The entire bar was bathed in bright light, the illumination gradually increasing with Ronan's climb to the high notes, finally reaching its peak during the full emotional release. The whole place was flooded with light, as if caught in a meteor shower, and the trembling in my soul just wouldn't stop.
Ronan stood center stage, microphone in hand, singing his heart out. Even using every ounce of his strength, he couldn't stop the trembling. Scalding tears almost burned his tightly closed eyes, but he didn't care, simply immersing himself in the warmth on his skin.
That slightly burning temperature allowed Ronan to feel the flow of his blood and the beating of his heart, so real, blooming on stage without reservation.
He loved moments like these.
Then, the lights began to go out one by one again, the darkness receding and enveloping like a tide pulling back inwards. Whoosh! Swish! The entire bar was once again focused under a single spotlight, and the world was reduced to this one point of light, guiding the gazes of everyone in the audience.
The spotlight gently landed on Ronan's shoulders, and then he opened his eyes again.
Duncan could clearly see the tears shimmering in Ronan's eyes. There was no hiding or concealing, as he completely revealed the vulnerability and fear within him. At that moment, Duncan truly understood the deeper meaning in his gaze and grasped the band's persistence—
They should give up. All the signs of life were telling them that giving up was the wise choice. In the fiercely competitive music world, there was no place for them. They had persevered long enough, and now it was time to quit, turn away from the stage, and return to peace.
But they still couldn't give up.
This was their dream, this was their persistence... even, this was their obsession, an obsession deeply imprinted in their genes.
"It isn't in my blood, who will save me?"
Ronan sang quietly, the vulnerability hidden in his voice trembling slightly. The tenderness after the full outburst and letting down his guard reappeared, but the determination and certainty in his eyes told another story. The singing was released again, light and airy, "Born this way, refusing to give up."
A high note, a vocal run, a casually skillful interpretation, yet it completely presented the rawness in the lyrics, gently tugging at the heartbeats again. The emotions subsided, drawing a perfect close to the entire performance. Chills ran from the soles of my feet up my spine to the top of my head, one after another, unstoppable. The only thought in my mind was to fall to my knees and simply surrender.
Duncan's mind was a bit unclear, like the feeling after a high fever for several days—his whole body burning, his head heavy, his steps unsteady in a half-dreaming state. The skin his fingertips touched was all burning hot, tears blurred his vision, and the world faded into a void.
His head was fuzzy, his vision was blurry, his senses were vague. He felt like the world had entered a chaotic realm between dreams and reality, and he could no longer distinguish the truth, just like the protagonist lost in "Inception."
However, Duncan still couldn't look away, just staring blankly and dazedly at the stage, watching the spotlight disappear, and then the darkness swallowed the figures of all the band members. His thoughts remained on the stage, unable to pull away for a long time.
It was as if... a part of his soul had been left there, in that kingdom belonging to One Day King.
Duncan didn't even know how he left.
He couldn't remember how the band's performance ended, couldn't remember how the next performance began, and couldn't remember when he turned and left. His steps were uneven, like walking on clouds, as he swayed and stumbled like a wandering spirit, groping his way forward.
Groping in the darkness, walking alone in a daze, unable to find a trace of light, he often just stayed in a hazy area. But the layering melodies and rhythms constantly echoed in his mind, quietly guiding his steps forward.
And then... whoosh!
Pushing open the door, he went from indoors to outdoors. The crisp air of dawn instantly surged in from all directions. His skin tightened, his temperature dropped, and goosebumps popped out again. His entire brain cleared in an instant, his focus and vision re-converging. Then he could see all the streetlights in front of him go out, one after another, like a magic story in "Harry Potter," and the world fell back into darkness.
However, the darkness wasn't pure black, but a peacock blue with a misty, watery feel, fresh and bright with a hint of bewitching color, making people involuntarily hold their breath, widen their eyes, and carefully capture the beautiful scene before them. Time seemed to have gotten stuck.
Whoosh!
A sliver of light tore through the night sky at the distant horizon. Orange-red light pierced through the layers of darkness, and then bright red spread out, gradually transitioning from red to orange, then slowly to pink, and finally evolving into light blue. Vivid and bright colors were painted freely, filling every corner of the world. The entire sky was like a crystal-clear jelly, and all the scenery became hazy.
The darkest hour was over.
Dawn had arrived.
The boundary between day and night, after a brief blur, became clear again. Moving from night to day, the world in his eyes transformed into a completely new appearance.
It wasn't until this moment that Duncan truly understood the meaning of "dawn" and the magnificence of "dawn." Only by witnessing it with your own eyes could you understand its splendor, and only by experiencing it firsthand could you understand the ups and downs of the process. The breathtaking brilliance ended the boundless darkness, and the earth-shattering scene was enough to cut off breath and heartbeat, making the brain completely lose its ability to think, leaving only humble and pious exclamations.
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When he entered the bar, the world was still a chaos; when he left the bar, the light of dawn had finally arrived.
It felt like a lifetime had passed.
Especially after just experiencing a soul-stirring stage performance, the wonders of nature became even more awe-inspiring.
The song "In My Blood" led them from darkness to light. Just as Ronan said, they walked hand in hand, fought side by side, waiting for the arrival of dawn, turning away from the chaos and unease of the darkest hour, because in their blood, the factor of giving up simply didn't exist.
Born this way, refusing to give up.
From stage to reality, from the spiritual world to real life, from the imagery of the melody to the natural scenery, the seamless connection between the two produced a double shock on both a physical and spiritual level. Then, he couldn't help but hold his breath, not even realizing the action of holding his breath and staring intently, only feeling the burning sensation in his chest after the lack of oxygen in his lungs spread.