69 Breaking Dawn

"Hoo hoo.

Hoo hoo."

The dawn blazed brightly on the edge of the sky, and simultaneously, emotions ignited within Duncan's chest.

The blood, which had not yet cooled, began to boil once more. It was as if he could see his soul blossoming with a thousand rays of light in the orange-red sky before him.

Duncan's footsteps slowly came to a halt, and he stared in awe at the scene before him, his soul once again undergoing nature's baptism.

Words had completely lost their meaning in this moment. Only melody could truly express the soul's fluctuations.

"Can anyone hear me?"

The recent performance echoed in his mind again as he contemplated it, but with a different perspective: Could anyone hear their singing?

Or, could anyone hear him?

Duncan had been entangled in work and life, like a frog in slowly warming water, with his vitality gradually ebbing away.

A cry for help had emerged from the depths of his soul, but no one, including himself, seemed to hear it—those voices.

The dreams and passions concealed deep within his soul, on the brink of vanishing, had withered away. They had desperately cried for help, but he had remained oblivious.

So, when he had heard Kings One Day at the Noon Bar, he had decided to attend the Full Moon Party, subconsciously grasping at straws. Encountering the band had triggered his alarm once more.

He had heard the band's music, just as the band had heard his cry for help.

They had heard each other's voices.

Not only that, within the entire bar, there might be more listeners who truly felt the power of the music.

In their darkest moments, they needed a little strength to find the courage to keep moving forward, even when exhausted and struggling.

They were waiting, searching, exploring, all for that ray of light, the light that would break through the darkest hour.

Just like now.

The sun was shining brightly, slightly dazzling. Duncan couldn't resist closing his eyes and feeling the warmth of the sun on his cheeks.

It was so warm that he could almost sense the refreshing breath of sunlight. His aching and tense muscles began to relax. His body felt as if it had finally been relieved of its burdens and pressures, and a faint smile crept onto his face.

Only when Duncan reopened his eyes did he notice that several people had gathered around him.

He looked around and saw ten, twenty, thirty... people scattered on the street outside the bar's exit, each of them standing still, basking in the sunlight.

It was as if everyone had been waiting for this moment.

After a long night of revelry, a draining party, and the test of the darkest hour, their physical strength and energy had been pushed to their limits.

They were all waiting for a breakthrough moment, for the sun to pierce through the darkness.

A smile graced every face.

Like Duncan, they had heard the band, and like the band, they had been heard. This was their secret.

"King for a Day."

Duncan carefully chewed on the band's name as he opened his eyes again. It seemed like he had grasped something, but upon deeper reflection, he realized he hadn't fully organized his thoughts.

Mainly because his energy and physical strength couldn't keep up; it was nearly six o'clock. After a whole night of celebration and the recent emotional outburst, Duncan felt like he could hardly keep his eyes open. How could he muster the energy to think?

Furthermore, he needed time to sort out his thoughts—about the band, about himself, about life, about family. These were not matters that could be neatly resolved in a few moments.

He needed time and space, and it was perfectly fine that he hadn't completely understood everything yet.

But Duncan wasn't worried, because he had truly connected with the band's performance and had truly heard the melody's essence.

This meant he simply needed some time to sort it all out before making a decision.

After a while, Duncan heaved a sigh of relief. He really, truly hoped to see this band in the future, not just on the live stage, but also through albums and singles. He wanted to have their music on his mobile phone.

If yesterday had merely piqued his curiosity and interest, today was different. Duncan had genuinely fallen in love with this band, especially their final song.

It showcased the band's potential from various angles, from overall quality to resonance of thoughts to composition, and more.

He loved it.

However, that wasn't the priority now. He needed to head home and rest; otherwise, he might just collapse on a bench on the street and fall asleep.

Duncan turned around and walked away, stepping into the sunlight on his way home. Behind him, the noise continued, but the entrance to the Old Blacksmith Bar grew more vibrant.

A small group of spectators had just exited the bar, and now they all stood by the exit, soaking up the sun.

They resembled the vampires from "Twilight," unafraid of the sun and instead using it to recharge their energy. This sight aroused the curiosity of others.

More spectators gradually made their way into the bar because they could sense the exhilarating atmosphere emanating from within.

It was far more energetic than what one would expect at five or six in the morning, making them excited and curious. They embarked on an exploratory journey.

As time passed, word began to spread through word of mouth:

There was a band that had ignited fervor and set the stage ablaze at five o'clock in the morning.

Their remarkable performance was top-notch, even surpassing the peak of the Full Moon Party.

The breathtaking show had drawn countless fans and once again filled the bar to capacity.

At its peak, around 5:25, the Old Blacksmith Bar had gathered nearly 600 spectators.

While it couldn't rival the previous golden hour, the incredible turnout at such a special time was astounding. People were amazed and couldn't help but become more curious.

Later, rumors circulated that this band had been recommended by the Lumineers at the last minute, causing their performance schedule to be less than favorable.

This further fueled discussions. What kind of band could garner recognition from the Lumineers Band? What was their style of performance?

Regrettably, due to the unique timing of their performance, many more potential audience members had missed it.

They could only piece together clues from rumors, which added an air of mystery to the band's legend. It became a subject of fascination and wonder.

-Kings for a Day-

This was the first time the band's name had spread among professional and experienced fans in New Orleans.