Avenlith – Riverfront Villas
They’d bought up five of the best luxury villas in the district.
The layout was secluded, the security tight. The perfect hideout.
“Boss! Boss! The medicine’s here!” Sam came barreling down the stairs with a first-aid box in his arms.
He opened it dramatically and passed a fresh roll of gauze to Briella.
She took it in silence.
“…Boss? Aren’t you going to dress the wound?”
Briella sighed. “Can you all stop staring at me like that?”
She was surrounded—six of them on the sofa, five more squatting on the floor.
Eleven teenage boys, all over six feet, unmoving, wide-eyed, focused only on her.
Flint cleared his throat twice.
Immediately, they all scrambled—some scratched their heads, some stared at the ceiling, others suddenly became very interested in the floorb
Zedd’s face darkened. The Elders looked grim.Then it hit him—a flash of clarity.No wonder that piece sounded so familiar!The music ended abruptly—sharp and final.The stunned silence that followed was louder than any applause.People were too shocked to even move.Finally, someone whispered, “That… that was Luna’s level of mastery. It flowed so naturally—like it was hers from the start.”“But wait… something’s different. She changed it, didn’t she?”“OH MY GOD! That was breathtaking!”“Was that really the original version of Darkness? It didn’t sound quite the same…”“No—it’s better! Luna tweaked Paige’s piece and elevated it. The emotion was on another level! It almost felt like… Darkness was just a derivative work of this!”
Briella glanced at the elders and Zedd, a little helpless, and let out a soft laugh.“If everyone doesn’t quiet down, I won’t be able to say anything.”Instantly—at the very moment her voice faded—the crowd fell into dead silence. Not a single sound remained.Briella: “…”“Alright, everyone please be seated. I’m here today as one of the judges.”She raised the mic again, tone calm.“Let’s all stay quiet for ten minutes and wait for the results.”Everyone stared at her, reluctant to look away, as if hoping she’d say just one more word.Briella stepped down, and the five elders led her to the VIP seat at the very center.The cameras automatically kept their distance. No one dared get too close while the top brass were discussing results.Briella frowned slightly. “Isn’t this Chairman Blake’s seat? I can
Ria lifted her head slightly, her voice calm and clear: “Drum kit. My piece is called Destruction and Rebirth.”The host froze for a second. No one had ever chosen drums in this competition.The crowd murmured in confusion.But the host quickly composed himself and gave the stage over.Wearing her signature black veil, Ria exuded a quiet mystery.And then—she exploded into rhythm.Her drumming was sharp, intense, and unpredictable. Her hands moved like lightning, testing the limits of reflex and rhythm. The stage came alive. The crowd lit up.Then suddenly, a shift.The pounding beat turned sparse, cold, eerie.Like a storm on the horizon—an omen of disaster. The rhythm descended into chaos, echoing destruction.Every beat felt like the death knell of the world.Then—silence.Half a minute passed.Ria gently tapped out a soft, slow rhythm.I
Briella asked Ashley to hand the phone to Red Rose.Ashley turned her face away in disdain.Red Rose raised a brow. Was the little girl angry?She took the phone. “Hello? Boss?”“Don’t bully Ashley. She’s young and innocent. Do it again, and I’ll drag you back to train with me.”Red Rose instantly deflated.“Okay, okay, Boss! My bad, all my fault! I swear it won’t happen again!”Only after Red Rose promised repeatedly did Briella hang up the phone, clearly satisfied.Red Rose handed the phone back to Ashley. After a moment of hesitation, she added sincerely, “Don’t be mad. How about I hack into Demerra-Solandra security network and let you play around?”Ashley: “…”“Is there something wrong with your brain? I study medicine—I can check you out.”“…”…Bri
VIP central section.The Head Elder turned to Zedd. “Where’s Luna?”The other four Elders craned their necks as well, equally eager.“She said she’ll show up when the time is right,” Zedd replied helplessly.The Head Elder glanced at the buzzing venue, thoughtful. “She suddenly registered a X account… Honestly, it might be a good thing she’s not here just yet. If she walked in now, we’d lose all control of the crowd.”“I forgot to ask her about that,” Zedd admitted sheepishly. “My hands were shaking too much from excitement when I helped her register—I couldn’t think straight.”The Elders: “…”The host from Solandra’s Central TV personally took the stage to announce the start of the final.“This round follows rules personally set by Luna herself. Only two words were revealed befo
An hour later.Briella had freshened up and grabbed a light bite to eat.She returned to the conference room from the inner quarters, only to find Zedd there alone.She sat down, lifting her chin slightly. “Say what you came to say.”“Teacher!” Zedd had taken off his coat at some point, and from a corner of the room, pulled out a branch of thorns.He tied it across his back and dropped to one knee.Briella blinked, caught off guard. Then her eyes narrowed. “You’re… making a formal apology?”“Yes! I’ve been thinking these past few days. You weren’t just angry because Chairman Blake and I didn’t tell you the truth—you were furious because we didn’t value our own lives!”Zedd sat up straight, voice firm and passionate.Briella remained seated on the couch. “Stand up.”“Teacher?” he asked, visibly nervous