Chapter 18 – The Showcase Prelims

The announcement arrived not with a bang, but with a melody.

It drifted from the central bell tower of the University of Resonance, carried by threads of magic and symphony, vibrating gently through dorm walls and into bones. Lyra felt it before she heard it — a pulsing shift in the air that made her heart flutter. Then came the voice, warm and grand, like a stage light flickering to life:

"Students of Resonance. Prepare your instruments. The Showcase Prelims begin in seven days. A performance contest for all Bands — with up to 500 Music Points on the line."

VIVA immediately flickered to life beside her with a startled chirp, eyes glowing with a soft gold. "That's… huge. Five hundred MP could rocket a band into the top tier. No wonder the school used a sonic beacon to announce it."

Lyra barely heard her. Her mind was already spinning. A chance to leap forward — to prove themselves in front of the entire student body. To perform not just in a classroom, not in a duel, but on an actual stage with eyes and ears ready to judge and — hopefully — be moved.

The rest of Soul Sync exploded into the dorm moments later, all talking over each other.

Kai threw his guitar case down. "Did you hear that? Five hundred points?"

"Only ten bands get picked!" Rin shouted, practically vibrating in place. "This is going to be so intense! So stressful! I love it!"

Yuu nodded once, the flicker of excitement visible in his eyes even through his calm expression.

VIVA zoomed to the center of the room and opened a projection in the air: a glowing leaderboard of every band in the university. Soul Sync was listed, bright and clear.

Rank: 38th.

Required rank to qualify for Showcase Prelims: Top 10.

"We're not even close," Kai muttered, arms crossed.

"Yet," Lyra said, stepping forward. She could feel her heartbeat syncing to something deeper than nerves — it was hunger. Purpose. "We're not close yet."

Rin flopped onto the couch dramatically. "We need a miracle."

"No," Lyra said, voice steadier than she expected. "We need a plan."

They gathered that night in the practice dome — the one with the shifting acoustics and floating lanterns that responded to emotional volume. It was late. Most bands were probably already hard at work.

The moment they entered, VIVA activated the space's projection function, painting a glowing map of past showcase winners and the scoring breakdowns.

"Each performance is scored on five categories," VIVA said, voice more focused than usual. "1. Technical Skill. 2. Harmony Integration. 3. Originality. 4. Emotional Impact. 5. Audience Reaction."

"Wait," Rin said, pointing. "Is that… real-time band rankings?"

"Correct. All bands can see the current top 10 and their score projections. It creates… tension."

Yuu looked up from his synth. "And motivation."

Lyra moved to the center of the dome and took a deep breath. "So we need to be unforgettable. Not perfect — just impossible to ignore."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Any idea how?"

She smiled. "We write our own story. A song that only we could perform. That only we could feel."

Rin sat up. "Like our jam session."

"Exactly," Lyra nodded. "But tighter. With purpose."

Yuu leaned forward. "I can program new ambient layers. Something dreamlike."

Kai looked at her, hesitant, but said, "I've been working on a new chord structure. Complex, but it sounds… nostalgic."

Rin tapped her sticks together. "You're all being poetic. I'm just gonna hit things dramatically and cry in rhythm."

Lyra laughed. It felt good. Freeing. Like the weight of her past — the shame, the exile, the betrayal — didn't own her anymore. She still carried it. But here, in this place, with these people… it had become music.

They practiced for hours, building the song piece by piece. Not all of it worked. Tempers frayed. VIVA occasionally buzzed in with gentle corrections. But by dawn, they had something.

It didn't have a name yet. But it had a soul.

Three days later, the Prelim Entry Hall was a buzz of movement and music. Bands filed into shimmering rooms for a first-round performance — judged digitally by the Headmistress's AI panel and one secret guest professor.

Each band had one shot. Ten minutes. No re-dos.

When Soul Sync's turn came, they entered their assigned room in silence. It wasn't like the dome. No floating lanterns. No warmth. Just black flooring, blinding white lights, and a floating stage that hummed to life as they stepped on it.

Lyra closed her eyes.

VIVA whispered in her ear, gentle: "The panel is listening. You're not alone."

She opened her eyes.

They played.

The moment the melody began, the coldness of the room cracked. Rin's drumming came in like heartbeat thunder. Yuu's synth painted starlight over silence. Kai's guitar told a story — one of pain, of fire, of almost giving up.

And Lyra… Lyra sang.

Not as a survivor. Not as a victim. But as someone reborn.

Her voice soared, dipped, and whispered through harmonies no one had taught her — only life had. The song spoke of dreams broken and remade, of trust shattered and found again. Of friendship, fear, and fragile hope.

By the end, her voice trembled. She didn't hide it.

The lights dimmed.

The stage exhaled.

They waited in silence.

Then, the display bloomed in the air.

Soul Sync — Provisional Ranking: #11.

Just one rank away from the cutoff.

They stared.

"We were so close," Rin whispered, sinking to her knees.

Kai ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't enough."

Lyra shook her head. "It will be."

As if summoned by her faith, VIVA suddenly chimed with an update alert.

"Adjusting rank: An evaluator submitted delayed bonus scoring."

They turned toward the screen.

Soul Sync — Updated Ranking: #10. Qualified.

Lyra dropped her mic.

Rin screamed.

Kai actually laughed.

Yuu blinked, stunned, then looked at Lyra. "You believed in us before the numbers did."

VIVA hummed. "And it seems someone in the shadows believes in you too."

They didn't know who had cast that final vote.

But it didn't matter.

They were in.

And the real show was just beginning.

END OF CHAPTER 18