When he got home, Andrew locked the silk shop and went to his room. As he climbed the stairs, Andrew had a bad feeling; something wasn't right. When he opened the door to his room, the smell of wet earth filtered through the window. Andrew was surprised to see it open and went to close it, confused. Andrew took the locator that had fallen out of his pocket and examined it.
It was difficult to know where it came from, but from his experience of being voiceless, Andrew knew that this technology was not from Maderiú or Barsical, nor was it even from the European Domain.
Andrew had no idea how the technology of the African domain worked, let alone the Asian one. So he did what anyone would do: Andrew got out of bed, sat down at his desk chair, and opened his computer.
'Thank God for the internet.'
Andrew opened his browser and, without further ado, searched for what he needed.
"Basics of African technology."
Andrew clicked on several links and quickly realized that this technology was not African, not even close. There was no resemblance.
By process of elimination, Andrew assumed it was Asian.
'Why are Asians after me?'
From Andrew's perspective, this didn't make sense. He had only recently become known for his miraculous survival on the nest mission. They shouldn't be hunting him for this.
Andrew researched Asian technology, but this time it was really difficult to obtain any information. Everything was vague and seemed restricted to this side of the world.
In the end, Andrew confirmed his suspicions. It was technology from the Asian Domain.
Accompanied by this thought, a flash of lightning made the scene dramatic.
'Since when do such improbable things happen to me?'
Andrew knew the answer. Clearly, these kinds of events began to occur from the day he awakened his new and, for now, useless powers.
Andrew thought about how this woman was hunting him. To Andrew, it didn't seem like a single person was pursuing him; it seemed more rational that it was a group.
He felt like prey marked on a map that, of course, Andrew had never seen.
Andrew looked at the shaky glass, the drops sliding down it in an almost calculated manner.
'Ah... I hate the rain.'
Andrew had unpleasant memories related to storms. Andrew sighed and opened the window. Raindrops instantly fell onto Andrew's desk, but Andrew did not react to this. Andrew looked out his window at the group of three masked people watching him with smiles on their faces.
'That mask makes me nauseous.'
"Couldn't you at least wait for me to get ready?"
Andrew sighed and ran. Andrew grabbed his cell phone and called the symphony headquarters. A secretary answered immediately.
"Good morning, what do you need?"
"Help! I need a full squad! No, two!"
Before Andrew could say anything, the call was cut off. They had prepared well. Andrew left his room and looked down the stairs, where he saw a man holding his mother by the neck with a long dagger.
"Mom!"
Andrew could still escape through his mother's bedroom window, but they were waiting for him outside.
Besides, he wasn't going to leave his mother behind.
'Now's a good time to wake up!'
Andrew said as he pressed his sternum, trying to use musical energy. Andrew turned around, trying to get out of his window, but when he turned back, there were already two masked people. One of them was tall and stocky. The other was short and agile.
"Okay, I give up. What do you want?"
The people looked at each other, and the tall one signaled to the one holding Andrew's mother. He let her go but pointed the same dagger at the back of her neck.
"Come with us," replied the short one.
'Oh no, they're going to capture me.'
Andrew's worst nightmare was about to come true: being captured. He hated being tied to something against his will. So Andrew raced his mind for a solution.
"What for?"
Andrew asked, trying to get some information. As irrational as this move seemed, Andrew prayed to the heavens that one of the hunters would spill the beans.
"The boss needs you."
Andrew opened his eyes in surprise.
'The boss, huh?'
"Okay, I'll go. Let her go."
Instantly, the man let go of his mother and approached Andrew to take him. As he did so, all the hunters ran to the window and jumped.
"Ahhh!" he screamed in fright.
The hunters began jumping between houses, then between buildings.
'Harmonics, at least.'
Andrew was sure that these movements were impossible for a Note and would be too tiring for a Chord. They must be Harmonics, musicians of the third rank.
The three hunters remained calm in the face of the lightning from the growing storm.
Wet and soaked, Andrew was not very happy with the situation. As a musician, going outside in a storm was quite a feat.
By nature, lightning is attracted to Musicians. It is believed that this occurs because the songs that musicians sing distort the electromagnetic field due to the amount of energy released in each song.
It is believed that lightning only follows energy and tries to reunite with it. Andrew looked around the city for someone to ask for help, but of course, there was no one around. No one went out in the middle of a storm, as their lethality had increased in recent years.
This group had prepared well for this.
As they jumped between buildings, lightning struck near one of the hunters, the one in front of Andrew. When it hit, Andrew could see an electromagnetic field generated around the hunter, deflecting the lightning. This electromagnetic field was so powerful that it completely destroyed the top floor of the building they were passing.
'They're crazy...'
"Did you see that, Jay? The boss's device works!"
"Yeah, but it's very destructive. The boss warned you. You should have taken that lightning strike."
"Tsk, don't be a killjoy, it worked and that's enough!"
Two of the hunters were talking about the magnetic field that the hunter behind them had generated.
