A/N: Early chapter because I got lucky ;) iykyk
"Alright, lighting directors!" Percival's voice boomed through the massive stadium speakers, radiating pure, infectious hype. "Spin that light and choose the lucky one!"
Above the stage, the colossal rigging shifted. A massive, blinding white spotlight shot out, rapidly sweeping across the roaring ocean of half a million fans. It danced over the ground floor, jumped to the VIP platforms, and finally darted up into the towering grandstands.
It snapped to a hard stop on the second-floor seating of the stadium's west side.
"Camera, zoom in!" Percival commanded, pointing toward the lit section.
The massive holographic screens flanking the stage instantly shifted to display the chosen fans. It was a young family. A husband and wife were holding a tiny baby, who was adorably strapped into heavy-duty, noise-canceling earmuffs and protective tinted goggles. The entire family was absolutely decked out in official Composer Percival merchandise.
Since they were seated incredibly high up in the stands, Percival turned his attention directly to the massive holo-screen.
"Hello up there!" Percival called out warmly.
It took several seconds for a breathless stagehand to sprint up the tiered stairs and hand the couple a wireless microphone. Seeing the hustle, Percival chuckled.
"Give a massive hand to my floor staff, everyone! They are running absolute marathons tonight," Percival said.
The arena erupted into polite, appreciative applause. While thousands of fans were privately disappointed that the spotlight hadn't landed on them, the collective excitement of witnessing another spontaneous, viral masterpiece completely overrode their envy. They couldn't wait to hear what he would create.
On the screen, the mother nervously took the microphone, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Oh my stars... hii!"
"Hello to you too!" Percival smiled beneath his mask. "And who is that little one?"
The father, holding the securely swaddled baby, gently took the infant's tiny hand and made it wave at the camera.
The entire stadium instantly melted, letting out a deafening, unified "Aawwwwww."
"We actually have to thank you, by the way," the mother said, her voice shaking slightly with excitement.
Percival tilted his head. "Oh? Did I do something?"
The mother looked over at her husband, sharing a deeply affectionate smile before looking back at the camera. "Well, we actually met because we were both active members in your very first fan club on the local net."
Percival actually gasped, genuinely taken aback. "Oh my... wow. That is incredibly cool. I'm honored! I'm so sorry, what are your names?"
"I'm Lina," she said, before shifting the microphone toward her husband.
"I'm Reil," the young father said with a polite nod.
Then, looking down at the baby in his arms, they spoke in perfect unison: "And this is Percy."
As if on cue, little Percy reached out with his tiny, chubby hands, grabbed the edge of the microphone, and tried to aggressively chomp down on it.
It was an absolute cuteness overload. The half a million fans in the Proxima Grand Arena let out a massive, adoring cheer.
Unfortunately, the sudden wall of overwhelming noise startled the infant. Even with the heavy noise-canceling earmuffs, the physical vibration of the stadium was enough to scare him. Percy's little face scrunched up, and he immediately began to cry.
"Aww, sorry, Percy! Sorry!" Percival quickly apologized, raising his hands.
Reil gently passed the crying infant over to Lina. As she cradled him to her chest and swayed back and forth, the baby slowly began to calm down. With his hands free, Reil took the microphone.
"Thank you for the honor, Composer," Reil said, his voice deep and steady.
"The honor is mine, Reil," Percival replied, leaning forward on the edge of the stage. "Now, is there anything you want to say to him? It's going to be broadcast and immortalized forever on the galactic net, so be careful with your words!"
The audience let out a lighthearted laugh.
Reil looked down at the camera, then down at his son. He gently reached out, wrapping his large, calloused finger around Percy's tiny hand.
"I'm an active duty soldier for the Accord," Reil began, his tone losing its nervous edge and settling into something profoundly grounded. "So... I don't really know how to express my feelings very well. I've been working on it, though. Haha."
A soft, understanding smile etched itself onto the faces of nearly every audience member.
"I don't know if I'm going to be there for Percy forever," Reil continued, the heavy, unspoken reality of his dangerous profession hanging in the air. "So, since this is going to be forever on the net, I'm just going to tell you... I will keep you safe. No matter what happens. You'll achieve great things, little man. That much I know."
Reil smiled, a quiet, fierce pride shining in his eyes.
A heavy, emotional silence swept through the arena.
Percival let out a soft breath, his eyes completely softening behind his silver mask. "That's incredibly sweet, Reil. I don't think I can possibly craft a better message than a father's pure love..."
Percival stood up from the edge of the stage, cracking his knuckles as he walked back toward the instrument stands.
