"Theo Black, are you ready to be eliminated today?"
Strangely enough, this was a phrase that kept running through his mind, as if it were very important, but he didn't really know why.
The strangest thing was that he felt something touching his face as he slept.
'What's that?' he asked himself, still groggy from sleep.
Having stayed up late the night before drinking alone at home, Theo didn't want to wake up so early.
But the strange feeling of something touching his face left him completely confused.
Slowly opening his eyes, Theo saw that a woman in her 40s or 50s was using a make-up brush on his face.
'Did I die? He asked himself shocked as he tried to get up.
"Hey hey, don't move Theo, I have to finish your makeup soon, we don't have time to do it again before you're due on stage!" The woman scolded him in a slightly irritated tone of voice.
Theo looked at the woman and blinked in confusion, not understanding what was going on.
The last thing he remembered was the bitter taste of cheap whiskey and the icy kitchen floor where he had fallen before losing consciousness.
But now he was there, sitting in front of a dressing room mirror, surrounded by warm lights and movement that didn't match the hangover he was still feeling.
'Where am I?' he thought, trying to understand what was going on.
That's when a flood of unfamiliar memories invaded his mind... as if he were remembering a lifetime of information.
In that other life, he was also Theo Black, but instead of a failed singer like in his life, in this life he was still a young aspiring singer taking part in a reality show called "Divine Idol", a program focused on finding the next generation's star.
If it was just that, he would have accepted it more naturally, but from what he was seeing in these memories of this life, artists in this world didn't just seek fame for ego and money, but for power!
The greater an artist's popularity, the greater the power they received from their fans, and this power was used to save humanity from the constant monster invasions that took place around the world.
With his eyes fixed on the mirror in front of him, Theo saw something he hadn't seen for over two decades. A young face with silky black hair cut in the Wolf Cut style falling down the sides of his face, dark eyes still full of life and hope, and clear skin with no scars or deep dark circles under his eyes...
'This is my face... but it's like I came back before everything went wrong. He thought shocked. 'Could this be the second chance I asked God for?
This thought sent waves through his heart... the despair and disappointment he had felt in the other world began to burn in his chest, giving way to hope.
Remembering how everything went wrong in his other world, how he offended the owner of the biggest talent agency in America for a woman, only for her to abandon him when she realized he was blacklisted from the industry, Theo felt a strong urge to drink again.
'If I really have a second chance, I can't waste it!' he thought resolutely, choosing to accept that this was all real, and hoping he wouldn't suddenly wake up in the poor, dingy apartment he lived in in the next world.
Before he could better understand what was happening, the make-up artist finished her work and with one last stroke of eyeliner around his eye, patted him lightly on the shoulder and spoke. "Go Theo, the stage is waiting for you, just don't ruin your makeup again."
His mind was struggling to process everything that was happening, but his chest was pounding in a way he hadn't felt for decades, his hands were sweating as if it was the first time he was going to perform for the public again, but it wasn't fear, it was anticipation.
Theo was excited to perform for an audience that didn't think he was a monster who abused women as the media made him out to be in order to burnish his image.
Here he could perform for these people without this great weight on his back, focusing only on the quality of his performance to win over the audience as he had always dreamed!
"What are you waiting for, get going!" Lucia, the make-up artist, said as she waved her hand at him with a smile on her face, snapping Theo out of his reverie.
Nodding his head at her distractedly, Theo's body automatically moved to where he had to go, as he was dazzled by the opportunity he had been given.
"Have you finally finished putting your makeup on? I thought you were going to use that excuse so you wouldn't have to sing, Theo." A mocking voice broke out.
Hearing his name said by an unfamiliar voice, Theo looked ahead and saw a blond boy dressed in a white suit with a delicate crystal sword at his waist, smiling at him mockingly.
He remembered seeing this boy's face in some of the memories of his life.
'That's a Divine Idol contestant, right? Miguel... Miguel something?' Theo asked himself mentally.
Seeing Theo silent, Miguel continued. 'What's wrong? Are you so nervous that you can't speak? It's understandable, after all, you're the only one who hasn't been through Bloom... Tsk, who was the idiot who let someone so useless sign up for the program?"
As soon as Miguel said this, the man next to him poked him hard in the shoulder and shook his head in denial, pointing to a woman in the corner of the room.
