The recording session had wrapped up, and the energy in the studio was buzzing. Nova, now going by Luna, had nailed her part in the song. Even Liam couldn't hide his impressed smile as he gave her a quick thumbs-up from across the room.
"You did great," he said casually, his tone light but sincere. "Seriously, I wasn't sure at first, but you've got something special."
"Thanks," Nova replied, still adjusting to hearing herself called Luna. "It was fun. Different, but fun."
As they packed up, Liam sat down on the studio couch, scrolling through his phone. Suddenly, an idea struck him, he opened his social media app, selected the picture Ryan had snapped of him and Luna at the mic earlier, and began typing a caption.
@LiamChase:
"One of the coolest collaborations I've done, shoutout to Luna for stepping in and absolutely killing it. Big things ahead for this one, stay tuned, folks!"
And another post with the caption
"Last night was special. Big love to Luna for stepping in when we needed her most, this girl's voice is fire, keep an eye out for her. #Luna #StudioVibes"
He hit post and leaned back, satisfied.
Nova didn't notice until her phone started buzzing uncontrollably.
"What's happening?" she muttered, pulling it out. Her eyes widened as she saw the notifications flooding in likes, comments, and followers.
"What did you do?" she asked, glaring at Liam, half-annoyed and half-amused.
Liam smirked. "What? I gave credit where credit's due, you were amazing, Luna… the world deserves to know."
"I didn't ask for that kind of credit," she muttered, scrolling through the comments. Fans were already going crazy.
@FanGirl99: "Luna? Who is she? She's amazing!"
@StarBuzz: "Liam Chase, when's the full song dropping? We need more Luna!"
@PopSpot: "This collab is fire! Luna, show yourself!"
"You've just unleashed a storm," Nova said, her voice a mix of nervousness and disbelief. "I'm not ready for this kind of attention."
"Relax," Liam said with a shrug. "It's just a little buzz, you'll handle it… if anyone asks, just blame me."
Nova shook her head, unsure whether to laugh or throttle him. "You're impossible."
Ryan walked in at that moment, glancing between the two of them. "What's all the noise about?"
"Liam tagged me in his post," Nova said, holding up her phone.
Ryan grinned. "Well, Luna, welcome to the world of fame, get used to it."
Nova groaned, "This is not what I signed up for."
"Yeah, but it's what you've got now," Liam said with a teasing grin. "You're part of the music world whether you like it or not, honestly? You belong here."
Nova rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. Despite the chaos, part of her felt... proud. The post took off faster than Nova expected. Within hours, she was getting messages from artists and producers she'd never even dreamed of talking to.
@HollyMusic: "Who's Luna? Liam, where are you hiding her? Let's collab!"
@TheRealJay: "Luna, if you're reading this, call me. We need to work together."
@MusicNow: "Liam Chase's mystery collaborator is stealing hearts. Will Luna be the next big name in music?"
Even Liam's fans were obsessed. Some speculated about her background, others demanded a live performance, and a few even declared her as Liam's new protégé.
*****
Just another night, as Nova sat on her couch, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of attention, her phone rang. She saw Liam's name flash on the screen and hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Hey," she said, her voice soft.
"Hey," Liam replied, his tone casual. "You surviving the madness I unleashed?"
"Barely," she said with a sigh. "I didn't think it would blow up like this, people are asking about me, Liam… they want more, I don't know if I can handle this."
"You don't have to handle it all at once," Liam said. "One step at a time, if you're not ready for the spotlight, that's okay too, but... you should be proud, you killed it, Luna… everyone sees it."
Nova smiled, his words giving her a strange sense of comfort. "Thanks, I just... I don't want to disappoint anyone, including you."
"You won't," Liam said firmly. "Trust me, you've got this."
For a moment, there was silence, a comfortable pause where neither of them felt the need to say anything.
Then Liam added, "You know, you're making me look good, I might have to ask you to collab again."
Nova laughed softly. "We'll see, maybe next time I'll tag you and make your phone blow up."
"Deal," Liam said, and Nova could hear the grin in his voice.
"This tour is insane," Liam muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I swear, it feels like I haven't slept in weeks, It's just the first city and the schedule just keeps piling up."
Nova's laugh was light, teasing. "Well, what did you expect? Touring isn't exactly a vacation, but seriously, weeks without proper sleep? That's not healthy, Liam."
"I know." He let out a tired chuckle. "I keep telling myself I'll rest after the next show, but then something else always comes up… interviews, rehearsals, you name it... It never ends."
"Typical Liam," she said, her tone softening. "Trying to do it all, you know you're not a robot, right? You're allowed to take a break."
He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling of the bus. "If I stop, it feels like everything might fall apart… And honestly? I don't even know if I could relax, even if I tried."
"That's just the exhaustion talking," Nova said firmly. "You need to stop pushing yourself like this… A burned-out Liam isn't going to be much use to anyone… not your fans, not your music, and definitely not you."
Her words hit deeper than he expected. He stayed silent for a moment, her voice pulling him back from his thoughts.
"Start small," she continued. "Tonight, after the show, shut everything off your phone, your brain, all of it and just sleep, tour life is draining you enough without you making it worse."
