The world beyond the crimson door was a dream painted in melody.
The moment Lyra stepped through it, gravity softened. Her feet no longer treaded on solid ground, but on a path of glittering glass that floated above an endless, swirling sea of soundwaves—literal soundwaves, soft pink and blue pulses that shimmered with every footstep she took. The air was different here, heavier with magic, sweeter with harmony. It smelled faintly of cherry blossoms and warm vinyl.
Above her, stages floated like islands in the sky—some made of crystal, others of ivy-covered wood, some surrounded by swirling ribbons of light that looked like aurorae dancing to music only they could hear. Suspended bridges connected towers with organ pipes for spires. Birds with feathered instruments for tails chirped chords instead of calls. Somewhere in the distance, a grand piano the size of a stadium hovered in midair, playing itself gently.
Lyra clutched her arms around herself. She was still barefoot, still trembling, still echoing from the song she'd just bared on the stage of truth.
She wasn't sure what she expected beyond that surreal prologue. Death? Judgment? Oblivion?
But instead…
A tall woman stood at the edge of the path, smiling.
She looked like no headmistress Lyra had ever seen. Clad in a long coat of navy velvet stitched with flowing musical notes in gold thread, her eyes were covered by an iridescent visor that glowed faintly with shifting sheet music. Her hair was silver, long and loosely braided, and in her hand she carried a conductor's baton that gleamed like a moonbeam.
"You sang your truth," the woman said with a gentle, melodic voice that seemed to echo slightly, like the acoustics of a perfect concert hall. "The University of Resonance welcomes you, Lyra Halden."
"Is this… real?" Lyra's voice was hoarse.
The woman extended her hand. "It is now."
Lyra took it.
Warmth rushed through her.
The floating path pulsed once, like a heartbeat, and then carried them forward as if moved by unseen wind. Below them, bands practiced on floating stages—some wild and roaring with electric solos, others gentle and jazz-laced, some with singers harmonizing in alien languages, watched by sentient light orbs hovering like fans.
"This is Harmonia," the woman explained. "But it is better known as the University of Resonance. A nexus of creativity, music, and soul. It is not bound to one world. It connects them all."
Lyra blinked, stunned. "All?"
"You passed the first threshold. You were chosen. Not many arrive here, Lyra. Fewer still survive the first song."
The words both humbled and unsettled her.
"Why me?"
The woman's smile softened. "Because you were honest. That is rare enough to be sacred."
They arrived at a domed structure floating above a field of glowing lilies. The dome was made of mirrored panels shaped like notes. At its center, a circular platform stood—an admissions plaza of sorts. A massive golden treble clef hovered above it.
Several other figures stood around—some chatting, some testing instruments. One girl had floating drumsticks that followed her like ducklings. Another boy's voice boomed in layers, even when he spoke quietly.
The headmistress motioned Lyra to a platform with a circular seal on the floor.
She stepped onto it.
Golden light spun around her, reading something unseen.
A holographic interface appeared, translucent and shifting like mist.
Name: Lyra HaldenOrigin World: Terran-09 / EarthInnate System: VIVAPrimary Soul Affinity: VocalistEmotional Harmony Score: 81/100Accepted Band Status: IncompleteMusic Points: 0/5000
Lyra stared at it.
"Music Points?" she asked.
The headmistress nodded. "The currency of growth here. You earn them from performances, exercises, soul challenges, and most importantly—approval from the Faculty. Each teacher may award you up to 100 points per session. Once you reach 5,000, you may perform a Resonant Concert—an interdimensional broadcast that echoes through the multiverse. If 80 or more witnesses across the worlds register a Harmony Sync with your performance…"
She paused, letting it settle.
"…then a gate opens to your origin world. And a contract is formed."
Lyra's breath hitched. "A contract?"
"With a company, a stage, or a destiny. Each concert is watched by observers from hundreds of realities. Success means opportunity. Fame. Legacy. You return to your world not as an outcast—but as a star reborn."
Lyra's heart fluttered. Her hands trembled.
"I can go back…?"
"If you choose to. But not alone."
The woman's baton glowed, and a ripple extended from the platform across the floating campus.
"In this university, all students must form a Band. Once formed, it cannot be changed. You will learn together, perform together, fight and rise together. They will become your family. Your strength."
A warmth stirred in Lyra's mind.
VIVA whispered to her privately."I am already analyzing nearby compatible musical signatures. When ready, I will suggest potential candidates to form your Band."
"Bandmates," Lyra murmured. "Family."
She had no one now. No parents, no friends. Just VIVA.
Could she really start over?
Would anyone even want to play with someone like her?
As if reading her doubt, the headmistress leaned down gently.
"Pain writes the best lyrics, Lyra. And loneliness creates the most honest harmony. But here… you won't be alone for long."
A bell sounded in the distance—a chime that resonated not through the air, but directly through the heart.
Classes were beginning.
The world was tuning itself.
Lyra stood at the edge of her new life, as the floating stages turned toward the stars.
And somewhere deep within her chest… a melody stirred.
END OF CHAPTER 2