A warm glow from the television cast shadows across the small, cozy living room where five friends sat sprawled across a mismatched assortment of chairs, cushions, and the old couch they'd salvaged from a garage sale last year. Outside, the city lights glimmered under the night sky, but all eyes in this room were fixed on the screen, captivated by the magic of the Sapphire Melody Awards.
The group, in their early twenties, called themselves EchoVerse, an amateur band that had been playing together since high school. The Sapphire Awards were like a collective dream they shared—a future they held tightly, despite the challenges that had come their way. Watching Moonlight, a rookie who had taken the music world by storm had stirred a fierce motivation in each of them tonight. Seeing him, so mysterious yet humble, win the Best New Artist and Best Music Video awards made it feel possible that they too could make their mark someday.