Liam chuckled softly. "You really don't hold back, do you?"
"Why should I?" Nova shot back. "Someone has to talk sense into you, and let's face it, you're not going to do it yourself."
"Point taken," he said, a hint of a smile creeping into his voice. "Alright, I'll try, no promises, though."
"Try harder," she said, her tone light but laced with concern. "Otherwise, I'm calling your manager to schedule mandatory nap time."
He laughed outright at that. "You wouldn't dare."
"Don't tempt me," she quipped, before her voice softened. "Seriously, Liam… Take care of yourself, okay?"
His smile faded into something more genuine, touched by her concern. "I will. Thanks, Nova… I didn't realize how much I needed this talk."
"That's what I'm here for, now, go get some sleep after the show, who knows? You might wake up with a fresh idea for a new song."
"You're something else, Nova," he said, shaking his head, the exhaustion in his voice replaced by something lighter.
"I'll take that as a compliment… goodnight, rockstar."
"Goodnight, Nova," he said, the line going quiet but the warmth of her words lingering long after.
After disconnecting the call she opened her social media, only to find that Ryan had posted a behind-the-scenes video from last night.
The video started with Ryan holding the camera close to his face.
"Yo, guys! Late-night studio session with Liam Chase and… wait for it… Luna!" he said, spinning the camera to show Nova adjusting her headphones.
She looked nervous but focused as Ryan narrated. "This girl right here? She's about to blow your fucking mind."
The clip cut to Nova singing the chorus, her voice blending perfectly with the track.
The caption read:
"Studio magic happened last week. Luna is the name you need to know. Pure talent. #NewStar #Luna #DreamTeam"
Ryan had tagged her and Liam, and within minutes, the post had gone viral. Before she could do anything her phone buzzed again, and she sighed, thinking it was another notification. Instead, it was Lara calling.
She hesitated for a moment before picking up. "Hey, Lara."
"Oh, don't 'Hey, Lara' me!" Lara's voice was a mix of excitement and mock indignation.
"What the hell, Nova? You didn't tell me you were recording with Liam Chase! And now the whole internet knows before I do?"
Nova winced. "Lara, I can explain…"
"Explain? Girl, I just saw Ryan's and Liam's posts… you were in the studio, singing, and you didn't think to call your best friend? What's next? A Grammy speech where I find out you're famous through TV?"
"It wasn't like that!" Nova protested. "It was… unexpected, Ryan called me last-minute to help with the song, and I didn't think it would turn into this."
"Oh, so you accidentally became a star?" Lara teased. "Typical Nova."
"I didn't even know they were going to post about it!" Nova said, her voice rising. "I woke up to this chaos… honestly? I'm freaking out."
"Freaking out? Girl, you should be celebrating!" Lara exclaimed. "Do you know how many people would kill for this kind of opportunity? And you crushed it! Your voice is all over social media."
Nova sighed. "But I wasn't ready for this, I didn't even choose to put myself out there."
"Ready or not, it's happening," Lara said, her tone softening. "And you deserve every bit of it, you've been hiding your talent for too long."
Nova was quiet for a moment. "It's just… a lot to take in."
"I get it," Lara said. "But you're not doing this alone, I'm here, Ryan's clearly got your back, and Liam? Well, he seems more invested in you than I thought."
Nova groaned. "Don't start with that."
"What? I'm just saying," Lara teased. "The guy wrote a whole post calling you 'special.' And don't think I didn't notice the way he tagged you… subtle, but meaningful."
Nova felt her cheeks heat up. "Lara, stop."
"I'm just stating facts," Lara said innocently. "Anyway, if you need someone to help you navigate this fame thing, you know who to call."
"Thanks, Lara," Nova said, her voice filled with gratitude.
"Anytime, superstar. Now, go and enjoy your moment. You've earned it."
After the call ended, Nova sat back, staring at the posts again. Lara's words echoed in her mind. Maybe I do deserve this.
Her phone buzzed again. It was Ryan.
"Good morning, superstar!" he greeted cheerfully. "Ryan! What did you do? Why did you post that?" Nova's voice was half-panicked, half-annoyed.
"Relax," he said. "It's called promotion, you've got the voice, people deserve to hear it."
"People? Ryan, the world knows now! I wasn't ready for this!"
"You're overthinking it," Ryan replied casually. "Check the comments, they're all positive."
Nova hesitated, and then opened the post. He wasn't wrong, comments poured in:
"Her voice is amazing!"
"Who is Luna? She's incredible!"
"Can't wait to hear the full track!"
"I'm going to kill you," she muttered.
"You can't hide forever," he said, sitting on her couch.
"I'm not hiding," Nova replied
"Really? Then why haven't you posted anything yet?" he challenged. "People are literally waiting for you to say something, this is your moment, Nova."
Nova sat down, overwhelmed. "What if I'm not cut out for this? I never planned to be... famous."
"You don't have to be famous," Ryan said. "You just have to be you, start small…thank people for their support, show them the Nova I know, the girl with the amazing voice and the ridiculous sense of humor."