Following the man's gaze, Miguel saw the program director's assistant looking at him with a frown, which made him regret saying too much.
'Bloom...' Theo focused on that word.
From what he'd seen in his memories of that world, artists who touched the hearts of their audiences in a genuine way were able to pass through Bloom.
The Bloom was the magical awakening of an artist to an Idol, creating a Piece, which for musicians, the Piece created by the Bloom was a magical weapon based on the music and the transmitted feelings felt during the performance.
For example, a singer expressing repressed anger and frustration could manifest a Piece of a heavy, aggressive weapon, like a magic hammer that emitted destructive waves.
On the other hand, a singer who spoke of longing or lost love could summon a Piece of a delicate weapon, like a cupid's bow, which fired energy projectiles that confused enemies or calmed allies.
The shape of the Piece and its abilities varied completely from person to person, but they all had one thing in common: they were reflections of the art expressed by that Idol.
The Actors Idols Piece was a mask used to interpret and transform into characters, the Painters Idols Piece was a brush capable of summoning creatures that they painted... there were several ways to pass through the Bloom, each related to the emotion that the artist made the audience feel with their art.
And that power came from the audience itself.
When someone connected deeply with an artist's performance, tiny particles of light would start to emerge from inside their chests and fly up to the Piece. They called this light Flares... emotional fragments such as faith, empathy, admiration... all condensed into energy.
The more Flares a Piece received, the stronger it became. That's what turned ordinary singers into literal idols.
Sure, not just anyone could sing a song in the street and receive Flares from the people around them, you had to be born with the magical potential to do so, and that potential was called a Seed.
And Theo had a Seed.
That's why, despite originally not having much talent for the artistic world, he still managed to get a place on the show.
But since Theo had never sung a song that really touched the audience, he hadn't made it through Bloom yet.
Looking at Miguel talking like that, Theo felt a sense of nostalgia.
If this had happened in the other world when he was 20, the young version of him would surely have punched Miguel in the face, but with the mature mind he had, and knowing how important the place on this reality show was, Theo decided to just keep quiet and ignore it.
Miguel didn't insist either and in a few minutes the host's voice came from the stage.
"Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first elimination round of Divine Idol!" A Caucasian man with brown hair, dressed in a tailored black suit, with a big smile and a small mask necklace around his neck walked slowly to the center of the stage.
This man was Marcus Mcbride, a very popular Idol actor and presenter in the country, and the mask around his neck was his Piece.
Seeing Marcus appear on stage, hundreds of people began to clap and whistle excitedly in the audience.
Marcus wasn't just popular for the movies and shows he made, the act of saving people in battles against monsters also greatly increased his popularity. And that was the advantage of Idols who passed through Bloom, as part-time heroes, the path to fame was much easier.
The man just smiled and let the audience calm down naturally, letting them vent a little of their energy now so as not to interrupt the show when they shouldn't have.
When people had finally calmed down, Marcus continued. "I see you're as excited as I am about this, our first elimination round... on the one hand we have Miguel Burt, who had a great opening round but wasn't very successful in the last challenge, the contestant chosen as the prince charming of this, our first edition of Divine Idol, please welcome him with a round of applause!"
As soon as he said this, the audience began to applaud and Miguel plastered a huge, confident smile on his face.
The assistant director put a hand to her ear and held up a finger as she told Miguel to wait. "3, 2, 1, go."
Hearing the green light, Miguel gracefully began to walk to the stage.
Seeing him emerge, the audience became even more excited and the clapping increased.
Marcus saw this and laughed as he commented to Miguel. "It looks like the audience is very interested in your performance tonight, Miguel."
Miguel smiled even more when he heard this, and commented. "I think they know who will be responsible for bringing the best performance tonight, Marcus."
Marcus was surprised by how blunt Miguel was, but knowing that this kind of thing attracted the audience, he didn't hold back. "You're very confident, so how about you show the audience what you've prepared for them?"
Miguel nodded and prepared to sing.
The stage lights dimmed, leaving only a cannon of light pointing at Miguel, which made the blond hair and white suit he was wearing shine even brighter, as he slowly drew the thin crystal sword attached to his waist.
'If I'm not mistaken, that sword is his Piece...' Theo thought as he looked at the thin sword with interest. 'That sword looks so delicate... it's as if it could break at any moment.'
