“You did what!?” Karim said as he didn’t expect such success immediately after he crashed from mental exhaustion the day before.
“Impressed the audition examiners so much that none of them could really teach me anything new under the sun. Said that there’s very little that they could give beyond constructive criticism at best or waste my time with meaningless tasks at worst.” Jihoon said as he retells everything that occurred in between.
Jihoon explains everything that happened during his audition.
"It was as if my composition transcended being a mere technical showcase," Jihoon explained, his eyes alight with the memory. "From the opening phrases evoking carefree nostalgia, to the slow but eventual layering of yearning melancholy over effervescent joy. To finally end it with bitter acceptance - I sure have wove an entire emotional odyssey into the harmonies that night."
Jihoon didn't wrote that many masterpieces during his time still as a video game composer but him striking gold and write such heated composition is still an appreciated occurrence every now and then.
He described how the examiners' initial guarded skepticism gradually melted away with each revelatory transition, their stern masks of judgement faltering as his masterwork's nuances wormed into their souls. Jihoon's evocative orchestrations rekindled feelings and resonances within the critics that years of academic dissection had seemingly burned to calloused ash.
As Jihoon's tale unfolded, Karim found himself leaning forward in his seat, utterly enraptured. He had been saw many countless prodigies' recitals over his mercantile decades first hand, yet rarely had he witnessed a debut so transcendent as to silence Lengsel's infamously uncompromising adjudicators.
"When the last lingering harmonics faded, you could have heard a pin drop across that entire amphitheater's hushed terraces," Jihoon continued, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "The elders exchanged sidelong looks for what seemed an eternity, their hardened masks giving way to looks of...wonderment. Begrudging respect. It was as if I had reminded them of the very reasons they had first ventured upon refining their songcraft to begin with."
Karim let out a low whistle, awestruck. "So not a single critique or callous dismissal, then? Just unquestioned admission to Lengsel's hallowed ranks on the basis of your soul-stirring virtuosity alone?"
Jihoon gave a slow nod. "More than that, if their words held any truth. They claimed I had surpassed mere 'student' status before them, having awoken their forgotten melody within the core of their artisan beings."
He shook his head, still seemingly stunned by his own achievements. "At this rate, I may have transcended formal institutionalized instruction entirely with just that single recital. The eldest examiner intimated that rather than labor under their tutelage, I should seek my artistic edification through forging new bounds - both musical and personal."
Karim's jovial countenance broke into an enormous grin as he clapped Jihoon heartily on the shoulder. "Well I'll be doubly damned! Not only granted admission by those fickle purists, but essentially elevated to their ranks on the merits of your sheer talents and spirit alone?"
"Why, with an auspicious debut like that, I wouldn't be surprised if the wider cultural ministers went outright berserk once word of your existence spreads from their musty conservatories. Can you even imagine the prestige and possibilities that being celebrated as an unprecedented prodigy amidst the entire grand nexus of Absence could bring?" The merchant spoke with his eyes positively twinkled with barely restrained glee.
Karim released a low, rumbling chuckle that bordered on boyish snickering. "Hoo boy, just wait until the rest of those ivory tower snobs and self-appointed gatekeepers hear about this! I can scarcely fathom the shockwaves your very existence is about to send rippling through polite artistic society, my friend. Why, it may just be the kick in the pantaloons this stagnant institution has desperately needed to dislodge a few too many heads from their comfortably clenched posteriors!"
Jihoon didn't fail to pick up on Karim's disdain. Although he certainly wanted to hear the reason for his disposition, it doesn't seem like he will get any word out of him soon.
The merchant barely managed to contain himself, practically vibrating with excitement on Jihoon's behalf. His features shone with the unrestrained pride of a mentor seeing their most brilliant protege blaze past all expectations in a single, fell swoop. Jihoon's accomplishments were sure to reverberate through every echelon of Absence's vibrant cultural scenes like a clarion call for transcendence.
"And to think, I had mentally prepared myself to wage an uphill guerilla campaign against scholastic conservatism just to get your talents recognized," Karim said, shaking his head in bemused resignation. "But it seems the very first foray exceeded all our grandest hopes! Jihoon my friend, what you've achieved here tonight is nothing short of a revolution waiting to be unleashed upon Absence!"
As he returned the smile at Karim, the first person to unconditionally assist him in the path forward so far. Although things have certainly gone accordingly to their intents, Jihoon knows that his actual objective here is to find a partner that he can trust with his back to unconditionally and having the same passion for music like he did. He saw many playing their instruments but none so far actually resonated and stick to their instruments like it is their flesh and blood.
He knows that no one could really commit to such a thing in the first place.
"So what's the song name you decided for it?" Karim asked as he is interested about the masterwork that Jihoon created.
Jihoon called to the System in his mind and a notification pop-up appeared only in his sight.
______-----{////\\\\}-----______
SPIKA
Classification: Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Effect (MAG 15):
-+50% to MAG
This effect can only be stacked once and is overlapped by stronger similar effect.
--------____{\\\\////}_____--------
Jihoon has felt closely the power of a Expert Musician because he managed to harmonize the instruments together on that music composing terminal. However, just because he could arrange notes on a sheet of paper, that doesn't make him a true instrumentalist of the chosen instruments. In practical scenario, he wouldn't be able to carry such a thing around in the heat of battle thus making his access to Expert Song Magic is still out of reach for him until he could find someone like him to harmonize their Song Magic together.
Still pondering about Karim's question of how he come up with such a name at all, he decided.
"SPIKA... that's what I have chosen after the audition with Lengsel's examiners after all that." Jihoon said as the lingering feelings of yesterday can still be felt.
"Certainly a unique name for a song to have, does it stands for anything meaningful or just all there is to it?" Karim said as he arched an inquisitive eyebrow.
"It stood as a personal epiphany for everything that I have poured into its making. It's... not something that you would understand because the language barrier that separates the meaning it has from all of you. Just think of it like my distant land's unique dialect". Jihoon said as he thought that he didn't have enough skill in literature to start out from the simplest etymology where he drawed it from.
S - Saudade. That melancholic longing for cherished moments and states of being forever departed, yet still burned into one's memories. Origin, Portugese.
P - Perseverance. Honoring the unyielding determination to overcome all tribulations through sheer force of will.
I - Innocence. Celebrating those sparks of untrammeled joy and whimsy that even dire adversity cannot fully extinguish within the soul.
K - Kenosis. Self-willed act of self-emptying and surrender, of shedding all burdens and pretenses to embrace one's unvarnished essence. Origin, Greek
A - Acceptance. The courage to let go of the past, and boldly move forward into the future with one's spirit reforged anew.