"...But I would certainly like to try."
The audience erupted into a massive, foundational cheer, utterly desperate to hear what the Maestro would pull from the ether for the soldier and his son.
This time, however, he walked away from the center stage and approached the edge of the sprawling orchestra pit. He leaned over the railing, gesturing for the conductor and the percussion section to lean in close.
Because he had stepped away from the main monitors, the stadium speakers only caught faint, muffled snippets of his off-mic directions.
"...try a muted downbeat..." Percival murmured, waving his hand in a slow, rhythmic motion. "No, no... yes, right there. Yeah, loop that. Just a bit more resonance on the low end, please."
The half a million fans in the arena grew incredibly restless, leaning forward as they strained to hear the creative process. Faint, experimental sounds began to echo from the pit. The soft, sandy rustle of shakers. The low, resonant thrum of deep floor toms being gently tapped with felt mallets. The maestro was literally building the foundation of a song in real-time.
While the crowd waited in breathless anticipation, the atmosphere high above the stage in the VVIP floating platforms was vastly different.
Inside the luxurious, glass-bottomed suite reserved for Round Table Studio, the entire executive team had completely abandoned their high-society facade. Logan had been absolutely right. Every single one of them had secretly worn comfortable clothes underneath their stiff suits.
Logan was lounging on the velvet sofa in his denim jacket. Dalle was proudly wearing his Percival merchandise shirt. Even Liseli had stripped off her formal wear to reveal a massive, incredibly fluffy oversized sweater.
"That was fun," Logan sighed happily, tossing a complimentary grape into the air and catching it in his mouth.
Bem nodded, adjusting his glasses as he looked down at the stage. "I always loved 'Thinking Out Loud' when he released it, but seeing it performed live with a full orchestra is somehow completely different. It is significantly better."
"Right?" Ross Dalle agreed, his deep voice rumbling with satisfaction. "I always tell you guys, music just sounds fundamentally better when it breathes live."
Standing near the reinforced glass viewport, Kasavin had his arms crossed. His sharp, analytical eyes were locked intensely onto the masked figure down below.
"Say..." Kasavin muttered slowly, his brow furrowing. "Do you guys think Composer Percival looks... familiar?"
Liseli rolled her eyes from the sofa. "Well, obviously, Kas. He is the most famous musician in the galaxy right now. We see his mask on literal billboards every single day."
"No, not that," Kasavin insisted, leaning closer to the glass. "I mean his physical posture. The way he paces around the stage. It reminds me of–"
Kasavin's terrifyingly accurate deduction was instantly cut off. The stadium lights dimmed to a soft, warm gold, and Percival stepped back up to the main microphone stand.
[Phil Collins – You'll Be In My Heart]
A very gentle, isolated bassline began to play.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
It was slow, deep, and steady. It sounded exactly like a heartbeat.
Percival leaned into the microphone. When he sang, his voice was a pure, tender lullaby.
"Come stop your crying...It will be alright..."
The opening lyric instantly brought the massive crowd back to the moment of acute distress just minutes prior, directly addressing little Percy's sudden tears. Down on the holographic screen, the baby was now resting peacefully against his mother's chest.
"Just take my hand...Hold it tight..."
The melody swelled gently, perfectly capturing that incredibly grounding, fundamental gesture of safety; the image of the tiny infant wrapping his whole hand around his father's calloused finger.
"I will protect you...From all around you..."
It was the ultimate vow of parenthood. It was the sound of a father deliberately placing himself as an absolute, impenetrable shield between his child and a vast, dangerous galaxy.
"I will be here...Don't you cry..."
It was Reil's exact message, flawlessly translated into a musical frequency.
Slowly, the rest of the orchestra began to pick up the pace. Warm acoustic guitars, soft piano chords, and soaring strings gradually joined the heartbeat bassline, widening the scope of the song.
"For one so small...You seem so strong..."
The lyrics shifted, carrying a profound layer of respect. It was Reil recognizing his son's innate resilience, delivered with the exact same quiet reverence a seasoned military commander might use when honoring a brave, tiny soldier.
"My arms will hold you...Keep you safe and warm..."
Percival's voice grew richer, filling the cavernous space of the Proxima Grand Arena with an overwhelming, protective warmth.
"This bond between us...Can't be broken..."
With those two lines, Percival elevated the relationship. It was an eternal, metaphysical truth that defied the vast distances of the universe.
Percival closed his eyes beneath his mask, bringing the melody back down to a soothing, breathtaking whisper.
"I will be here...Don't you cry..."