With the delicate, melancholy touch of a piano, Miguel began to sing.
🎼🎶🎤
"I used to cry alone at night...
Hiding scars from every fight...
But time has taught me how to heal...
And now I know what's fake and real..."
🎼🎶🎤
Theo, who was still backstage, waiting for his turn on stage, was surprised that Miguel's song was an original composition, and not a bad one at that.
From the looks on the faces of the people in the audience, they were enjoying what they were hearing.
🎼🎶🎤
"The storm has passed, I'm standing tall...
I've learned to rise after the fall...
This heart is mine, and it won't break...
I've found myself in my mistakes..."
🎼🎶🎤
But as Theo watched the performance and listened to the music, he realized that something was wrong.
"He didn't live it..." Theo muttered.
The song was well written, the melody was beautiful and the lyrics sounded inspiring, it was a great story of overcoming difficult times. But, despite this, Miguel was unable to convey the emotion that the composition called for. And it was easy to understand why: he had never felt anything like what he was singing.
Choosing a song goes far beyond the vocal style or the melody. The lyrics need to reflect something real, something that the singer carries inside. It's like asking a Swedish artist, who grew up in a peaceful village in the countryside, to sing with the raw pain of a rapper from the outskirts of LA. The impact would be completely different.
It's not as if it's impossible, but the delivery would be completely different.
This made him confident, until he realized something very important.
'What song am I going to sing? He asked himself in surprise.
Searching through his memories, it took Theo a few seconds to find the song that the other "he" had sent to the show's production... an authorial song, like all the others he had sung so far. But when he listened to it mentally, he couldn't hide his disgust.
'My God, it's no wonder he was about to be the first contestant eliminated from the show... this song is too generic!' he thought.
Closing his eyes for a second, he thought about the music of the two worlds and realized that he had spent his previous life surrounded by music on the level of true masterpieces that didn't exist in this world!
In a world where a singer's value is calculated by how much the song can move the audience, with such an arsenal of incredible songs, Theo was excited to imagine what he could do if he sang those songs here.
'Would it be very wrong for me to copy those songs from my other world?' He asked himself, a little uncertain about the morality of it. 'I would use the power granted by those songs to fight monsters and save people, that would be for the greater good, right?'
In an instant Theo could think of dozens of songs that were better than the one he would have to sing, even the song Miguel was singing now was much better than this one, but the question was... what could he do?
The song had already been sent to the program team, the accompanying band had already practiced and there was no way he could try to ask for something different... or could he?
'Considering that this is the best chance I have of achieving my dream, and that if I sing the song Theo chose earlier I'll definitely be eliminated, I have to do something!' Theo decided.
Around where Theo was standing there were dozens of people from the show's staff walking around, while a blonde woman with a big headset was talking into a microphone and coordinating everything, the assistant to the show's director!
"Excuse me..." Theo approached her and asked politely.
The woman was surprised and looked at him, confused.
"Right? Your time to go on stage hasn't come yet." She asked.
Smiling at her, Theo said. "Could you provide a piano for me to use in my performance?"
Among the instruments he knew how to play, piano was the best instrument to move the audience, so he decided to ask for a piano first and decide on the song he would sing afterwards.
Hearing his question, the woman frowned. "You've already sent your song to the band, changing it now will cause a lot of problems."
"Please?" Theo asked shamelessly in a humble tone. "I guarantee that the song I'm going to sing is much better than the one I sent you..."
Having been through so much in the afterlife, asking for something like this in this world would be nothing compared to that.
Listening to him, the woman showed signs of doubt.
Among the program's contestants, Theo was the only one who hadn't been through Bloom yet, and considering that the program's aim was to awaken potential young Seeds, she did consider his proposal.
Especially considering that she'd heard the song he'd sent in earlier and agreed that the quality was quite poor.
"Do you think this new song will have a better chance of getting you through Bloom than the one you originally chose? This is your last chance before you leave the program." She asked with half-closed eyes
Theo nodded quickly, even though he hadn't yet decided which song to sing.
The woman looked at him for a few seconds, trying to confirm that what he had said was true, then she put her hand to the earpiece, pressed a button and began to speak. "Get a piano for the main stage, now!"
"I hope you really are right about that." She spoke to him before leaving and continuing to coordinate the staff.
