I shrugged with mock pride. "It's got flair. It's musical. It fits."
"Alright, Tempo," he said, smirking. "Don't get ahead of the beat."
We both laughed, and the bell rang before he could get another jab in. Students shuffled out of the classroom, buzzing with conversation. Oriol nudged my shoulder as we made our way toward the stairs.
"Next up, Guitar Practice, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Let's see if my fingers still work after two hours of theory."
"You say that like you didn't just blow everyone's mind a few minutes ago."
I didn't reply, just smiled to myself. My hands still tingled a little from the dream. From the music that had flowed through them.
Maybe they'd work even better now.
We pushed open the door to the music room. Rows of chairs circled around a central amp setup, and the scent of wood.. My fingers were already twitching with anticipation.
Oriol was already at the back, fiddling with some pedals by the amplifier. He glanced over and smirked. "Ready to put those hands to work?"
I smirked back, pulling my guitar from its stand. The wood felt warm beneath my fingertips, familiar and alive.
I settled into a chair near the amp and tuned the strings methodically, each note singing clear. The classroom and Requena's lesson still echoed in my mind: melody, emotion, context. I strummed a few chords, testing the waters. The sound was good, but something inside me urged for more.
Closing my eyes, I let the rhythm pulse through me. The sensation from the dream wasn't gone. I ran my fingers over the strings in patterns I hadn't tried before.
Oriol watched, eyebrows raised. "Hey, that's not the usual warm-up."
I shrugged, grinning. "Guess I'm improvising today."
The notes blended, first soft and tentative, then growing richer, deeper. A melody formed, weaving between hope and sorrow, tension and release. I felt my heart syncing with the rhythm, every chord a word in an unspoken story.
"Man, you're on fire," Oriol said, stepping closer, nodding in approval.
I didn't respond, words felt unnecessary. The music said everything.
For a long moment, the room was just the sound of my guitar.
When I finally stopped, I smiled.
Oriol clapped once, breaking the silence. "Okay, Tempo. That was impressive. You might actually live up to the nickname."
The door opened and Ms. Alvarez stepped in, carrying a small guitar case. She set it down with a soft thud and smiled at the class.
"Alright, everyone, today we're focusing on finger placement and tone, how the way you touch the strings can change everything about your sound."
She lifted a guitar and held it up. "See, your fingers..." Her voice trailed off and I followed the instructions.
Ms. Alvarez demonstrated, plucking a note gently with the tip of her finger, then sliding her finger slightly and plucking again, the difference clear and immediate.
"Try this," she said, walking around the room. "Experiment with using the pads of your fingers, the tips, or even the nails. Notice how each creates a different texture."
I adjusted my fingers on the strings, feeling the subtle changes in vibration and tone. The lesson was simple but it helped a lot.
...
"Nice work today, everyone. Remember, your fingers don't just play, they speak. Make sure they're saying something worth hearing."
We packed up our guitars and slung our cases over our shoulders. As we stepped out into the hallway, the midday sun filtered through the tall campus windows, and the sound of students heading to lunch echoed in the background.
Oriol stretched with a groan. "Man, my fingers hurt."
I chuckled.
Just then, Dani appeared from the other hallway, tray in hand, already munching on a sandwich. "Hey, string freaks. You coming or what?"
Oriol nodded toward the cafeteria. "Lead the way, Dani-boy."
We found our usual spot in the far corner of the cafeteria, away from the main crowd. Dani plopped down first. "So, Ren. Be honest. Did something happen to you? You played different today. Better. Like… actually good."
Oriol snorted. "So he was bad?, dude poor Ren."
I shrugged, poking at the pasta on my tray. "I dunno. Just… trying to feel the music more, I guess."
Dani narrowed her eyes. "Feel the music? You sound like Requena. Ew are you his lackey?"
"Hey, if it works…" I said with a smirk.
Oriol leaned back, arms behind his head. "Well, whatever it is, keep doing it. The way you played today? It was better, keep at it."
"Yeah," I said. "I think I will."
...
After school, I headed back to my apartment. I kicked off my shoes and dropped my backpack by the door.
No assignments. No group work. No looming deadlines. (Well Requena wanted something, but maybe on the weekend)
Weird. For once, I had time, like real time and I didn't quite know what to do with it.
I opened my PC, played a few rounds of Osu! to get my reflexes going. My fingers danced across the keys, keeping rhythm like muscle memory. I lost track of time for a while, focused, relaxed... almost bored.
Eventually, I sat back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.
The dream. The world of Fairy Tail. The music that came alive in my hands.
Could I go back?
I stood up, instinctively raising my hand like before. "Dimension?."
Nothing.
I frowned and tried again, more focused. "Summon... system interface."
Still nothing. Just silence.
I closed my eyes. Tried to remember exactly how it had felt. The pulse, the rhythm, the sense that I was being pulled somewhere deeper.
Nothing came.
I sat back down on my bed, frustrated. Had it just been a one-time thing? Some weird, vivid dream wrapped in emotion and music?
No. It felt real. I know it was real.
But now… silence.
My guitar sat in the corner, quiet and still. I glanced at it, wondering if that was the key, or if I was just grasping at strings, pun totally intended.
I sighed and flopped back onto the bed, one arm over my eyes.
Maybe it wasn't about calling it.
Maybe it had to call me.
I lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, thoughts spinning. The silence in the room felt louder than usual. My fingers tapped absently against my chest. No rhythm, just habit.
Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe I just needed rest.
My eyelids were heavier than I thought. I shifted on the bed, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
The hum of the room faded. The light behind my eyelids softened.
And just like that… I was slipping.
Into sleep...
....
A sudden shout snapped me awake.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF ME, BUT YOU ARE MY FRIEND!"
That sounded like a classic Natsu shout... but something about the voice didn't sit right.
Thick smoke billowed up around me, choking the air and blurring my vision.
"Wait… where the hell am I? This is not Fairy Tail"