They exited the practice room and headed to the training center. Almost all the contestants were already there not just Team Kitty, but the other two teams as well. Several groups were scattered around some stretching, others rehearsing their lines under their breath. A wave of anticipation crackled through the room.
At the front stood Kitty Purry, striking as always in a designer fur-lined coat and oversized sunglasses, sipping oat milk coffee through a heart-shaped straw. Beside her, Anos sat with a deadpan expression, while Dexter tapped his armrest before scratching his neck.
Prince frowned when he noticed eighteen chairs behind the mentors' table.
Murmurs rippled across the room as contestants turned their attention to the chairs.
Dexter cleared his throat, and the chatter stopped instantly.
"Alright, let's start. I have another appointment after this, so let's make it quick," he said impatiently.
"Right," Kielben added, clearing his throat as he stepped forward and took the mic. "Good morning, contestants. I'm sure most of you are surprised to see us here, but this is the nature of survival shows! You must always be prepared."
"You were given less than two days to prepare, so we're not expecting perfection," Kitty chimed in. "Still, I'm seeing some promising teams... and I'm already expecting a lot." Her gaze lingered on Prince's team.
Prince felt a lump in his throat.
They were already placing his team on a pedestal.
"You might think this is just a normal evaluation," Anos said, "but it's more than that. These eighteen chairs behind us aren't just for show. They're reserved for special guests."
"Special mentors, please come in," Kielben announced.
The room seemed to hold its breath as the door opened and familiar faces stepped in.
"Holy shit," CJ blurted out. "Charlie Tooth?!"
The newcomers carried an aura that set them apart, they were undeniably celebrities.
Rocky squeezed Prince's shoulder where his hand rested, as more guests entered one by one.
Members from Juan Directions, Dream Dragons, and other original artists of the songs the contestants would perform walked in.
As Kielben's announcement settled in, the contestants' jaws practically hit the floor.
"Great. Not only do we have to impress our mentors, now we've got the original singers watching us butcher their songs."
"I hope they've forgotten their own lyrics at some point. Maybe we can bond over that."
"I forgot all the lyrics. Shit."
Kielben cleared his throat into the mic. "Let's not drag this out. Team 'How Long', please take center stage."
The team stood up, surprisingly composed.
"Alright, introduce yourselves," Anos prompted.
"Good morning, mentors!" said the leader, Mac, a gorilla. "We are FourPlay!"
"FourPlay, huh?" Charlie chuckled. "Well, since it sounds like you've embraced the spirit of my song with that catchy name, I'm curious to see what you've got."
"I wouldn't be," Anos muttered.
"Save it, my team's solid," Dexter said with a smirk.
The music started, and FourPlay snapped into performance mode. The thumping bass and smooth hip-hop beats set the tone as they launched into the lyrics.
"I'll admit, I was wrong, what else can I say, girl?"
"Can't you blame my head and not my heart?"
Kitty and Anos exchanged skeptical glances. Some members of FourPlay had reputations as the comedic relief rather than the talented ones, so expectations were already buried deep.
"I was drunk, I was gone, that don't make it right, but"
"I promise there were no feelings involved, mmh"
The opening move was slow and sensuous, surprisingly polished. As the vocals began, their delivery was unexpectedly smooth.
"She said, "Boy, tell me honestly
Was it real or just for show?", yeah"
"She said, "Save your apologies
Baby, I just gotta know"
A slight grin tugged at Dexter's lips. He glanced sideways and saw Charlie watching intently, pursing his lips at every beat drop.
There were hiccups, of course—a few missteps during the chorus, a couple of stumbles. But overall, FourPlay exceeded expectations.
"You've been actin' so shady"
"I've been feelin' it lately, baby"
As the final notes echoed through the room, the mentors began scribbling notes on their boards.
Charlie spoke first, his tone warmer than expected. "Honestly, I thought this would be a disaster after seeing your auditions, but... you guys pulled it off. Your teamwork stood out."
Anos nodded. "It wasn't flawless... but it wasn't bad. With more practice, this could be something solid."
The team exchanged triumphant smiles, visibly relieved by the positive feedback.
"Thank you, mentors," their leader said, bowing. The team followed suit and returned to their seats.
CJ clapped softly. "I didn't think they could pull that off," he whispered to Prince.
Prince nodded.
"I hope we get comments like that too," Rocky said, hopeful.
"We won't know unless we try."
Even if the mentors claimed they'd judge equally, the bias from the auditions was already obvious.
There was no doubt, they'd be held to a higher standard especially with Bryce here.
Evaluations continued, and the presence of the original singers visibly rattled the contestants.
Many teams fumbled lyrics and melodies, receiving stern but fair criticism from both the mentors and the original artists.
However, the teams performing Uptown Funk and HUMBLE received the most praise. They deserved it, their cohesion, confidence, and concept were rock solid.
Prince noticed the performance order seemed to follow the arrangement of the original artists' seats which meant their team would be performing last.
Whether it was coincidence or not, Rising Star clearly knew how to stir drama.
They were saving the "best" team for last raising the stakes even higher.
"The team performing Married to the Bag please take center stage and show us your performance."