Pressured

Elric leaned back in his chair, his hands hanging by his sides as he stared at his computer screen. After being 'arrested' by the police officer, he'd been driven straight back to his house and released again.

After thanking the officer he went inside immediately, sending a message to Ember that he was already back home, then heading straight for his room. He could see a few messages waiting for him when he arrived- the next two bars he'd been planning to sing for at least had the decency to let him know that they were canceling his spot.

'Damn… why did they even start attacking me now, though? If they saw that Ember was participating in the competition it could draw some attention…'

A knot started turning in Elric's stomach.

'Surely none of the agencies can disrupt the qualifiers, right? If Ember's shows get crashed by a bunch of WStar people, it could be tough even for her to make it through…'