Theo nodded at her with a smile on his face and looked back at the stage, watching Miguel's performance and listening to the song he was singing, while going over the songs he knew mentally and trying to decide which one to choose.
🎼🎶🎤
"So I prayed, even when it hurt...
When every dream felt like a curse...
But now I see, the light was mine...
It just took time... it just took time..."
🎼🎶🎤
Theo crossed his arms and let out a light sigh, keeping his eyes fixed on the boy on stage.
His lyrics were beautiful.
You could tell that the song was well written and that the production had put some effort into the composition, but even so... the interpretation of the song was bothering him.
"He's singing thinking about winning the competition, rather than what the song wants to portray..." He muttered as he watched.
He understood the feeling the song was trying to convey, but Miguel wasn't bothering to convey that feeling to the audience.
It was strange to watch someone sing about internal battles but show no sign of having fought any.
For a moment, he closed his eyes. The memories came rushing back... the nights in the bar, hours sitting on the hard stools, his hands shaking after being kicked out yet again, the silence of the audience, the empty sound of the obligatory applause.
He opened his eyes.
There, in that moment, he understood what he wanted to sing.
'Even if I can sing a song by another artist from my previous world, would I really be okay singing someone else's song at my debut?' He thought confusedly. 'Even if I'm going to sing other songs in the future, I already have a song saved that I wrote myself that fits so well at this moment... I have to sing my song!'
Thinking of the song he had saved for so many years, Theo felt his heart race in anticipation, hoping that the audience's reaction would be good for his song.
As Miguel sang, small particles of light emerged from the chests of some people in the audience and flew to the thin sword in his hand, making his smile grow even wider, creating an even greater contrast with the lyrics.
Theo observed this with even more curiosity.
This concept of captivating people with music and absorbing the audience's "Flare", something like a spiritual energy from each person to become stronger, was fascinating.
'Unfortunately the old Theo never managed to get any Flare from the audience, so I'll depend on myself to know what it feels like to absorb something like that. Theo thought.
Within two minutes Miguel's presentation was over, and Marcus spoke with a smile just after the last Flare had disappeared. "All right, from the Flares you've evoked, it looks like Miguel's music was good, huh?! Let's give a round of applause to Miguel Burt, our first contestant for today's elimination round!"
With that signal, the people in the audience clapped politely. The people who were moved enough to evoke Flares clapped more intensely, but the others did it more out of politeness.
Miguel Burt smiled and bowed to the audience. "Thank you very much, everyone, I'm counting on your votes."
Then he left the stage.
"Get ready, Theo Black, it'll be your turn on stage soon." The assistant director spoke in a serious voice.
Theo nodded at her and began to mentally sing the song he had decided to use.
Miguel passed Theo as he left the stage with a mocking smile, but didn't comment this time.
Theo was dressed in a black T-shirt with a silver chain around the neck, black cargo pants with a few chains and white sneakers.
Compared to Miguel, they were both very stylish, but each in their own way.
With Miguel dressed completely in white with blond hair and Theo dressed completely in black with black hair, the two were like the extreme of each other.
"And now, the next contestant in today's elimination competition... please welcome them with a round of applause... Theo Black!" Marcus Mcbride said with a professional tone.
The name echoed through the auditorium, but unlike the way they reacted to Miguel, the response to Theo was lukewarm.
A few weak claps broke out here and there, more out of politeness than excitement. Most people just watched in silence, with neutral or disinterested expressions.
"Ah... it's that handsome guy from the boring songs..." Someone commented in a low voice, but audible to anyone nearby.
"Too bad, his style is my perfect fit..." Another girl replied with a slightly disappointed tone.
"Damn, can't we skip his songs?" A man muttered.
The presenter noticed the mood and tried to make amends. "Come on guys, Theo is one of the most striking faces of the season! Maybe he'll surprise us tonight, huh?"
But the attempt didn't work very well, the majority of the audience had already decided that Theo was a hopeless case.
Theo walked leisurely up the steps, keeping a calm expression.
As much as he knew how to fake a persona for the public, something more mainstream, popular and marketable, that was never what he wanted to be, not in this world, not in the next.
So he didn't run, he didn't force too friendly a smile, he just walked to the center of the stage with a natural smile, happy to be able to stand on a stage like this again.
The confidence he showed as he walked surprised those watching, slightly increasing interest.