"So, a device..."
Seeing this electromagnetic field, Andrew had assumed it was this person's musical ability. But apparently, that wasn't the case.
Andrew was somewhat surprised at himself. He hadn't succumbed to madness in the face of the situation. Instead, he was trying to think as rationally as possible. And that was only because of one thing.
'I'm not going to die.'
Since what had happened in the nest, Andrew had reaffirmed more than ever that he wanted to survive. He wouldn't waste his life now that he had a purpose.
"Where are you taking me?"
"I already told you."
Andrew wanted more information, but these people refused to say anything more. They were experienced.
In the distance, Andrew glimpsed the great wall of Maderiú accompanied by the enormous curve of Maderiú, and a lump formed in his throat. These people wanted to leave the city.
'Shit.'
They were going to leave the city. The hunters were taking Andrew out of Maderiú.
'Are you crazy?!'
Leaving a city was a death sentence these days; the outside world was no longer safe. Humans had long since ceased to be the dominant race. The most powerful melody creatures now ruled the world, and humans took refuge in their fortified cities.
Maderiú had one of the best defenses in the entire world. The Maderiú curve required the use of almost all the resources of the European Domain, as this area of Europe was one of the most affected. The logical thing would have been to go somewhere else, but the government wanted to demonstrate its power.
Leaving here meant certain death.
"Are you crazy?! We mustn't leave the city, we'll be without the protection of the curve!
The hunters mocked Andrew and began to whisper. Andrew was led away by the small, agile hunter who had stayed behind.
"Can't you go any faster? I can't talk to your commander."
The hunter carrying Andrew suddenly picked up the pace, causing Andrew to scream in fright. Once he was with the others, he took a few deep breaths before speaking.
"Can't we stay in the city and wait for your boss?
"Wait for the boss? Are you crazy, idiot?"
said the hunter, who apparently was named Jay.
Andrew frowned. He wasn't used to being insulted, much less forgiving those who did so. But these days, Andrew had been with such powerful people that he simply had to let it go.
'I won't forget this.'
Andrew opened his eyes in fear. Before him stood the monstrous curve of Maderiú, vibrating with pure power as it spun in the sky.
'This is crazy.'
He was seconds away from leaving Maderiú. There were no soldiers to stop anyone from leaving, as two conditions had to be met in order to leave: you had to be crazy or want to die.
The two were closely related.
"Wait, please! There must be another way!"
The hunters just laughed.
"Stop whining, kid. The boss was right in his report, you're a kid spoiled by the government."
Spoiled? That had upset Andrew. Every day for three years, he had been working hard at Nadira to support his family. But once again, he had to swallow his reproach.
Swallowing hard, Andrew saw the end of Maderiú. In the distance stretched a huge desert. Before, this used to be a beautiful, lush forest, but after the arrival of the calamity-level melody creatures to the world, all the flora and fauna had been wiped out. The calamities do not think about the damage they can cause; for them, it is normal, since they come from Nadira, a world made and born of even more powerful creatures.
'Okay, okay. I can do this. I'll escape and survive.'
Every second brought Maderiu closer to its end. Andrew swallowed hard before the three hunters leaped from the enormous wall.
"Oh God!"
Andrew screamed in fear and the hunters laughed. Just before they fell into the vast desert, three large ropes fell from the sky and the three hunters grabbed hold of them. Looking up, Andrew saw a large transport helicopter. From the cockpit, a man was leaning out, holding onto the cockpit frame as the wind whipped his face.
The man with a bushy beard smiled.
"Did it take you?"
The hunters laughed excitedly.
"Boss!"
Wow, he really cared about us.
The small, agile hunter carrying Andrew remained silent.
This was the person who had ordered Andrew's capture. Fighting against the wind, the small hunter climbed up to the helicopter last and released Andrew. The other two were already seated next to the old man. Although old, Andrew could feel the power emanating from him, his body still looking full of vitality.
Andrew took a seat in the armchairs opposite and frowned at the old man.
"Relax, kid. We won't hurt you, at least for now."
The hunters laughed, and Andrew remained impassive, or at least he tried to.
"Why did you send your lackeys after me?"
The old man rubbed his beard as he looked at Andrew, seeming somewhat pleased.
"I just wanted to be first in the race," replied the old man expectantly.
"Race? What race are you talking about?"
"Oh, it's simple. The race to capture you."
The helicopter would have been completely silent if it weren't for the helicopter blades working hard to keep them in the air.
"And why? I don't understand."
"It's simple. Since you survived that nest on the outskirts of the domain of song, it was discovered that you are the last defensive musician."
Andrew was stunned. He didn't understand anything. Defensive musician? He had never heard of such a concept.
"And what does that entail?"
"Well, it's also simple. Defensive musicians ceased to exist for a reason, you understand?"
Andrew, sensing what he was about to say, swallowed hard.
"Why?"
The old man smiled and spoke in a somber tone.
"Offensive musicians wiped them out."