The thought of explanation lingers in his mind but Jihoon was still too ashamed personally even if there's nothing shameful about it.
"I see, it's always that language barrier that separated us again, isn't it? Don't worry about it since if it is something you kept dear to yourself then I won't dig any further". Karim said as he listened to Jihoon's excuse.
"Speaking of language barrier, did you know that we achieved unity because we managed to create a unified language that all the races could converse with one another with ease, right? Before Absence even existed, we had our own racial dialects that is often a bitch to translate for other races." Karim explained as he spoke of a trivia of this world's history.
Karim leaned back, his expression turning contemplative as he delved into the history behind Absence's unified language.
"You know, there was a time long before this great metropolis had even taken shape when interracial communication was an incredible challenge," he said with a shake of his head. "Back in those days, each race jealously guarded their unique linguistic traditions as both a point of cultural pride and means of maintaining societal mysteries from outside understanding."
Jihoon knows that worlds and realms don't spontaneously exist for story sake and often have its untold history behind. Some fictions often skimmed past it for wish-fulfillment sake so this is both expected and unexpected thing for him. After all, Absence is a post-scarcity society and it is certainly an enticing prospect to just ditch his original world and stay here as musical prodigy but... that's the most selfish act he would have done and no different than a frog deliberately jump back into the well.
The merchant chuckled ruefully. "Why, I've heard tales of diplomatic envoys practically tearing their hair out trying to negotiate the simplest of treatises between different realms. Every cordial overture bogged down by endless cycles of misinterpreted nuances and unintentionally provocative phrasings born from the language barriers."
Of how trading enterprises between elven foresters and dwarven metallurgists alone could descend into farcical games of linguistic charades if the proper consecrated translators weren't retained. Once of how ancient orcish warlords negotiating contracts alongside each other who insisted on bellowing every guttural syllable as if it were a challenge to mortal combat!
Despite himself, Karim chuckled at the memories. "Suffice to say, productive interracial discourse could be...challenging in the era before the Great Conclaves ushered in linguistic unification. Nothing short of a historiographical and cultural renaissance was required to develop the common vernacular we now take for granted across Absence's boundaries."
He talked about the multi-generational efforts that many linguists and philosophers working together to make the impossible dream become real. And how a lot of resistance occurred in-between before the effect of language unification showed undeniable results.
The merchant's expression turned sly as he arched an eyebrow meaningfully at Jihoon. "Of course, even to this day, certain elite institutions and aristocratic lineages still cling stubbornly to ancestral linguistic traditions, even if only for ceremonial purposes and to shroud sensitive correspondences behind archaic cipher-scripts incomprehensible to the uninitiated."
Karim leaned forward with a conspiratorial air. "Why, I'd wager even the esteemed maestros presiding over your audition last evening likely also maintain entire archival tomes of classic symphonic masterworks enshrined in their race's ancestral tongue. An unbreakable cryptolect ensuring that each note's deepest metaphysical resonances remain occluded from any but the most devoted scholars' eyes and ears, hmm?"
Honestly, the ordeal does reminds him of his world but much worse. But adversity builds character for all of these people it seems. And seeing how well-off they are then all of sacrifices and hardwork must have paid its due.
"Either way, I still have to wait for another few days for my Maestro certification and profession card to be issued. No one would ever believe that someone gone straight from an aspirant into maestro in just one single day after all." Jihoon said as he intends to calm down any excitement before any path could have been scouted and recon.
Academic ranks is divided into the following: Aspirant, Student, Assistant, Docent, Maestro, Professor, Headmaster, Luminary. Rising through these ranks took efforts and a lot of proven renown in the academic world such as scientific-application of mystic, music, arts and similar and et cetera. One could become a Docent after graduating but to become a Maestro require a lot of proven thing.
Aspirant is the starting baseline for all prospective students seeking admittance and training, essentially prospective students undergoing the admissions process, like my own audition for Lengsel's conservatory.. They must pass rigorous entrance criteria before even being allowed to enroll under accredited instructors as a proper Student in their chosen discipline.
From there, those who distinguish themselves through prodigious studies and contributions can hope to attain Assistant status - granted responsibilities as educators' aides while continuing to deepen their own expertise.
Docent signifies a scholar fully credentialed to lecture and instruct lessons of their own under their department's sanction. While still considered academic juniors, Docents oversee the educational development of subordinate assistants and students beneath them
Maestro denotes a master artisan or researcher who has expanded the boundaries of their craft through groundbreaking theory, application or creative works. They are the preeminent thought-leaders helping guide the future evolutions of their respective field.
Beyond that lies Professor and Headmaster, they who governing entire institutions and cultural ministries overseeing standardized academic disciplines across all of Absence. And at the very zenith of this path. Luminary. An immortalized visionary and trailblazer whose revelations have reshaped the very foundations of multiple scholastic and philosophical fields.
An example of Luminary can be given as the linguists who united all of this world's languages together, so that this world can develop the way it is today.
"Sweet celestials above... Considering the sheer intellectual pedigrees and artistic excellences required to attain even Assistant or Docent status, I can scarcely fathom how your debut masterwork singlehandedly vaulted you straight into the ranks of Maestro out of the blue!" Karim let out a low whistle, clearly impressed by Jihoon's feat.
"A distinction that carries more symbolic than practical meaning for me in truth. I have no intentions of lingering indefinitely amidst Absence's scholastic circles. My path ultimately lies elsewhere, building toward the greatest ensemble to be seen across all" Jihoon gave a rueful half-shrug, knowing that the end of his artistic path isn't lie here.
"Although..." Karim tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Now that I consider the implications of attaining Maestro certification, I imagine the mere conferring of such an exalted rank carries with it certain...privileges beyond academe's hallowed halls, does it not?"
Jihoon understands what Karim is speaking. Money can't buy happiness outright, but it certainly solves a lot of problem that would befall him or caused by his lack of it otherwise.
"With that pedigree officially enshrined alongside Absence's premier cultural luminaries, I wager even the grandest opera houses and institute forges would gladly fling open their doors for your artistic residencies. Why, the entire metropolis could potentially become your working canvas to channel your orchestral marvels upon!"
The merchant's eyes danced with the prospect. "Not only unparalleled creative liberty, but from what I've overheard, the upper echelons automatically receive rather...considerable quarterly endowments from certain ministries to help subsidize their scholarly and performance endeavors. All essentially granting one the freedom to sojourn wherever inspiration may strike without want of worldly encumbrances, if my understanding is correct."
Jihoon smirked unapologetically, he deserved that right after such performance. "My aims extend far beyond mere academic accreditation, as you well know. But I'll not turn my nose up at any provisions that grease the path toward of a true Expert, however obliquely."