In other performances he had always acted so shy and nervous that seeing this new side of him made some people pay more attention.
Even Marcus looked at Theo with interest as he asked, "Wow! Theo... finally letting go of that 'I want to leave' expression? What was the reason for this change?"
Theo looked at the presenter in surprise, having not really thought about the answer to this question, but thinking about the song he was going to sing, Theo smiled and answered confidently. "Hope."
Both the audience and Marcus were confused by this answer, but it piqued their interest. "What does that mean, Theo?"
Theo smiled and explained. "If this is my last chance... then I want it to be by shouting to myself that there is still hope."
Marcus didn't quite understand, but now even he wanted to know what Theo was going to sing. "Okay guys, with an answer like that, I hope you're as curious as I am to see Theo Black perform!"
The stage went dark for a few seconds.
Only a white light came on, illuminating the center, where a small black piano stood.
Theo stopped in front of the bench, adjusted the microphone and sat down.
The chains on his pants jingled slightly as he moved. The light hit the silver necklace, making it glow for an instant.
For a brief moment, the auditorium was completely silent.
Some people frowned. It wasn't common to see someone playing the piano in the competition, most of the contestants just sang or played the guitar.
That in itself drew a little more attention.
Theo took a deep breath, closed his eyes for two seconds... and spoke.
"For everyone who is feeling lost, feeling that they are in a desperate situation and that there is no way to continue... just like I am now in the competition..." He said the last part with a smile, making some people laugh and become even more interested in the song. "This song is for you to have... Hope."
The first notes he played were soft.
The audience still didn't react immediately, but some people, especially in the front rows, stopped fiddling with their cell phones, while others in the back tilted their heads slightly, trying to figure out what that song was.
"Is he going to sing another original song? Crap..." Someone commented disappointedly.
But the rhythm of this song seemed different from the others.
Then Theo began to sing in a slow rap tone.
[Search for "NF - HOPE (Official Instrumental)" on Youtube to hear a OST that matches this song :D]
🎼🎶🎤
"Yeah... I'm on my way, I'm comming...
Just... don't give up on me yet.
I know you've been waiting,
Praying I'd find my way back.
Hope... that's what I'm holding.
Hope, hope..."
🎼🎶🎤
Although the rhythm of the song was slow, something that wouldn't attract so much attention, the way Theo was singing those opening verses seemed different from Miguel's song.
Listening to what Theo was singing, and realizing that it sounded like something written specifically for that moment, part of the audience became slightly interested.
But suddenly, the rhythm of the song, which had been very slow, began to accelerate.
🎼🎶🎤
"Twenty years, you held me back in chains,
Said I was the weight behind your pain.
Swore you'd change, kept playing the part...
But where's the proof? Where did you start?"
🎼🎶🎤
Hearing these verses, the people in the audience started to get confused.
"What twenty years is he talking about? Is it the twenty years of life he has?" A man asked his friend in confusion.
"I don't know, it's got to be, right? He's not much older than twenty." The friend replied disinterestedly, still not seeing anything interesting in the song.
But some people were surprised by the lyrics, relating what Theo was saying to relationships they had.
And Theo continued.
🎼🎶🎤
"I'm not here to make you feel small,
But I won't keep taking the fall.
I gave you your time to shine...
Now the spotlight's finally mine."
🎼🎶🎤
When he sang this, Theo's eyes moved to the backstage, thinking of the place he was when he received Theo's memories of this world.
He didn't want to take Theo's chance from this world, but he also didn't want to give up what he had received.
And to the audience, it sounded like Theo was singing it to Miguel!
"Wow, is that a Diss song for Miguel?!" Someone asked in shock.
"Now this is getting interesting!" Another guy commented, paying more attention to the song.
🎼🎶🎤
"Don't get me wrong... your time was bright,
But now it's time to change the light.
The world needs more than what you gave,
A voice that shakes, a heart that's brave.
Like to introduce my...
🎼🎶🎤
As soon as Theo said this, he stopped looking at the piano, suddenly raising his head and shifting his focus to the audience.
🎼🎶🎤
...Hope!"
🎼🎶🎤
At this, some people felt goosebumps rise on their bodies and for Theo Black's first time on the show, small particles of Flare began to glow in the audience, indicating that a Bloom could happen soon!