Nathan's jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached. His fingers trembled over the keyboard—whether from fury or sheer awe at Amy's brilliance, he couldn't decide. Three sharp breaths later, he smashed the 'END STREAM' button with enough force to crack the screen.
But his phone froze.
Comments exploded. Animated gifts flooded in. Viewers poured into the live feed, overwhelming the system. It wasn’t just his device—the entire server buckled under the strain.
"Shut it down!" Nathan snarled, stabbing at the screen until, finally, the stream cut off.
When Victoria finished her piece, the applause was polite, expected. But when Amy played? Silence. Thick, stunned silence.
Then—one clap.
A single, sharp sound shattered the stillness.
The crowd erupted.
If decorum hadn’t held them back, they would’ve roared. Cheered. Whistled. Because Amy didn’t just perform—she conjured magic. Every note wasn’t played; it was breathed into existence, weaving colors into the air. Her movements were hypnotic—a storm given human form.
They might’ve mocked her background. Sneered at her education. But no one could deny her now.
In their world, beauty meant little.
Yet in this moment? She was radiant.
The judges, jolted back to reality, didn’t hesitate. Perfect scores, raised in unison.
"I’ve never heard anything like it."
"Victoria couldn’t touch this."
"That wasn’t just music—it was art."
One judge leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Oliver had a solo, didn’t he? But it didn’t feel disjointed. It was seamless."
"Flawless," another agreed.
Unlike the earlier performance, where Victoria dominated two-thirds of the piece, leaving only scraps for the duet.
Children weren’t expected to master their instruments. A few mistakes were forgivable.
But Amy and Oliver?
Perfection.
It wasn’t just Oliver’s skill—it was Amy’s arrangement. Her guidance. She didn’t just carry him; she elevated him, turning his solo into a moment of brilliance.
Samantha watched the crowd, serene. Unsurprised.
"That’s Celeste’s signature piece—Luna Serenade. One of the ten untouchable masterpieces at Solmaris Conservatory. Of course she outshone Victoria."