"Well, there we have it then! While you await your fancy new parchments being scribed out, we'll simply content ourselves scouting about Lengsel's wondrous sight and plan accordingly, yes? Best not to count any drakes before they roost and all that, hmm?"
"Now if you'll excuse me, I'd best be off applying a bit of my own professional mystique to help...ease certain logistical transitions in advance, let's say. Oh, and perhaps sourcing a new set of vestments better befitting your newly-minted stature wouldn't go amiss either, I suspect?" Karim said as he rose to his feet with his customary mercantile flourish.
Though before he left, the merchant's eyes sparkled with sly cunning. "Though try to retain a shred of humility whilst surrounded by such hallowed privileges, eh? Can't have that brilliant young head of yours growing too large before you even find chances to put your newfound resources and clouts to proper use, now can we?"
And Karim left the guest house. Jihoon thought to himself of where should he find his first member of the ensemble. Someone with equal talent and passion for their music instrument like he did. Which will be insurmountably difficult to sieve through millions of life in the entirety of the metropolis of Absence.
After spending a little moment of self-pondering, Jihoon had an idea. The System registered his thought immediately opened a panel of regarded information for his convenience.
______-----{////\\\\}-----______
Exceed!
Classification: Song Magic
Rank: Intermediate
Effect (MAG 15):
-+155% to all Physical Attributes of self.
'A music piece composed of unyielding defiance. Even if one’s circumstances have fallen into misfortune and ill-fate, hope only remains if one lives with determination. To surpass the previous self of yesterday, one must overcome challenges of today and tomorrow with confidence in self.’
------_____{\\\\////}_____------
The first Song Magic that he composed for himself and for his own sake from the very far beginning when he received the power of Song Magic, other than the Forgotten Melody. Composed using only his signature instrument, the electric guitar,
He mused of how it is technically his own character theme song but now that he thought about it, is there a better measure of a musician that he is looking for is their capability to compose their own theme? Like how certain video game soundtracks have their own character themes for said defined moments for them?
Realized that it is a valid method and a perfect gauge of one's talents and emotional depth, Jihoon can't believe his own brilliance at a time. With his newfound renown as Absence's newest and fastest anointed Maestro, Jihoon could leverage the artistic privileges that entailed to stage a metropolis-wide call for such virtuosic character compositions.
Performers of all disciplines would vie for the chance to have their personal themes scrutinized by one of the capital's preeminent cultural voices now carrying Lengsel's official imprimatur.
Under the guise of scouting fresh talents for collaborative artistic initiatives, Jihoon could precisely filter for those whose personal resonances aligned with the emotional depths required of an Expert's ensemble through their thematic masterworks alone. Simultaneously cementing his reputation while identifying ideal instrumental cohorts with a single, audacious venture befitting his newly-elevated rank.
Beside, Absence is a place where the classical and futuristic converged then... this place must also have an equivalent of Internet here or metropolis-wide network at least and accessible for everyone. Getting all the samples needed will be swift and it will be up to him.
With his newfound stratagem beginning to take shape, Jihoon felt a renewed sense of vigor coursing through his harmonics. The path toward forging his ultimate ensemble had become a little bit clearer. All he need is to do, is commit himself to embrace this newfound station as his genius demanded.
"It seems that I'm going to be busy in the next few days". Jihoon said as he can already list a lot of things to do in the foreseeable future.
Within days, whispers of an unprecedented artistic phenomenon began rippling through Absence's cultural circles like a shockwave. Tales of a mysterious virtuoso who had attained Maestro rank through a single, sublime masterwork used in a recital. Which soon proliferated amongst the metropolis, each retelling more fanciful and embellished than the last as the anonymous prodigy's legend propagated.
While Jihoon's precise identity remained judiciously obfuscated by Lengsel's ordinances for the time being, his remarkable feat captured the metropolis's imagination. Respected musicians and jaded critics alike buzzed with speculation over who this enigmatic genius could be, and what unconventional forces had conspired to elevate them so meteorically.
Seizing upon the growing furor, Jihoon wasted no time in staging his first official "online concert" as a credentialed Maestro. Leveraging Absence's metropolis-wide networks, he issued an open call for all musicians of skill and passion to submit personal "character theme" compositions - singular emotional motifs intended to represent their innermost artistic essences and character.
The numbers of response was absolutely staggering, with submissions flooding in from every district and conservatory across the entire city. Jihoon had expected a reasonable sampling's worth at most from Lengsel's graduate pool - but instead found himself inundated by a monumental deluge of diverse musical statements from Absence's entire creative population.
As he cycled through each audition with critical focus, Jihoon gradually recognized the true scope of his stratagem's potential... and daunting logistical realities. While the online venue provided him unparalleled access to exponentially more prospective candidates than could ever be accommodated physically, the sheer volume of entries rapidly proved overwhelming for discerning evaluation.
There are about literal millions of songs registered for him. And he only has himself to evaluate a literal mountain ahead of him. He could just force his way through 'foolish old man moving mountain' style but that is falling to the same footfall of learning a new instrument. Time that he simply doesn't have.
With a wry smirk, Jihoon realized he may have underestimated the shockwaves created by attaining his new scholastic pedigree so abruptly. This exercise in "getting his feet wet" now seemed more akin to drowning beneath an unanticipated tsunami of artistic ambition, like scattering his sorrow to the heartless sea.
But what else can he do? After sorting his plan over, he has two options. Sort through these by himself and pass the judgment after grueling years, or... have the community rate each others' submitted themes. Which from what Jihoon knows from his experience back then in his world, it would be a massive dumpster fire that Jihoon will inevitably get caught up in it.
Somehow both encouraged and discouraged, Jihoon starts to open the first file and prepared for the longest music assessment session that this world ever seen. But before he could even play the first one, a sudden commotion outside catches his attention as the sound of it overwhelms anything in this room. Decided that he must first saw whoever it is, Jihoon left the guest house and saw the source behind.
At the center of the crowd's attention is a Harpy, with long flowing blonde hair whose color hue resembles of dark vanilla. The color of her hair also extends to the pair of wings on her back. Her eyes of emerald complement with the ornate green dress with intricate floral design that she wears, and a soft smile on her face seemed ever dreamy and serene. All as if she stepped out of an artist's dreamy portrayal.
An entire crowd of admiration hush around her, parting before with awed deference. Their expressions awash with unabashed adoration as she steps gracefully through their midst. It was abundantly clear that this winged figure commanded a level of admiration and respect from Absence's citizens.
As Jihoon watched the raptured crowd make way, he found the Harpy's emerald gaze inexplicably settling upon him. For a brief and disorienting moment, he felt pinned beneath that ethereal stare while regarding him with indecipherable intensity, as if the world around them had fallen away into an ethereal silence.
