Chapter 48: Rome's Eternal Empire
The Rome night thrummed with a majestic, historic intensity, the city's skyline of ancient ruins and baroque fountains glowing under a Mediterranean moon as the tour van navigated Trastevere's cobblestone alleys toward the Atlantico Live, a modern 3,000-capacity venue pulsing with Italy's indie and alternative scene. It was Saturday night, one week after the Athens fury that had propelled "Rebel's Fire" to 28 million streams and solidified Rebel Sound as a global indie deity. The Hitmaker System's interface glowed on Sam Rivers' phone, its holographic text a radiant proclamation: "Mission Progress: 100%. Objective: Ignite Rome to cement Rebel Sound's global transcendence. Target: 10.5 million streams for 'Rebel's Fire' post-performance. Reward: Empire Module (Level 22). Warning: Starlight Media's final sabotage may target imperial narrative. Counter-strategy: Debut new Rebel Sound signing and amplify fan loyalty to crush rival narratives."
Athens' Piraeus 117 Academy had been an ancient blaze—Olympus Flame's signing and "Ancient Fury" had set the Mediterranean alight, with #IndieRebels dominating global charts and burying Starlight Media's Gagarin 205 flop. Javier's legal victories had erased Eclipse Records' legacy, and Jake Harlan's Starlight Media was a fading whisper, its rumored Rome pop-up at Orion Live Club drawing negligible buzz. Lily Voss remained silent, her #StarlightReign hashtag extinct. Rebel Sound's roster—Foc Viu, Jax Windy, Rainshadow, Neon Pulse, Electric Han, Tidal Surge, Outback Static, Kiwi Ember, Llama Rebelde, Chispa Eterna, Sol Rebelde, Monsoon Riot, Desert Pulse, Fado Rebelde, Aurora Fury, Iron Spark, Bosphorus Blaze, and Olympus Flame—was driving streams, with Sony's stadium deal expanding and Sub Pop and Rough Trade pushing for global music divinities. The system's Empire Module (Level 21) had unlocked global music divinities, and a new Rome act, Colosseum Spark, was set to join Rebel Sound tonight.
Sam stepped onto the warm pavement, the Atlantico Live's sleek exterior glowing under neon and Colosseum echoes. Fans swarmed, their #IndieRebels banners in Italian and English—"Fuoco Eterno!"—waving fiercely, LED wristbands pulsing like a gladiator rave. Mia Torres, in a black tank top scrawled with "Rebel Sound," slung her guitar case over her shoulder, her grin fierce despite the humidity. "Rome's got that eternal fire, Rivers. No Jake, no Lily—just us and the empire's pulse. Let's make Rebel Sound divine."
Sam's grip tightened on his phone, the system's Security Module at maximum—encrypted backups, offline mode, secured in Tara's lockbox. "Starlight Media's desperate—Jake might try an imperial smear, compare us to fallen Caesars. We need to make Colosseum Spark's signing massive, show we're untouchable."
Mia's eyes blazed. "Announce Colosseum Spark and drop a Rome track with them. This Summers'll erupt."
The system pinged: "Empire Strategy: Announce Colosseum Spark signing and debut collaborative track onstage. Projected impact: +95% global credibility." Sam texted the #IndieRebels global chat: "Rome rebels, tonight's Rebel Sound's Imperial crown! Guard Atlantico—spot any rival moves, join our empire. #RebelRising." Replies surged: "Siamo pronti!" "Rebel Sound forever!"
Inside, the Atlantico Live was a pulsing coliseum—high ceilings, a stage rigged with Soundwave's pyrotechnics and LED screens flashing the Rebel Sound logo. Tara, Rebel Sound's operations lead, met them backstage, her tablet glowing. "Security's locked—local crew's vetted, Leo's on the board with redundancies. A Starlight Media rep was spotted at Orion Live Club, pushing a pop-up. Could be a smear or sabotage."
Sam's jaw clenched. "They're out of moves. Can we lock the stream?"
Leo, testing mics, nodded. "System's fortress-tight—closed circuit for KXLA's 230,000 projected viewers." Dani set up cameras, capturing Trastevere's chaos, while Rachel, label manager, rushed in. "Athens pushed 'Rebel's Fire' to #1 globally. Colosseum Spark is ready—mandolin-punk fusion. Announce their signing tonight, and Sony's locking arena slots in Italy."
