Raena's Miracle Seed: The Second Round Begins
The murmurs of the audience filling the vast competition hall fell silent in an instant, as tens of thousands of eyes turned toward the stage. On the central stage, Raena de Bert slowly opened her mouth. Soft lighting enveloped her, and her clear voice filled the venue.
"A song always begins with a small tremor in the heart."
She spoke each word deliberately, letting it linger with meaning. "That small tremor grows into an echo, and eventually becomes a song that envelops the world."
Pausing briefly, Raena surveyed the audience seats. "A song is like a seed. Small and unremarkable at first, but it sprouts somewhere in someone's heart, grows with time, and ultimately becomes an echo."
Just then, Han Seru and Estel Briano bowed quickly as they entered the finalists' waiting area. They hurried to their seats and let out simultaneous sighs of relief. Spotting them, Lilfrea frowned.
"They came after all."
Clara murmured softly with a disappointed expression. "I thought they'd dropped out..."
Maribel crossed her arms with a deep sigh. "Shit..."
Meanwhile, on stage, Raena held out her palm. A black seed rested there.
"Here is a small seed."
She showed it to the audience and continued calmly. "This little seed is silent, but in that silence, it feels and hears more than anything."
All eyes naturally converged on the tiny seed in Raena's hand. Lifting the hem of her dress with one hand, she began descending the stage steps gracefully. Her steps were endlessly elegant, the long train of her skirt brushing the floor like gentle waves. The entire audience held their breath, fixated on her every movement.
In front of the stage lay a round patch of earth, about five meters in diameter. Raena approached it and carefully placed the seed on the soil. As she straightened up, the waiting musicians began playing in unison. A beautiful melody evoking a blue forest instantly enveloped the hall.
And then—
The audience's breaths caught. An unexpected sight unfolded before them.
Raena de Bert, one of the Edelan Ten Stars. The woman rumored to command the price of a capital house for a single song. That very Raena was now singing live right here.
La la la, la la la
The wind and sunlight embrace you
Her voice spread like light itself. The entire hall was immersed in sweet resonance.
"Ahh...!"
"Ooh...!"
The audience wore expressions of awe, unable to hold back their admiration. Some clasped their hands over their hearts, others smiled with tears in their eyes. Han Seru, Estel, and even the three girls—all were completely captivated by Raena standing beside the earth patch.
At that moment, the seed in the center of the earth patch began to tremble quietly. It split open, roots digging in as a fresh green sprout emerged. Then it shot upward toward the sky at a ferocious speed.
Two meters... five meters... ten meters...
The growth accelerated, the thick, sturdy stem stretching skyward, soon surpassing fifty meters.
"Whoaah!"
Exclamations and applause erupted from the seats. No one could look away. It was a miraculous sight, a fusion of song and life no one had ever witnessed.
I sat there with my mouth agape, dazed.
"Incredible..."
This was Golden String level skill, surpassing even our goal of Pure String. It was a realm beyond words. The stem had already soared to about eighty meters, piercing the sky. A bud formed at the tip, swelling richly.
A massive flower bud atop the stem. As Raena's song reached its climax—
Pop!
The bud burst like fireworks, hundreds of white fluffy seeds raining down over the hall. It was like the first snow falling on a midsummer stage.
"Mine! It's mine!"
"Give me one too!"
Audience members reached into the air to catch the fluff. Some beamed broadly, others gasped in wonder, and some smiled through tears. They carefully placed them in their mouths.
"It's sweet...!"
"This taste... like a dream!"
"Whoa, it's like cotton candy!"
Children and adults alike lit up with joy as the sweetness melted on their tongues. Amid the感動 and delight, Raena's song rang out beautifully to the end.
As it concluded, the audience erupted in roaring cheers and a standing ovation.
"I'll never forget this!"
"Marry me, Raena! Waaah!"
"Woooaaah!"
Before the echoes fully faded, Raena smiled faintly and gazed at the finalists' waiting area. Our eyes met briefly, then she slowly scanned the other participants before speaking again.
"The second round isn't just about skill. It's time to answer: 'What heart does your song hold?' and 'Can you commune with life?'"
As her voice filled the hall, Belldia Rackrowa watched me from afar, clutching her stomach in laughter. She was probably amused by my slack-jawed stare. Her shoulders shook as she covered her mouth.
Estel, sitting beside me, glanced at her late, then turned to me with wide eyes. She poked my side sharply.
"Baby, the song's over?"