Then, with a delicate cough that somehow carried the ring of subtle command, the throngs instinctively parted further to allow her an unimpeded path toward where Jihoon stood. The enraptured onlookers seemed to shake themselves, hastily dispersing to leave Jihoon and the Harpy regard one another across the now-cleared pavilion.
"The Matriarch of The Citadel's daughter herself..."
"What business could bring one so exalted here today?"
"Perhaps word has already spread of the mysterious prodigy..."
As she drew nearer, whispers rose speculating upon her reasons for gracing this particular gathering with her celestial presence. Jihoon's racing thoughts scarcely had time to process the rising murmurs before the Harpy herself sealed the distance between them. Up close, her delicate features and ornate emerald gown seemed to shimmer with an almost otherworldly luster, perfectly complementing her beatific countenance.
Jihoon quickly realized this was no mere chance encounter. There was an unmistakable sense of purpose behind all of her actions. Behind the winged overseer's focused attention upon him specifically. While most Harpies were renowned for their musical magic with the breath of life they blow into woodwinds and angelic singing voice that makes many held their breath in listening. But she herself seems to carry an ornate violin case in her hand.
"Greetings, honored guest," she began to speak at last, her soft tones resonant yet tinged with inscrutable depths. "Forgive my unannounced intrusion, but the most intriguing tales have been filtering through the ranks regarding your...uniquely swift ascension amongst Lengsel's hallowed conservatory."
Though her words remained cordial, Alvorna's gaze intensified as she appraised Jihoon with what seemed almost a hint of personal scrutiny layered beneath her diplomatic veneer.
"The mysterious virtuoso whose sublime debut before Lengsel's examiners has quickly become the talk of all Absence's cultural circles..."
"He must be the one they call the Prodigious Maestro."
The crowd murmured at the distance, seeing the interaction between the two like an entire forbidden drama play that many would never get the chance to see again. The scenario was practically writing itself to them.
She favored him with a slight, enigmatic smile that somehow managed to be simultaneously warm yet laced with undercurrents Jihoon couldn't quite decipher exactly.
"I am Alvorna, daughter of The Citadel's esteemed Matriarch. Howsoever unlikely the tales proliferating about your sudden transcendence, I find myself...intrigued to discover the truths dwelling behind such an unprecedented phenomenon first-hand."
Alvorna's features remained serene, yet Jihoon couldn't shake the distinct impression that her motivations extended well beyond mere artistic curiosity. There was something far more personal. Perhaps even fated as underlying the Harpy's insistence upon validating his talents and renown directly.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Just as Jihoon was pondering how to respond to Alvorna's probing words, a familiar figure emerged from the dispersing crowd. The grizzled old musician Jihoon had crossed paths with aboard the RiET-949 transit express - the one who had challenged him to an impromptu musical duel which birthed that very same named composition, has also made his appearance amidst the dispersing crowd.
"Well now, if it isn't the quick-fingered maestro who matched my melodies note-for-note on that fateful train ride!" the old man exclaimed, his tone awash with theatrical flair, a far cry from his imposing appearance that was Jihoon's first impression of him. "Who could have predicted our serendipitous reunion would be overseen by none other than the esteemed Daughter of the Citadel herself?"
The old man favored Jihoon with a sly wink before turning an appraising look towards Alvorna. There was clearly a dynamic of long familiarity and mutual respect between the pair that transcended their contrasting ages. Honestly, Jihoon too thought that they might cross-path again one day but not this soon.
"My dear Alvorna, I'd wager even your mother's keen instincts detected the reverberations of a true musical phenomenon manifesting amidst these hallowed avenues," he said with an artful sweep of his hand. "Though I confess, having experienced the young maestro's talents firsthand already, I can't say I'm terribly surprised by his meteoric rise hitting wider notice so swiftly."
"Maestro Prodigy, allow me to finally make formal introductions," the old man continued with an exaggerated flourish. "While most simply call me 'Big Band' due to my comprehensive instrumental repertoire, mastery over many musical instruments, and often one-manned orchestra. But for today, you may consider me something of a sanctioned tutor to Absence's most rarefied overseers."
The Citadel's Lower Sanctum is accessible to all, but obtaining access to the higher floors require accumulative priority granted by the Matriarch herself. And the amount of non-Harpies who has access to even the highest Sanctum of The Citadel can only be counted in two hands. That being the betrothed of the Matriarch herself, Absence's highest region governors, and finally Big Band himself.
Alvorna regarded her apparent mentor with a serene nod and faint smile. "The old master's faith in your unparalleled talents is not misplaced, it would seem," she mused in that lilting, almost dreamlike cadence. "Still, I would have your prodigious gifts put to a rather...unconventional measure of assessment, if you'd indulge an admittedly unorthodox request."
With an elegant flick of her wrist, Alvorna produced a hand-calligraphed folio and proffered it to the wizened Big Band. The old man thumbed through its pages with a considering expression before eyeing Jihoon meaningfully.
"A collaborative character theme the young mistress herself has personally composed," he explained with an arched brow. "One complex enough to demand both technical precision AND emotional resonance to render its full harmonies. An...audition of sorts, you could say."
The implied challenge hung in the air like a silken gauntlet between them. Alvorna's expression remained inscrutable, yet Jihoon sensed deeper undercurrents swirling just beneath - as if something pivotal rode upon how he responded in this singular moment.
Well... he didn't have a say in the matter to deny this request that Alvorna had for him. Because someone else has spoke for him already.
______-----{////\\\\}-----______
Expression of Self
Difficulty: B
You are now at the pivotal moment that will decide the way
things will go for you in this world. Listen attentively for any detail
and capture her heart with your understanding of the song she composed.
Objective:
-Complete the music duel between you and Alvorna (Incomplete)
Reward:
-Depends on your performance and the outcome which will be rated by the mission.
------_____{\\\\////}_____------
No turning back, he draws his acoustic guitar while hiding his electric as he prepares to meet her expectation. However, the difficulty of the quest being B-ranked compare to the old man's being ranked D+ makes him uneasy about the hidden footfalls that may hidden not with her but depends on his own action. Either way, he held his head up in anticipation of the duel.
Big Band will play the background instruments while Jihoon will play his acoustic and Alvorna plays her violin. It is simple as that. Yet...
Jihoon regarded the ethereal Harpy and grizzled old mentor arrayed before him, their expectant expressions leaving little room to demur from this singular demand. Though outwardly he maintained an air of calm determination, inwardly his thoughts raced.