The quiet intimacy of the lullaby suddenly expanded. The traditional orchestra, which had been holding back in the shadows, fully announced itself. The entire string section drew their bows in broad, sweeping, cinematic strokes.
Percival's voice rose with the swelling music, delivering the absolute anchor of the song.
"'Cause you'll be in my heart...Yes, you'll be in my heart..."
It was a simple, devastatingly pure declaration.
"From this day on...Now and forever more."
With a single line, he completely removed any expiration date from the love between a parent and a child. It was a vow that would outlast time, distance, and even death.
Suddenly, the musical arrangement shifted. The brass section flared up with bright, triumphant energy, and the percussion grew significantly heavier. The sharp crash of cymbals and the deep, rolling thunder of the floor toms infused the ballad with a marching, resolute strength.
"Why can't they understand the way we feel?...They just don't trust what they can't explain..."
Percival poured his voice into the bridge, directly addressing Reil's earlier confession about struggling to express his feelings. It was a profound reassurance. He was telling the young father that he didn't need to conform to the galaxy's expectations of a hardened warrior.
"I know we're different but deep inside us...We're not that different at all."
Across the Accord, soldiers were often heavily stigmatized as rigid, unfeeling instruments of the state, trained to suppress their humanity for the sake of duty. But with those lyrics, Percival completely shattered that stereotype.
He cut through the superficial differences of uniforms and ranks, making a profound, universal statement of equality through the sheer power of love. Beneath the armor, a father was just a father.
As the chorus returned, the melody proved so incredibly intuitive and emotionally resonant that a massive phenomenon occurred. Without any prompting, pockets of the five hundred thousand fans began to softly sing along, their voices blending with the orchestra.
"'Cause you'll be in my heart...Yes, you'll be in my heart...From this day on...Now and forever more..."
Up on the colossal holographic screens, the camera remained fixed on the young family in the second-floor grandstands. Reil had his arm wrapped tightly around his wife's shoulders, and the two of them were gently swaying side-to-side with little Percy safely cradled between them.
Percival leaned closer to the microphone, his voice taking on the firm, guiding tone of a parent preparing a child for the harsh realities of the galaxy. He was teaching the boy how to survive the judgment of the world: by simply ignoring it.
"And don't you listen to them...'Cause what do they know?"
He softened his tone, shifting the dynamic from a one-way street of parental protection to a profound realization of mutual necessity.
"We need each other...To have, to hold."
Then came the most beautiful, yet agonizingly painful part of the promise. The massive orchestra pulled back, leaving Percival's voice heavily exposed as he addressed the dark, unspoken fear resting in Reil's heart, the fear of a soldier who knew he might not make it home one day.
He was preparing the child for the day he might have to face the world entirely alone.
"When destiny calls you...You must be strong...I may not be with you...But you've got to hold on."
It was Reil's exact message, laid bare for the entire galaxy to hear. Even if the father was gone, his love would remain as an invisible shield.
"They'll see in time...I know."
Just like Reil, the song knew that little Percy would achieve great things.
The orchestra surged forward, racing toward an earth-shattering climax. The brass roared, the strings wept, and the heavy percussion drove the rhythm into the hearts of everyone present.
"We'll show them together...'Cause you'll be in my heart..."
By the final repetition of the chorus, the entire stadium had caught the melody. Half a million voices soared into the Proxima night sky, singing the vow back to the stage, to each other, and to the stars above.
"Believe me, you'll be in my heart...I'll be there from this day on!"
Percival let the final, powerful note ring out across the arena, his voice completely intertwined with the massive, weeping choir of the audience.
As the music slowly faded into a beautiful, lingering echo, there wasn't a dry eye left in the Proxima Grand Arena. Rough-looking mercenaries, wealthy socialites, and hardened spaceport workers were openly sobbing.
Through a song, Percival had violently bypassed their defenses, forcefully reminding every single person in the stadium of the unconditional love their parents had given them, or the fierce, terrifying love they held for their own children.
"Give a massive round of applause to the Proximata Orchestra!!" Percival shouted, pointing toward the pit as the stadium lights flared to maximum brightness.
The audience clapped and cheered, the deafening noise slowly easing them out of their heavy, emotional state.
"Thank you all so much for coming tonight, and as always, be safe getting home!" Percival waved to the massive sea of people. "GOOD NIGHT, PROXIMA!!!"
With a final, dramatic bow, the masked Maestro turned and walked off the stage. The roaring applause followed him all the way into the shadowy wings.
As Percival stepped out of the blinding stage lights, he immediately spotted Ratik. She was furiously tapping her datapad with one hand, while simultaneously pulling her comms-link out of her ear with the other.
