The music began.
First came the heavy notes of the piano, weighty as a collapsing temple. The oppressive sensation of watching a boulder roll down from a mountaintop swept across the entire venue in an instant. Everyone felt as though they were struggling amid crashing waves, being struck head-on, swallowed by the surge, and sinking into the seawater. They could not help but clutch their hearts tight.
Next came the violin, like a lifeline seized in the instant of drowning. It lifted the souls that had sunk into the deep sea, making everyone gasp involuntarily. It was as if they had finally escaped the brink of death and were about to embrace the beauty of life.
But that lasted only an instant. What followed was the chant.
"FOU KI RA HYEAR PRESIA REEN (Please heed my most sincere call)... WAS ZWEIE RA NA STEL ZUIEG MANAF (I am by no means here to steal your power and life), MA ZWEIE RA IRS MANAF CHYET OZ OMNIS (The existence of life is the choice of all things)...!"
At that moment, light appeared.
Dazzling lights burst into the world of the audience alongside the sacred, solemn chant. Everyone widened their eyes and stared at the girl standing at the front of the stage. She wore a golden mask and a red cloak trimmed with gold. Her simple robe seemed to emit a faint glow beneath the spotlight.
She spread her arms and bathed in the glittering light. At the same time, the gentle chant surfaced once more.
"EN NA CYURIO RE CHYET (Even if you were not chosen by Destiny), WAS TOUWAKA GAYA PRESIA (please grant hope once more)...!"
No one spoke.
But this time, it was not because they were deliberately showing their displeasure toward the band. Instead, instinctively and subconsciously,