The System's unexpected pronouncement made it abundantly clear this was no mere artistic exercise. Alvorna's personally-composed "character theme" represented a pivotal crossroads moment imbued with consequences that could profoundly impact his journey's trajectory through this realm of Absence.
As he thumbed the taut strings of his faithful acoustic guitar, Jihoon pondered the outlined quest's deceptively simple directives overlaid with that ominous Rank B difficulty rating. Ordinarily, he would have relished such an opportunity to harmonize with another dedicated virtuoso without a second thought. Yet the System's weighted categorization hinted at deeper, unseen complexities layered within the winged songstress's commissioned melodies.
Still, he was committed now. There could be no turning away from this silken gauntlet once laid before him. Jihoon swept an assessing gaze over the dismissed crowds, now maintaining a respectful distance with rapt anticipation writ upon their features. Whatever pivotal moments awaited, he would have no choice but to face them before the eyes of all Absence's masses.
This was to be more than a basic recital or mere test of technical prowess. Alvorna's composition likely represented an encoded emotional cypher of her truest self that he must attune to on an almost innate level as if he was there when she composed it. Nuances of motivation, personality, perhaps even destiny itself woven into the rising and falling cadences awaiting his interpretation through sympathetic harmonies.
Jihoon particularly aware that this entire scenario was in fact an audition unlike any other. Not for him to prove his artistic merits overtly, but rather for HIM to discern the full breadth of HER deepest essence through the veils of symbolism and abstraction only a masterfully-rendered character theme could convey.
Drawing a fortifying breath, Jihoon conjured his signature acoustic guitar with a resolute strum. He knew relying solely upon his customary electric rhythms would only skim the musical surface thus to delve into Alvorna's deepest harmonic intentions, he'd need to shed his usual bravado completely.
No, this demanded an instrumental resonance more traditionally unvarnished and stripped back to its fundamental essence, just as he would need to lay his own innermost self bare to interpret her thematic truths in turn.
"I appreciate you indulging an admittedly unorthodox request, Maestro Jihoon," Alvorna spoke in that same measured cadence, as if echoing the very thoughts he'd just had. "For this is no mere parade of technical prodigies, but rather a rendition intended to reveal one's innermost Symphony of Self for those perspicacious enough to hear it resonate."
Her beatific features remained an impenetrable mask of serenity, yet Jihoon could have sworn he glimpsed fleeting eddies of raw yearning swirling in those fathomless green pools. As if this was far more than just another performance. More akin to an answering of some intrinsic call her avian soul could no longer deny.
There was no doubting the weight of her words now. This was to be no mere playful musical parry, but quite literally an allegorical unveiling of Alvorna's innermost Self made soulful sound. If Jihoon's intuitions rang true, then to falter here was to not only admit artistic mediocrity, but existential discordance on a fundamental level.
As Big Band made final preparations, eyes twinkling with impish delight at whatever grand performance lay in store, Jihoon forced himself to center. He could afford no distractions from wandering thoughts, no mentally getting ahead of the present crescendo. This will be the make-and-break of his career, once again.
Big Band plays the introduction of her theme as the flute kickstart with a nostalgic and tune and melody as Jihoon provides the backdrop with his acoustic. And the melody is reprised once more by Alvorna's violin with its note progression extended compare to previous.
With the introduction ended, Big Band moved to play the accordion while the piano still play the notes on its own. The chords bear a reflective emotion that simply can't be put into words. Then Alvorna reprised what Big Band played with a violin solo. And as Jihoon continues to play along with them, wondering where and what is even his role in this song. He felt like he is interfering with them than actually playing with them.
Then as his thought ponder on the melody that they just played. Jihoon immediately remembered where he first heard it. The same note progression is in the very beginning of the Memories of Absence which Jihoon could tell. But the way that Memories of Absence portray those chords were with longing and melancholy, not in celebratory that they're doing right now.
However, the moment Jihoon realized it, he can no longer unheard those melancholy in the same melody that Alvorna is playing. While everyone blissfully unaware of it as they listen to the performance, only hearing and interpreting the notes she is playing in the way they heard themselves. Not the undertone that she express.
It's as though she wove an entirely separate emotional substructure beneath the ensemble's joyful overtures. One to which he alone remained attuned while all others basked in the surface harmonies.
As his eyes met the Harpy's during a lingering violin trill, Jihoon saw her lips quirk ever so slightly, as if acknowledging his sensitivity to the underlying subtext. In that fleeting moment of shared knowing, he understood that she had identified a kindred spirit. Not simply revel in the shallow delight of a melody's obvious aesthetics, but its buried poignant nuances.
Once the introduction verse is completed, an interlude of low piano notes played by Big Band before the main . Alvorna then prepared with a slight cough which he knows that is when the song is about to have its vocalist making the stage. All while she is still playing the violin.
However, once he heard the lyric that she would sing, Jihoon realized the actual true details that determine the difficult.
An angel with a pair of dark wings
Invites you beyond the memories shrouded in darkness.
A sad future is awaiting for me, in the breach of the forgotten space-time
Jihoon heard her sung the lyric clearly to him yet the crowd goes ecstatic as they listen to her angelic voice. With a melancholic voice that supposed to make the heart wrench yet as if completely blind, they celebrated at her singing in the most tone-deaf manner possible.
"She is singing in the Harpies' ancestral language, although I can't really decipher any meaning behind, it is such a beautiful voice that I can't help but expressing my joy". One of the more well-versed expressing his compliment amidst the crowd. In which Jihoon didn't fail to catch on.
"I heard that translating from ancestral Harpy to common language is very difficult and even more so conversing directly. Glad that we're live in such unified era, isn't it".
And yet, the little goddess that blessed him with the System also given him language comprehension for him just so that he doesn't have to manually hurdle through such a problem on his own, is now translating her ancestral tongue in real-time. The fact that she deliberately wrote the lyric in ancestral Harpy means that she doesn't want its content to be understood by anyone else upon hearing but she certainly wouldn't expect him to understand either.
I ask the shooting stars under the dead night sky,
why was the tomorrow lost? Why was it destroyed?
As Big Band's percussion goes on and Alvorna continues her singing. Jihoon comes to analyze more and more of her song. This whole song structure isn't anything too special because it is composed of reprises of the introduction verse in different key changes with bridges to connect them all around. Although phrasing it like that is over-generalizing for a lot of songs too.
As Jihoon continued playing along, his mind raced to analyze the implications behind Alvorna's encoded lyrics. If this song truly represented her innermost "character theme" as proclaimed, then its melancholic undertones and shrouded verses amounted to an entire autobiography sung solely for his discerning ears alone.