"Who was that?" Percival asked, casually wiping the sweat from his neck. "Are the copyright officer already breathing down our necks again?"
Ratik paused. She looked at the datapad, then up at him. The usual stern, corporate armor she wore seemed slightly fractured.
"No," Ratik said quietly. "It was my parents. I called them. Your song... it reminded me of them."
Percival stopped walking. A soft, incredibly genuine smile broke across his face beneath the mask. "Aaaww."
Ratik's eyes instantly narrowed. Her professional armor snapped right back into place. She stepped forward and delivered a swift, precise punch directly to his shoulder.
"GHK-!" Percival winced, rubbing his arm. His manager hit surprisingly hard.
"Stop it," Ratik ordered, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Now go rest. You have another jump tomorrow."
"Hehe," Percival giggled, completely unfazed by the assault. As they continued walking down the subterranean hallway toward the green room, he glanced around. "Oh, by the way, has Raja given the hotel room keys to the development team yet?"
"He is currently on his way to intercept them at the exit," Ratik confirmed.
High above, near the heavily guarded exit of the VVIP hallway, the Round Table Studio development team was slowly shuffling out of the stadium.
They looked like they had just survived a grueling trench war. They had discarded their formal suits entirely, their comfortable underlying clothes were soaked in sweat, and their hair was an absolute mess.
"Did you guys have a great night?" a smooth, polite voice suddenly asked from the shadows.
The entire RTS team violently startled, jumping back in unison. "Gaahh!"
Raja stepped gracefully out from behind a decorative pillar, looking absolutely immaculate in his tailored suit, holding a stack of sleek digital keycards.
"Where the hell did you come from?!" Bem gasped, clutching his chest.
"Never mind that," Raja smiled politely, ignoring the question entirely. "I have several suites booked and ready for you here in Proxima. You guys can stay and rest for the night before heading back to Friton."
Liseli gasped, her exhaustion instantly vanishing. "Really?!"
"Yes," Raja nodded, handing out the glowing keycards. "So please, have a good rest. You have certainly earned it."
The development team immediately cheered, profoundly grateful to avoid the grueling, multi-hour hyperspace jump back home tonight.
"Oh, one more thing," Raja added, his tone shifting slightly. He looked specifically at the department heads; Kasavin, Logan, Bem, Ross, and Liseli. "You five can head directly to suite 501 once you get to the hotel if you are not too tired. Arthur called. He wants to see you."
Logan froze, his jaw dropping. "Wait... Arthur is here on Proxima?"
Raja just offered a perfectly polite, highly mysterious smile. "You'll see." With a crisp nod, the PR manager turned and smoothly blended right back into the departing crowd of billionaires and socialites.
Ross Dalle frowned, crossing his massive arms. "Why is he always being mysterious like that?"
Kasavin let out a heavy, deeply exhausted sigh, adjusting his glasses. "He is just like that sometimes, Dalle. Come on. Let's just go get changed at the hotel and see what Arty has for us."
Logan looked down at the digital keycard Raja had just handed him to check the address. He immediately stopped walking, his eyes practically bulging out of his skull.
"Guys..." Logan whispered, his voice trembling with sheer awe. "HOLY SHIT, IT'S A 7-STAR HOTEL!!"
⋘ 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂.. .⋙
🎮:
- Stardwey Valley: Completed.
- Hades: Completed.
- Pokémon: Completed.
- Sky: Children of the Light: ◌ Loading…
🎬:
-
♬:
- Your Song – Elton John (ch.9)
- A Lovely Night – La La Land (ch.20)
- Merry Go Round of Life – Howl's Moving Castle (ch.25)
- Small Fragile Hearts – Victor Lundberg (ch. 27)
- Skyfall – Adele (ch. 29)
- No Time To Die – Billie Eilish (ch. 30)
- Yesterday – The Beatles (ch. 32)
- Lovely – Billie Eilish, Khalid (ch. 47)
- Best Part – H.E.R. feat. Daniel Caesar (ch. 67)
- Lovely Day – Bill Withers (ch. 68)
- My Song – Labi Siffre (ch. 75)
- Isn't She Lovely – Stevie Wonder (ch. 89)
- Gotta Catch 'Em All – Pokémon OST (ch. 90)
- Don't Stop Me Now – Queens (ch. 102)
- Grow As We Go – Ben Platt (ch. 102)
- Feeling Good – Michael Bublé (ch. 104)
- You'll Be In My Heart – Phil Collins (ch. 105)