It was 9 PM on a Thursday, and I was sitting on the floor of my apartment surrounded by cardboard boxes.
Almost everything was packed. Tomorrow the movers would come, and I would officially say goodbye to this claustrophobic hole.
It wasn't exactly nostalgia. More like… acknowledgement? This place had been where I woke up in this world. Where I had my first full-blown panic attack realizing I was trapped in a web novel. Where I had eaten ice cream on the floor and cried watching bad romantic movies.
Strange memories for less than a month.
Less than a month.
Damn. It felt both longer and shorter than that.
I stood up, stretching my back which complained about being hunched over boxes for hours. My Martin guitar was leaning against the wall—I had refused to pack it with the rest. Something about putting a three-thousand-dollar instrument in a box with packing tape felt wrong.
I picked it up, my fingers finding the frets automatically. The expert skill still felt surreal sometimes. Like a cheat code I had unlocked.
I walked to the window—well, the door that led to what the landlord generously called a "balcony" but was more like a wide ledge with a rusty railing.
The night was clear. Almost full moon, a few stars managing to pierce the city's light pollution. Fresh air when I opened the door.
I sat on the folding chair I hadn't packed yet, guitar on my lap, and just… stayed there for a minute.
In my previous life, I had been nobody. Like, literally nobody. Worked in an office doing data entry. Went home alone. No real friends. No family. Nothing but web novels and instant food.
I had been afraid of everything. Afraid to speak up. Afraid to be noticed. Afraid to try anything because what if I failed?
And then I had died alone on a crappy couch.
What a shitty life.
But here? Less than a month and I had… done things. Real things. A video with almost three hundred thousand views now. A house. Friends. People who actually cared if I existed.
"Strange how life works," I murmured to the moon.
My phone was in my pocket. I picked it up, looking at the InstaLife icon.
A stupid idea began to form.
"Ah, screw it," I said, opening the app.
I set up my phone against the railing, angle capturing me and the night sky behind. Pressed the live stream button before I could talk myself out of it.
LIVE STREAM STARTED
3 viewers
Three people. Probably bots.
@musiclover_47: wtf is this
Okay, maybe not bots.
"Uh, hi," I said, already halfway regretting this. "To whoever is… out there. Hi."
I tucked a strand of my hair back—a nervous tic I couldn't stop. No makeup. Plain white t-shirt. Sweatpants. Probably looked like I had just rolled out of bed.
Well, fuck it. Authenticity, right?
@jenna_k: WAIT is that Cass Echo??
@ryan_music: why is she live
47 viewers
"So," I said, adjusting the guitar. "I was here packing stuff, and I thought… you know, why not? I'll sing something."
"Something… about change. About becoming who you're supposed to be. About not being afraid to let people see you."
I paused, looking at the camera—at all those invisible eyes watching me.
"It's been less than a month," I said softly, "since my life completely changed. And I've been scared of a lot of it. Scared I wouldn't be good enough. Scared that maybe I didn't deserve the good things that were happening. But tonight, sitting here, I realized something."
@luna_star: OMG SHE'S SO GENUINE
@marcus_h: THIS IS WHY WE LOVE HER
Viewers: 512
"I realized that maybe the point isn't to deserve good things," I said. "Maybe the point is just… to try. To show up. To use your voice even when you're scared. Because being invisible is safe, but it's also… lonely."
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Sorry, that got kinda deep. I'm rambling. But yeah—this song is about… finally letting go of what holds you back and becoming who you really are."
@sophie_sings: IS SHE GONNA SING??
@clara_m: SOMEONE RECORD THIS
124 viewers
My fingers found the first chord position. D major. I had practiced this song yesterday, alone in the apartment, because it had gotten stuck in my head.
"This one's called 'It's Time'," I said. "And uh… yeah. Let's do this."
@music_junkie: she's so awkward i love it
@indie_vibes: the lighting is gorgeous tho
267 viewers
No more stalling. I started to play.
The intro was simple—just a clean chord progression, letting the guitar breathe. A few measures to establish the rhythm.
And then I sang.
🎵 So this is what I meant
🎵 When I said that I was tired
🎵 Now it's time to build again
The Angelic Voice took the words and made them sing. Every note coming out perfectly in tune without conscious effort.
@emma_fifteen: HOLY SHIT THAT VOICE
@tyler_beats: SHE SOUNDS LIKE THAT LIVE????
512 viewers
🎵 It's time
🎵 It's time to start, isn't it?
🎵 I get a little bigger
🎵 But then I admit
🎵 I'm not who I used to be
I thought about my previous life as I sang. That empty apartment. That soulless job. How I had made myself so small, so quiet, so invisible.
Not anymore.