He wouldn't have dwelled on the peculiarities if it was a mere artistic showcase. But the stakes established by the System's judgement made it clear that this was far more than that. Alvorna's unspoken personal truth woven into the fabric of her commissioned harmonies. A confessional inner world that the winged songstress had perhaps never dared voice aloud ever.
Under the starry sky at dusk,
let's hold hands and dance together,
let's sing and surrender our hearts.
To the song of the sad fairy
As he matched cadences with Big Band's various instrumentations, Jihoon began perceiving Alvorna's circumstances through a new perspective. One of personal yearning perpetually at odds with the serene, ethereal perfection demanded of a Harpy born to Absence's highest echelons of culture and tradition.
For all the adulation showered upon her angelic countenance from the enraptured crowds, he now glimpsed existential isolation lingering behind that porcelain facade. Alvorna likely led a life as ceremonially meticulous as the ornate compositions she was expected to render flawlessly upon command. Every nuance of her creative and personal expression scrutinized to embody the Harpy's ideals with uncompromising grace.
Yet here, through these encoded lyrical lamentations, an anguished inner voice had finally found resonance beyond that gilded cage.
He remembered the last time he acted blindly and paid the price for it. Although he was likely too late to save his old friend Jin already, but has he acted decisively and not with ineptitude then Jin's ending wouldn't have been as cruel as it is. This time, he wouldn't remain passive anymore. Then with swift motion of his body, he swapped out the battered acoustic once bequeathed by Jin with his signature instrument, the electric guitar.
He must harmonize with her instrument now, or there will be no opportunity for him to connect with her again.
From beyond the dawn star, turning
our backs on the coming oblivion,
let's open our hearts and talk
about the memories of the sad fairy.
As Jihoon continues to play backdrop with his electric guitar, grasping the melodic structure so that he can alter its trajectory path for his own sake. The lyric's mournful verse continued to reverberate as the fanciful yet somber imagery belying the unvoiced laments. As he slowly formulate his counterpoint, his voice within an already established composition, Jihoon extrapolates the entire allegory within every phrase.
Under the starry sky at dusk, let's hold hands and dance together. A simplistic desire for personal connection beyond the celestial pedestal that she was bound to. How many connections that she isn't under scrutiny of those around her? How many of it isn't to just relish the same heaven that the Harpy resides? The answer is that a lot that to speak otherwise is a rarity. And why getting close to the Harpy required immense test of character to even approach.
To the song of the sad fairy... He couldn't shake the sense that Alvorna likened her very existence to some intrinsically melancholic fable. One where beauty and grace ultimately served as isolating prisons walling her off from any prospect of relationship. And even if allowed, it would ultimately be artificially manipulated one-sidedly for her. More of someone who serves her than actually close to her.
From beyond the dawn star, turning our backs on the coming oblivion... Alvorna really viewed her preordained path as some form of inevitable surrender to the void? An oblivion of self-actualization that the "sad fairy" forever and inexorably drew nearer with each sunrise despite her attempt to fled?
Let's open our hearts and talk about the memories... A plaintive plea for someone, anyone, to finally see and acknowledge the contemplative inner depth lingering behind those emerald eyes. To embrace her not just as an untouchable icon, but a kindred simply yearning for transparency.
Slowly, he managed to find a foothold in the song amidst the ongoing symphony without causing disharmony. That alone is already a respectable feat to a lot of musicians but that isn't what matters to him right now. As his electric guitar find its way to intertwine with her violin's lingering refrain, any further denial of the pervasive dissonance surrounding them is unthinkable. The enraptured crowds whooped and cheered with jubilant energy utterly at odds with the composition's core disquietude, as if deliberately reveling in their own obliviousness.
They spoke of Alvorna in grandiose, lofty tones yet remained blind to the dolorous autobiographical truths spilling forth from her very lips. Each exultation of her "celestial gifts" and "embodiment of the artistic spirit" only further highlighting their detachment from the stark personal fragilities woven into every anguished verse and conspicuously concealed beneath aesthetics.
This entire unorthodox performance amounted to a singular soul crying out for deliverance - a desperate sender of encoded confession begging for reception upon the same existential wavelength of spiritual honesty. How a once vibrant, youthful spirit steadily dimming beneath the gilded cage until all that remains... is a 'sad fairy' singing out to uncaring emptiness.
A pretty fairy sings sadly
beyond the dark memories
In the sky of oblivion, falling stars...
Sobbing, crying out in my heart
Give me back that youthful wish,
the bright sky I believed in.
Give me back that youthful tomorrow,
that child's wings.
Jihoon couldn't help but envision a younger, undiminished Alvorna whose dreams and passions burned with the same incandescent fervor he'd once possessed. Only to then witness that achingly familiar fire dim behind a shroud of isolation and disillusionment as the years marched on without reprieve. Until all that persisted was the wearied resignation now pouring forth in soulful lamentations.
Much similar to him when his dream ended in fire as the Gates appeared. Then wastefully spend his 10 years in lament of circumstances beyond control. He was all alone trying to confront with that reality and he couldn't imagine Alvorna capable of surpassing that insurmountable challenge on her own. Trying to wrestle and reclaim her happiness that was fading with each passing second.
For one elevated to such a lofty, reverential pedestal from birth, yet even the most fundamental of mortal liberties like personal fulfillment and uncompromised expression were privileges to be enshrined rather than lived authentically. Alvorna's very birth as Absence's "celestial embodiment" represented an inherent denial of her own intrinsic identity outside that rarefied station.
Then, everything ceased as both Jihoon and Alvorna respectfully stopped playing their instrument so that Big Band's solo piano chords can be accentuated. Jihoon has been processing everything of the song she made until now and he knew that this is the moment to change the song's progression entirely. He could no longer bear silent witness while Alvorna's hope cried out so vehemently against the strictures that he too had evidently suffocated because of it for far too long already.
With a resounding strum, Jihoon's electric guitar unexpectedly swelled alongside Alvorna's lingering violin refrains. Harmonizing seamlessly yet distinctly from her melodies, his improvisational accompaniment steadily interwove affirmations of solidarity with her. No longer toiling just to aesthetically supplement and flatter as expected, he unleashed his unfiltered melodies surging in unprecedented, heartfelt counterpoint.
Where Alvorna's verses of violin melody beseeched of lost and lament, Jihoon's retort of his electric guitar echoed back in waves of reassurance. Empathic strums of guitar intertwine with her lamenting violin, all of it serves as a continuous reminder for her that no, all is not lost yet. Even if she has nothing left in her spirit, even if she can no longer believe in herself, then...
Believe in him who believes in her! Then from there, finding your own belief in yourself again.
