<🎧 Song Recommendation: Angel By The Wings by Sia>
...
"Ah, it's very chilly in here!" Michael rubbed his arms theatrically as he strode to the center of the stage. "How are you all sweating? Come on, cheer up. A round of applause for your performance today!"
The applause was polite but tense, as anyone could tell there was heavy anxiety in the room.
After the claps died down, Michael walked closer to the edge of the stage, his expression softening.
"But truly, you deserve it. For coming this far, at the very least, it's a big deal. You are a top talent in the country."
He paused, letting the compliment land before delivering the inevitable blow.
"But sadly, only 24 of you will make it further."
He allowed the moment to hang for a while before announcing,
"Here are the final rankings."
As the screen behind him came to life, everyone held their breath. They prayed to see their names high enough.
[1. AURA NOVA: 90 pts]
[2. JULIAN WEST: 86 pts]
[3. ALEX HALL: 85 pts]
[4. CELINE SMITH: 85 pts]
[5. GREGORY WILLIAMS: 85 pts]
...
[9. VON VARLEY: 81 pts]
...
[16. SOFIE TAYLOR: 76 pts]
...
[25. CONOR PRINCE: 66 pts]
Ding!
â—Ź Finish Top 10 (9/24)
[Quest Objective Completed.]
[Reward: 1x Zone State (A)]
Von had his heart broken a little when he didn't see his name among the first five. He had aimed higher, but he wasn't as devastated as the rest who were going to be eliminated. Rank 9 was respectable and he was still getting a reward, at least.
But his heart felt a genuine pang of pity as his eyes fell on Conor's name.
'Fuck... he was so close.'
The drummer wasn't sitting next to him, but Von looked across the risers to see Conor's face. He was staring at the floor, clutching his chest as if he couldn't breathe.
Conor had really given it his all; but in the end, the numbers just didn't add up. Von could imagine the crushing weight of disappointment he was feeling.
He wasn't the only one. All around him, the sound of weeping began to rise. Many contestants already had teary faces, realizing their journey to stardom might have just been cut short. It pained them, considering how far they had come and how close they were to the dream.
The atmosphere in the hall was messed up at this point. Michael remained quiet, choosing not to interfere with the raw emotion of the moment.
Von was about to look away and ignore the commotion like everyone else, when he heard a now-familiar sound.
Ding!
[Quest: Fearless Star]
[Description: A true Superstar is not just a performer, but a beacon. In moments of darkness, they must serve as an inspiration and role model to those around them.]
[Objective:
â—‹ Deliver a speech that will comfort and inspire the devastated contestants.]
[Reward:
â—Ź ??]
[Failure Penalty:
â—Ź -1 Charm]
'What the...' Von stared at the blue screen in bewilderment.
It was super random. Standing up to encourage everyone now could easily backfire. He didn't know how the Producers would view it, or if the other contestants would see it as arrogant grandstanding.
But the failure penalty didn't really give him a choice. Losing charm was not an option.
'At least you should have let me know the reward so I'd know if it's worth the social suicide,' Von sighed internally.
He wasn't really nervous to try the Quest, as confidence was an attribute he could never lack. But he was wary of the tone. If this rubbed people the wrong way, he could look like a jerk.
'Fuck it. We're doing this.'
Von didn't contemplate for long. Wasting more time meant losing the opportunity before Michael spoke again. He took a deep breath and stood up abruptly, the movement sudden enough to shock everyone in the hall.
"I want to say something," he announced, and a staff member hurried over and handed him a microphone. The noise in the room reduced a bit as the teary-eyed contestants looked up at the purple-eyed boy, wondering what he had to say.
"Enough, all of you!" Von started firmly before dropping his tone. "It breaks my heart to see you sad..."
There was now complete silence as he managed to command their attention. Even the weeping quieted down.
"You need to remember that this isn't the end of your journey," Von continued, looking around the room and meeting their eyes.
"No... It's far from it! It's one of the beginnings! Take this moment as a crucial experience. Not everyone has been to LA. Not everyone will be on TV. Not everyone was privileged enough to be judged by these A-list celebrities. Not everyone had the chance to face off against the best vocalists in America. But you all did. You all had that chance, and that's something to be grateful for,"
"Even if you're disappointed about losing... I know your pain. And I can tell you, regardless of how painful it is, it's normal. Losing is a part of life. But if there's anything I've learned in my own life, it's that it's never too late."
Von was being pure as he talked and everyone could feel the sincerity radiating from his voice. His words were making them think, reigniting the flame that disappointment had almost snuffed out.
"Now, I want you all to celebrate this last moment with your eyes on the future. Let this be a moment you talk about with a laugh years from now. Let this be a stepping stone to make your futures burn brighter. Don't let this define you... let it refine you."
Von increased his voice once more.
"If you want your wins to be greater than your losses. All you gotta do is believe! Believe in yourself, and you can change anything."
Von let out a long exhale as he finished the last sentence. He looked around one last time. "That's all I have to say."
He returned the mic to the stunned staff member and sat back down.
There was no awkward silence. Instead, a slow clap started from the back, then grew. Soon, everyone was clapping for him. Even the contestants who had qualified felt a surge of confidence and joy as the words rang in their heads.
"You can change anything."
No one believed those words on a normal day. But the conviction Von had declared them with, like he was talking from a personal experience, gave them all a chance to dream again.
Michael nodded slowly, impressed. "Wow. That was really inspiring, even to me. And you know what? He's not wrong. All Von said was facts, so it's left to you on how you'll use his words."
Michael held a silence, letting the new, lighter mood to settle before he dropped the final bomb.
"To everyone that fell outside the Top 24, pack your bags. You'll be leaving first thing in the morning."
He held the microphone closer.
"And I'd also love to announce that the show will begin airing starting tomorrow. We'll keep you updated."