The system chimed: "Counter-strategy: Amplify live stream to dwarf rival narratives. Suggested collab: 'Eternal Empire' with Colosseum Spark. Projected streams: +90%." Sam posted on X: "Rome! We're at Atlantico Live, building Rebel Sound's empire. Stream live with KXLA—#IndieRebels #RebelRising." The post hit 280,000 likes, fans replying: "Trastevere's yours!" "Rebel Sound rules!"
Soundcheck was electric, the system crafting "Eternal Empire," a Rebel Sound-Colosseum Spark collab blending punk fury with mandolin rhythms: We spark the empire, we break the chain. Mia's harmonies soared, Colosseum Spark's mandolin pulsing, Jax's virtual rap adding fire. The system suggested a live mix with crowd chants for viral impact.
By 9 p.m., the Atlantico Live was a furnace—3,000 fans packed in, the stream launching at 220,000 viewers. Colosseum Spark opened with a blistering set, their lead, Luca, dedicating it to "ribelli." Fan texts buzzed: "No rivals here!" "Starlight reps at Orion—ignored!"
Lights crashed down, and Sam, Mia, and Colosseum Spark stormed the stage, pyrotechnics flaring like a Roman triumph. Sam seized the mic, voice a thunderclap. "Rome! You're the eternal heart of rebellion—city of rhythm, fight, and soul. Rebel Sound welcomes Colosseum Spark to our empire. This is 'Eternal Empire'—for you!"
The crowd roared, shaking the foundations. "Rebel's Anthem" detonated, fans moshing under flashing LEDs, Mia's guitar a siren wail. The stream hit 230,000, comments wild: "Rebel Sound's global king!" "#IndieRebels forever!"
"Faded Whispers" hushed the frenzy, its ache echoing Rome's ancient nights. Sam's voice cracked, Mia's harmonies a lifeline, their eyes locked—a spark caught on camera, trending instantly. "Unsilenced" reignited the fury, ukulele to rock explosion, fans chanting "Libertà!"
Mid-set, Sam paused, the system urging: "Reinforce empire vision." He held up a fist, screens flashing the Rebel Sound logo and Colosseum Spark's gladiator-inspired art. "This is Rebel Sound—music for the free, built by you. Rivals tried to break us—Seattle, Athens, Istanbul. You stopped 'em. Now we rise with Colosseum Spark and 'Eternal Empire'!"
The crowd roared, and "Eternal Empire" debuted, pyrotechnics blazing, the system boosting the mix with mandolin-infused rhythms. Luca's vocals soared, Mia crowd-surfing, Jax's rap cutting through: Empire alive, we'll never fade. A power flicker hit—Starlight Media?—but the system's firewall held, Leo countering instantly. The stream hit 240,000, "Rebel's Fire" surging to 10.4 million streams.
"Chi-Town Chains" brought Jax's virtual face on screens, his rap a global blade. "City Lights" glowed with Rome's skyline, fans singing Concrete nights like a vow. "No Surrender" was a seismic chant, the crowd a sea of fists.
"Seven Nation Army" closed, the riff a war pulse, pyrotechnics raining gold. Encore: "Sparks in the Dark," acoustic, Sam and Mia's voices intertwining, their chemistry raw—a spark that felt like love.
Backstage, Rachel hugged them. "Starlight's pop-up flopped—no fans. 'Rebel's Fire' at 10.6 million streams. Berlin wants a show!"
Javier called, voice steady: "No rival moves—Rebel Sound's untouchable. Sony's festival deal is global."
Sam's heart raced. The system chimed: "Mission Complete: 10.5 million streams achieved. Reward: Empire Module (Level 22)." It unlocked global music apotheoses. No word from Jake—silence.
Mia grabbed his arm, eyes fierce. "Berlin next. We're gods now."
The system flashed: "Objective achieved: Rebel Sound reigns eternal. Next: Global apotheosis." As the van rolled through Rome's neon streets, Sam felt the rebellion's fire eternal. Rivals were dust, and a future—with Mia—burned brighter than the Colosseum's glow.