melody.
Even though he was gone now.
Even though he had lost everything and left this world.
His presence lingered on within me.
-In the depths of my sadness, which has become my home, I wonder...
-Can I invite you into my sadness, which has become my home?
I fought back the urge to open my eyes, forcing myself to finish the song.
Until the bitter recollection of loneliness faded away.
***
"..."
Margaret sat frozen, her mind reeling.
She replayed the poignant lyrics in her head, trying to grasp their meaning.
-In the sadness that has become my home.
-Even when I try to take a step away, I cry at the threshold.
The speaker sought refuge from a world that tormented them, retreating into the familiar embrace of their own sorrow.
It was a sadness that had become so deeply ingrained that it felt like home.
The speaker was drowning in their own misery, slowly suffocating in its depths.
The lyrics were heavy with despair, leaving a profound impact on anyone who listened.
Margaret couldn't help but stare at the boy singing.
His expression was as impassive as ever, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that he was surrounded by an aura of sadness, as if on the verge of tears.
'...Why?'
Why did he sing with such a heart-wrenching voice?
What sorrow could he possibly harbor to evoke such raw emotion in his song?
Margaret suddenly recalled the moment their eyes had met before he began singing.
The way he had hesitated for a moment, then offered her a bitter smile.
It was as if he was pleading with her.
Asking her not to hate him too much.
"..."
Margaret bit her lip, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.
The hatred and contempt that had consumed her heart were now being challenged by a flicker of doubt.
A doubt that grew stronger with each passing moment.
As the song drew to a close, Margaret couldn't tear her gaze away from Raiden.
***
-Clink... Thud.
As the last note faded and I placed the guitar on the ground, I realized something was amiss.
The students, who had been chatting amongst themselves before I started singing, were now staring at me intently, their mouths agape.
"......?"
What the...? Why were they reacting like this?
Was I that bad?
I shrank back slightly, my eyes darting around nervously.
But judging by their expressions, it didn't seem like they were put off by my singing.
On the contrary, they looked... moved.
Most of the students had a glimmer of moisture in their eyes, and some were even sniffling.
"......"
Did I do okay...?
I scratched my chin, unsure of how to interpret their reaction.
Just then, a familiar mechanical sound rang out in my ears.
-Ding!
[Sub Quest Complete!]
Title: Serenade of the Soul
[Your affinity with the Academy students has increased by 200.]
[You have received 500 points.]
"So it went well..."
A wave of relief washed over me as the status window appeared.
I stretched, dismissing the blue screens that had materialized before me.
It was already past midnight. The bonfire, once bright and cheerful, had dwindled down to a pile of smoldering embers.
I stifled a yawn and rose to my feet, my body heavy with fatigue.
The other students were also starting to disperse, heading back to their tents.
I was about to follow suit when Margaret brushed past me.
"......"
She glanced at me briefly, her expression unreadable, then turned and walked towards our tent.
I trailed behind her awkwardly.
As we walked in silence, Golden Boy caught up to us.
"You guys heading to bed?" he asked cheerfully.
"It's late," I replied curtly. "We have activities tomorrow. We need to get some sleep."
"Alright, then I'll turn in too~"
"Sure."
"I bet Violet's already asleep in the tent."
"Probably. She headed back a while ago."
We chatted idly as we walked.
Soon, we reached our tent, a large four-person one.
We carefully entered, trying not to wake Violet.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, lay a vast field.
It was a place known as the "Grave of Stars," where the knights who had sacrificed their lives in the ancient war against the Demon Realm were laid to rest.
Something was stirring in the cemetery, amidst the rows upon rows of tombstones.
-Creak... Crack, crumble...
The earth that blanketed the graves began to shift and convulse, as if alive.
An eerie black aura pulsed and flickered, enveloping the surroundings in an unsettling glow.
At the center of this ominous scene stood an old man.
He was cloaked in black robes, clutching a strange-looking book in his bony hands.
He stretched out his arms towards the graves, muttering words in an unknown tongue.
"I summon the souls of the departed, to rise beyond death and sound the bell of chaos..."
His voice, raspy and chilling, echoed through the night.
It was a voice that sounded as if it contained the compressed screams and cries of the entire world.
"I shall resurrect the flesh of these noble heroes, and they shall feast upon the blood and flesh they are owed..."
Cross the river of death and ascend to the path of eternal slumber.
"...And my long-held desire shall be fulfilled."
An ominous energy crackled around the old man's hands.
A viscous black liquid dripped from his fingertips, seeping into the graves.
He opened the book and pricked his finger, letting a single drop of blood fall onto its pages.
The bloodstain spread and darkened, and the dark auras surrounding the tombstones flared to life, burning with a crimson light.
The old man gazed upon the scene and whispered, "Oh, great Demon King, Lugetina Tov Di Atrahasis. In the name of your third disciple, the Four Heavenly Kings' Pyren, I command you..."
Rise, my knights.
-Crack!!
As he uttered the final word, a hand burst forth from the ground.
-Clatter, crack! Clatter!
More hands followed, clawing their way out of their earthen prisons.
The warriors who had fought valiantly against the demons a thousand years ago were being resurrected as death knights.
"You will make fine sacrifices before the Demon King's return..."
The old man chuckled, looking down at the dozens of undead kneeling before him.
"Master, your command?"
The death knight at the front of the group bowed its head and spoke.
Pyren's eyes gleamed with malice as he issued his order.
"Kill every living being on this island."
"As you command."
The knights drew their weapons in unison.
Pyren let out another chilling laugh and muttered to himself, "My King... the day we welcome your return draws near."
And with that, the old man vanished.
All that remained was an army of death, ready to carry out their master's orders.
-Clank, clank...
The death knights marched forward, their heavy footsteps echoing through the night.
Their destination: the base camp of Reynolds Academy.
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