@luna_star: I HAVE GOOSEBUMPS
@marcus_h: THE READERS FELT THAT
891 viewers
🎵 So this is where you fell
🎵 And I'll leave you alone now
🎵 But be sure when I leave
🎵 There's no coming back now
A major minor now. More melancholy. I thought about the Whitmore family. About being thrown out like trash. About how it had hurt but also freed me.
No going back. I would never be that Cassandra again.
@lucas_guitar: the chords are so simple but THEY WORK
@rachel_k: crying on the bus
1,247 viewers
🎵 It's time
🎵 It's time to start, isn't it?
🎵 I get a little bigger
🎵 But then I admit
🎵 I'm not who I used to be
I opened my eyes, looking straight into the camera. The moon was creating a kind of halo behind me. The wind caught a few strands of hair.
@mia_seventeen: she looks like an angel
@jake_streaming: ok now i get it
2,103 viewers
The bridge was coming. The part where the energy shifts. Where it gets urgent.
🎵 This world will knock me down
🎵 With all its empty talk
🎵 But I won't break
🎵 No, I won't break
I tapped the body of the guitar between beats, adding percussion. Energy building.
@diana_music: SHE'S KILLING IT
@sean_producer: the energy shift OMG
@lily_writes: I FEEL IT IN MY CHEST
🎵 It's time
🎵 It's time to start, isn't it?
🎵 I get a little bigger
🎵 But then I admit
🎵 I'm not who I used to be
I closed my eyes again, letting the music take over completely. The voice, the skill, the emotion—all of it flowing through me. Not mine, but also mine now. Proof that I was becoming something more.
3,891 viewers
@marcus_chen: CASS!! YOU'RE AMAZING!! ❤️
I laughed when I saw Marcus's comment pop up. Of course he was watching.
🎵 I'm not who I used to be
🎵 I'm not who I used to be
I repeated the line, letting it echo. Affirmation. Promise.
@katie_m: she's laughing it's so genuine
@amy_college: first time i've felt seen
4,782 viewers
🎵 It's time
🎵 It's time to start, isn't it?
🎵 I get a little bigger
🎵 But then I admit
🎵 I'm not who I used to be
I let the last note vibrate through the strings, through the night, through the screens of thousands of people.
Silence.
I lowered my hands. Looked at the camera.
@hannah_music: I'M CRYING
@peter_drummer: PERFECT
@marcus_chen: YOU MADE ME CRY AGAIN!! ❤️😭
@jessica_writer: thank you for this
@noah_beats: first live stream i've watched all the way through
5,234 viewers
"Uh," I said, wiping my eye. When had I started crying? "Thanks for watching."
"Thanks," I said, my voice hoarse. "For watching. For listening. For… for letting me share this with you."
@emma_k: NO THANK YOU
@chris_music: WHEN ARE YOU RELEASING THIS SONG OFFICIALLY????
@maya_sings: NEED THIS ON WETUBE TOMORROW
"This song…" I paused, considering.
"It means a lot to me. It's about letting go of who you were and becoming who you're supposed to be. And I think… I think we're all doing that. Every day. Trying to be a little braver than we were yesterday."
@oliver_james: QUEEN OF SYMBOLISM
@zoe_college: she's so SWEET
@jake_seventeen: betting this song will go viral too
"Thanks for being here," I said again.
"Good night. And remember—it's time. For all of you too. Whatever you're waiting to do, to become, to try… it's time."
I waved at the camera, still smiling, and ended the stream.
The screen returned to my feed. Notifications already exploding.
But I didn't check them. Just sat there, guitar on my lap, looking at the moon.
Less than a month. Look how much had changed.
My phone vibrated.
Marcus: Third time this week you've made me cry. This is becoming a pattern. Dinner tomorrow after the move??
Me: Sorry (again). And yes, dinner sounds good.
Marcus: Proud of you.
I put my phone away. Picked up the guitar. Went back inside.
Tomorrow was moving day. New place. New chapter.
But today had been good.
I lay on the bed still dressed, exhausted, and passed out almost instantly.
No deep thoughts.
Just sleep.
---
Hello, this is the author-sama.
Just popping in to quickly apologize for the lower frequency of chapters. This story started as a hobby — and it still is — but I have big plans for it. The ideas are flowing, and I truly believe this book will become an increasingly engaging read for you.
If you can, leave a comment saying what you think so far. And, if possible, a review on the book helps a lot: it gives me direction, shows me where I can evolve and boost my writing.
Life has been busy — work, studies, and the little free time I spend with my girlfriend — so balancing everything is a crazy juggling act. But I have faith that the pace will improve.
Add the book to your library and keep following this journey with me.
Thank you for your support, from the bottom of my heart.