Jihoon had gone mad briefly tried to find a solution to his state of mental being all alone. And the best answer that he could provide himself is to rebuild it from the rubbles. But Alvorna hasn't yet reached that point as her own sadness hasn't yet paralyze her ability to make change for herself. Do not tread the same mistake that he once did, Jihoon loudly screamed in his own heart toward her, but she couldn't pick up on such a subtle cue.
The enraptured crowds stilled in bewildered uncertainty as the two virtuosos' unified harmonies billowed in emotional crescendos. No longer neatly confined to archetypal melodies and structures that she set before, but unbound improvisational exchanges overflowing the once-predictable compositional boundaries completely. Alvorna finds herself deviating from the sheet as she wants to reply to Jihoon's reassurance through his melody to her but... she couldn't bear the idea as she tries to metaphorically fly away as the violin's chord that she plays ascend higher, distancing his encouragement from her.
Jihoon not giving up as he also immediately chase after her as if taking flight the same way she did as the electric guitar's gritty tone ascend in the same manner. The violin has easier transition to higher chord while the guitar required a more complex movement by comparison. It's like trying to pursue her who is flying away to heaven while he can only climb toward it with his mortal exertion.
But because both of their destination being the same, Jihoon would eventually caught up to her as there's a limit to how high her violin's chord progression can be while Jihoon can improvise his way. And as both of them reached their bridge's terminus. Alvorna comes to an acceptance that she can't run away from what she truly desired no matter how afraid she felt.
As the violin progression slowly grounded, she returned her feeling with her own heartfelt strings of violin.
Under the starry sky at dusk,
"Let's join hands and dance together. Let's sing,
entrusting our hearts to the song of the sad fairy."
From beyond the dawn star, with our backs to the coming oblivion,
let's open our hearts and talk about the memories of the sad fairy.
As Alvorna's violin soared into the reprise of the introduction verse again, Jihoon immediately sensed the understated yet momentous key change lacing each resolute note. Though subtle, that modulation spoke volumes as imbued the once-mournful introduction with newfound inflections of determined acceptance. Of not succumbing to melancholic inertia any longer now that her soulful lamentations had at last found harmonious reception and understanding.
Where before the opening strains had channeled wearied resignation at life's burdens, they now swelled with an unmistakable resilience regaining foothold. Shaking off the oppressive weights that had worn her down so mercilessly for far too long in favor of newfound reinvigoration kindled by Jihoon's relentless compassion and solidarity. The sadness still lingered, certainly, yet it no longer overwhelmed as it once had.
Jihoon lets his own melodies swell in empowering kinship alongside Alvorna's ascending strains. Two kindred artistic souls intertwining in symbiotic affirmation of their deepest truths finally being witnessed without pretense. The sad fairy and the wandering virtuoso finding inexplicable solace and belonging within one another's exultant harmonies.
With each mellifluous reprise, Jihoon sensed Alvorna's long-sequestered vulnerabilities finding steadier grounding and reinvigorated articulation. Rather than taking flight once more from confronting her pained lamentations, she seemed to embrace them fully. Yet now intertwining those fraught admissions with bolstering melodies of perseverant self-belief.
The entire song's structure has changed and Big Band didn't fail to pick up on it. He even expected something will occur once Jihoon swapped out for his electric guitar that kept playing miracle each time drawn. Yet, he didn't say anything as he allows the two of them to stay in their own little world, free from any constraint and self-doubt as they continue being their truest self.
Under the starry sky at dusk, let's join hands and dance together... No longer just a wishful thinking or doubtful abstraction, but in its place is an achievable eventuality for anyone should they extend their metaphorical hands through the faint resonance between. An entreaty for shared experience and connection. For someone to intrepidly journey alongside her into the very depths of her own cathartic remembrances without flinching.
Let's sing, entrusting our hearts to the song of the sad fairies... The invitation to completely unveil their vulnerabilities echoed louder than ever. Not just lyrics to be performed dutifully, but existential catharsis through shamelessly baring the diversity of their experiences, both joyous and agonizing alike. Still pained, still melancholic to confront, yet empowered through empathic revelry rather than solitary dismay.
From beyond the dawn star, with our backs to the coming oblivion... They would no longer merely lament life's encroaching despair helplessly. But turn as unified kinships to face it head on without faltering, drawing strength through their interwoven shared stories.
Let's open our hearts and talk about the memories of the sad fairy...
The heartfelt beckoning for spiritual communion went unanswered no longer. Jihoon had already linked into Alvorna's harmonies with every fibrous strand of his being and vowed to cease at nothing until those plaintive recollections found lasting resolution.
Jihoon glimpsed Alvorna's facade steadily giving way to a previously concealed wellspring of relieved vulnerability. Her eyes shone with unbridled emotion catalyzed by his persistence in purely witnessing her essence. In affirming every melancholic confession, tracing each lost part of herself back to its existential source, and ultimately reforging the disjointed fragments into a cohesive whole once more through the perfect spaces between their unified resonances.
Alvorna had sought a kindred spirit who could perceive her unseen emotional depths without flinching. And in turn, Jihoon had looked for a collaborator whose impassioned artistry could harmonize seamlessly alongside his own.
Both of them had something they wanted in one another but as Jihoon assesses it, he knew that he would get far more in this deal between them than she would receive. And if he were to accept this lop-sided deal, he would only just be another bastard who took advantage of another. Just like those corrupted Hunters in his world that took advantage of Jin's fractured mental state with that accursed gun.
And so as the composed piece between the two reached a lingering finale, as Big Band’s backdrop piano notes become higher until there’s nothing left to process, as Alvorna’s violin come to a halt and as Jihoon also ends his counterpoint with the last strum of the acoustic.
He wanted to announce that if the two of them were to stay connected with one another, he would not accept her devotion one-sidedly but as equal standing. Through hell or high water, he would not let her down no matter how many voices of resistance that decried that he can’t because of rules or traditions.
“Don’t tell me that the sky is the limit when there’s footprints on the moon”.
His words hung in the air, echoing across the hushed pavilion. To the enraptured crowds, it sounded like a bold, impassioned confession of love and devotion to the celestial Alvorna herself. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the onlookers as they sensed a pivotal moment unfolding before their very eyes.
Jihoon, however, paid the gossiping masses little mind. His words carried a deeper meaning for something else, a solemn vow that no limitations, whether imposed traditions or external doubts, would deter him from walking alongside Alvorna through whatever personal odysseys lay ahead. A promise to be there as a kindred spirit she had cried out for amidst the loneliest strains of her heartfelt composition.
As for Alvorna herself, the winged songstress made no move to deny or rebuff Jihoon's declaration, seemingly transfixed upon the human virtuoso's unflinching resolve. Though her expression remained outwardly serene, those fathomless emerald eyes shone with ineffable emotion. As if deeply moved that someone had finally heard her truest harmonic essence resonating beyond the icon's facade she was burdened to embody.