"Uh, yeah... right..."
I nodded blankly, and Estel pouted.
"You don't actually like her that much, do you?"
I scratched the back of my head with an awkward grin. "You heard it too. Her skill is no joke..."
I was genuinely impressed. The echo of Raena's voice still surged through my chest like mighty waves.
She's the real deal.
The lingering resonance wouldn't fade easily.
"Alright, everyone, take these!"
As soon as Raena finished her encore and left the stage, a staff member shouted energetically from the front of the waiting area. Staff bustled about, distributing a sheet of paper and a small pouch to each of the fifty finalists.
The paper was the sheet music for the song Raena had just performed. The pouch contained a single black seed when untied.
"Finalists with scores and seeds, please enter the main arena!"
We rose in a daze and headed to the center of the vast arena, larger than a soccer field. The ground was finely packed earth, and we spread out at intervals per the organizers' guidance.
"Now, memorize the song from your score and grow that seed! This is the second round!"
Various reactions erupted.
"Uh... grow this?"
"Sing Raena's song...? Is that even possible...?"
"How do I memorize all this?!"
"The tallest one wins, right?"
"Yes, exactly!"
The staff raised his voice again. "The participant who grows their seed the tallest and largest with their song gets the high score!" Excitement colored his tone. "You're not Raena, so you have a week! Practice hard and grow it!"
Sighs, cheers, anticipation, and dread mixed across the arena.
"How do I learn a song I've never heard...?"
"Can I really do this? I need a coach guiding me..."
"Yeah, someone to guide us..."
Some clutched their scores in frustration, others stared intently at their seeds. Tension, rivalry, and worry hung in the air.
Then, fifty long cylindrical pillars, each five meters in diameter, rose sequentially beneath the participants. Magical blue pillars soared straight to a hundred meters. Each was a soundproof personal plot, like a honeycomb from afar.
The moment external noise cut off cleanly, it became our private world. Estel and I were inside ours—pillar L-37 (Location 37).
"Whoa, it's like a secret base! The sound really doesn't leak?"
Estel tapped the pillar wall curiously, her hand passing through like hologram. It had no substance, but blocked sound perfectly.
"Eek, this is fun."
As she spun around childishly, I stared holes into the score sheet.
This is... seriously tough.
The notes and lyrics were anything but ordinary—winding melodies, unpredictable rhythms, relentless verses. Raena digesting it effortlessly felt even more miraculous. Impressive, even with orchestral backing.
A new song for Estel, unfamiliar to me too... and only a week.
Too short. Yet strangely, a fire kindled in my chest.
I sensed it the moment I saw the score.
The first round was Estel's stage. This second one is blatantly mine. Time to take the reins.
Whether my discrepancy perception worked another miracle or pure experience and grit carried us—I'd find out by doing it. Teach this song perfectly and make Estel the star of the second round again.
I looked up quietly at Estel. She waved playfully.
"Master! Memorized the score? Ready to start?"
"Am I a genius? Memorize this already?"
I laughed despite myself. Estel eased my worries.
Yeah, let's do it. I'll make you the protagonist again, Estel.
Suddenly, Estel clapped as if struck by inspiration.
"Oh right, plant the seed first! What are we doing?!"
"Crap!"
We dove to the ground simultaneously. Digging furiously with both hands, eyes blazing with competitive fire.
"Can't be late planting!"
"Right! Right, Master!"
"Cover it! Stomp! Water!"
"Yup yup, hiyah! Water here!"
Estel nearly hiked up her skirt in excitement; I shoved her away in panic.
"You're crazy!"
Amid the chaotic antics, the second round curtain rose.
In the top-floor room overlooking the entire arena, the tournament director stood arms crossed before floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing down.
The vast earthen field inside, now crowned with fifty blue pillars. Among them, L-37 stood out—Han Seru and Estel hastily digging and planting.
"L-37, drawing all the attention, has only two people."
Raena, seated before a mirror with maids attending her, tilted her head slightly.
"Who?"
The director gestured to L-37.
"There, that one."
Raena peeked and spotted Han Seru, smiling faintly.
"One manager for errands and care, one songstress to sing..."
She watched thoughtfully, head cocked. "No teacher in sight for guidance. Did they step out, or is the songstress going solo?"
The director stroked his chin. "Tough without one..."
"Yeah."
Raena gazed long at the pair inside the blue pillar.
...In the end, really no one else. Just the two of them, no guide.
"For real?"
Raena tilted her head.