The curtain drew back, and all the lights came on at once.
With a bang, dazzling light flooded the entire stage.
A young girl appeared onstage, dressed in an eccentric, almost punk style.
She wore a short black dress, black stockings, and tall boots, with a black violin in hand.
The girl onstage was no longer a maiden, but a woman with a mature allure.
A piercing high note tore through everyone's ears. The girl's violin rang out, seizing the attention of everyone present.
The violin thundered, followed by nearly ten seconds of silence. In that moment, silence spoke louder than sound.
When the piece truly began, the violin alternated between soaring, anguished cries and hushed whispers.
It was an eccentric style, rich in emotion, brimming with technique, and utterly original.
When the piece ended, silence fell over the entire audience.
After a long pause, applause broke out and continued without end.
Everyone present admired her ability to draw such an extraordinary performance from a violin.
Shana bowed and slowly left the stage. The announcer's voice rang out over the speakers. "Our next performer is Richie Forger from Class Three, first year."
Richie wasn't nervous before going onstage. He told himself that he only needed to perform as he normally would.
Many people in the audience didn't know who Richie was.
Some had already decided, before he even stepped onstage, that Richie could never beat the previous two performers.
After all, both of their performances had been truly breathtaking.
Following a brief period of preparation, the piano was brought back onto the stage.
Richie sat on the bench, his feet swinging in the air.
The two teachers who had supervised Richie's composition sat in the audience. "You've lost the piece you just composed. Let's see how you perform now!"
Old