In that suspended, ethereal moment, the world around them fell away into insignificance. All that mattered were two artistic souls intertwined through the catalyzing medium of song that they both master. Unveiled, understood, and inextricably linked through their mutual unveiling before the other. Jihoon's bold declaration had irrevocably forged a connection, no matter how Absence's masters of tradition and ceremony may have sought to circumscribe it.
For now, at least, Alvorna seemed content to simply bask in what had transpired between them. The "sad fairy" cradled in the steadfast leaning of the "wandering virtuoso"
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Alvorna
Classification: Song Magic
Rank: Expert
Effect (MAG 15):
-+150% to all Physical Attributes of all allies in range.
-+100% to MAG to all allies within effect range
This effect can only be stacked once and is overlapped by stronger similar effect.
Required performers: Jihoon Hyunwoon (Guitar), Alvorna 'Absence' Lucifera (Violin).
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Musical Prowess: Late-Intermediate -> Early-Expert
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Jihoon looked at the received notification of the completed Song Magic as a result of the collaboration between the two. And that he has stepped into the threshold of an Expert Musician. To be honest, he expected to reach said rank at the end of his journey in this world but... guessed that confronting his state of being early did help immensely with forming connection and resonance with other musicians.
Expert Song Magic is categorized as having multiple effects active at once when cast. Or as it follows as the System categorized:
+Early-Expert: Harmonizing at least 2 instruments together, with neither overshadowing one another. Song Magic of this rank can have 2 effects layered at once without clashing.
But the most important part is...
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Quest completed!
Expression of Self
Difficulty: B
You have complete the shared performance together with Alvorna.
Depends on the final evaluation of the quest based on your action and
the subsequent result, your trajectory path in this world might be altered.
Objective:
-Complete the music duel between you and Alvorna (Completed)
Reward:
-Depends on your performance and the outcome which will be rated by the mission.
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Final Evaluation: (Calculating)
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Final Evaluation: SSS
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Jihoon looked at the evaluation result on the System notification and looked agape in his eyes at the result that he just achieved. He has simply tried his best and commit all he has into fulfilling the quest but... He simply didn't imagine that this is the final result that he gets.
If there's one thing that he knew about, is that it is possible to suffer from success itself. Given how much he managed to sway Alvorna's heart by his side and how there's no back down from the declaration he just made, all he can do... is to accept the consequence of his action.
The System's crisp text continued unfurling before Jihoon's eyes, further detailing the pivotal significance behind that coveted SSS rating.
An SSS evaluation marks an extraordinary achievement that transcends conventional metrics. By harnessing complete mastery of your musical prowess, you unveiled Alvorna's innermost symphonic essence and forged a profound personal resonance.
In doing so, you have irrevocably entwined your journeys together through an empathic bond no obstructive authority can ultimately circumvent. Alvorna's unspoken yearnings stirred by your harmonious compassion have profoundly realigned her destiny alongside yours, for better or worse.
Be warned, however - the path you have set upon by accepting her as an indivisible component of your burgeoning ensemble carries incredible challenges and adversities yet to be faced. You essentially extend an open entreaty for the celestial overseers themselves to defy immutable traditions and surrender one of their own sacrosanct emissaries to an outsider's quests, no matter how prolific your prodigious gifts are.
Convincing the Harpies' esteemed Matriarch to even consider such an unfathomable proposal will likely spark a monumental ideological upheaval throughout all Absence's highest circles. Be prepared to stand unflinchingly at the vortext of a cultural maelstrom that will invariably engulf you both in great conflicts of ideology and tribulation unlike any other seen in the entirety of Absence's history.
Yet persevere through these adversities as you have vowed, and the rewards shall be greater than anything this world could give you. For in irrevocably binding Alvorna's destiny alongside your odyssey, you stand to potentially add far more than just a skilled instrumentalist to your ensemble's ranks.
By awakening her to sojourn beyond Absence's marbled confines in pursuit of unfettered self-actualization, Alvorna may prove the living embodiment of unchained inspiration itself. A muse whose celestial melodies can elevate your every composition into masterworks, touching upon the sublime in ways yet unimagined so far together.
Whether or not you have the fortitude and unshaken spirit to navigate such a mythic, all-consuming path remains to be witnessed. But always remember - by the solemn vow spoken before all Absence this eve, you have opened the doorway to an journey possessing transformative scope beyond your wildest imagination, with Alvorna as your fated celestial consort.
His entire being resonate with the sheer gravity conveyed by the System's portentous proclamations. He had taken a pivotal step down an unprecedentedly monumental road that would likely reshape Absence's entire cultural identity before all was said and done. But when his eyes met with Alvorna's across the pavillion's silence once again, her expression radiated tranquil acceptance, he knew that whatever upheaval awaited him on the horizon, he would remain unswerving in his conviction.
"So... it seems that you performed miracle once again with guitar of yours. Congrats". Big Band said as he extends his hand for the handshake again. To make the someone already so skillful with the instruments captivated not once but twice is another feat of talent that would make so many green with envy at what Jihoon did. To him, all of this felt like natural conclusion of what he supposed to do as a musician, not some prodigy insight that so many proclaim about.
Jihoon simply accepted the handshake again but the crowd's intense look after his declaration to Alvorna felt like a lynch mob is slowly being formed in his mind. How dare he court the daughter of the Matriarch of the Citadel, that's what Jihoon thought in his mind while looking at the crowd around.
Despite the System's affirmations that he had awoken something profound within Alvorna's spirit and the soon arduous path that he had taken, he was still just a newcomer to this realm. An outsider staking the arrogance of intimately entwining his path alongside one of Absence's most hallowed figureheads, traditions and formalities be damned.
He stole a sidelong glance at Alvorna, seeking any reassurance from her serene countenance. Yet the winged songstress's expression remained unreadable, giving no hints whether she registered the rising dissonance of resentment encircling them.
Just as the uneasy atmosphere felt like it would swell into outright hysteria. He half-expected pitchforks and torches to materialize from those sidelong, increasingly suspicious glares. However, Alvorna extended her hand towards him, delicate yet reassuring in its unhesitant grasp. An imperious yet understated gesture that somehow stilled the hushed crescendo of judgment momentarily.
Her lithe fingertips intertwined with his own in a tender yet resolute grip conveying complete solidarity. An inscrutable half-smile creased Alvorna's porcelain features as she smoothly unfurled her magnificent wings in a single fluid motion.
And before he realized what happens next, the world beneath him disappeared from his sight.