I got home with a smile still on my face. Oriol's laughter was still echoing in my head.
"You'll see. Next time, I'll catch you," I muttered as I pulled my keys out of my pocket.
I opened the apartment door, and as always, silence greeted me. I tossed my backpack onto the couch, slipped off my shoes, and stretched until my back let out a small crack.
"Ugh... now I get why my back hurt so much after that piano session."
I headed straight to the kitchen. I filled a glass with water and drank it in one go. Then I opened the refrigerator, looking for something to eat.
"Damn it... I forgot to cook. Oh well, rice with vegetables and a fried egg it is."
While the rice cooked, I absentmindedly tapped my fingers on the table.
Do... Re... Mi...
I stared at my hand for a few seconds.
"Ugh... now I'm practicing even during my free time. Still... it feels easier than it did this afternoon."
I'd only practiced piano for about an hour, but I could already feel the key positions starting to settle into my fingers. I was still a long way from playing anything decent, and the smacks on the head Oriol kept giving me were proof enough of that.
(My Wednesday bonk.)
"I guess Piano Level 1 has its own kind of magic."
After dinner, I washed the dishes and headed to my room.
I picked up my guitar and strummed a couple of chords. The feeling was completely different. With the guitar, my hands moved almost on their own. I barely had to think about where to place my fingers.
I tried connecting a few new chord progressions I'd come up with throughout the day. I wanted to find the melody for the song I was writing.
I rested the guitar on my lap and opened the notebook where I'd written the title.
The Rhythm of a Hero
I stared at those words for quite a while.
I wrote one line, read it. Crossed it out. Wrote another, that one ended up completely scratched out too.
"Meh... at least the chorus turned out pretty well. But the first verse and the bridge still need work."
I bit down on my pencil and spent a while trying to keep writing. When nothing else came to me, I tossed the pages across the room along with my notes.
"How the hell do composers even start writing a song?"
I let out a small laugh.
"Traveling between dimensions... playing music in battles with my guitar... learning how to play the piano... and somehow the hardest thing out of all of it is writing one simple song."
I picked up my notebook and tried again.
The world's about to crumble in the darkest night,
But one song alone will bring the morning light.
With my sword in hand and a minstrel's voice to sing,
The final battle's calling, let the echoes ring!
We'll fight! We'll win! Because we're on the side of right!
"...Sounds childish. And who even says 'minstrel' anymore? Damn it... No! Another cross-out."
"Hmm... what about this?"
The whole world is drowning in the shadows of despair,
But one beautiful melody will fill the air with hope.
With steel in my hand and a poem to recite,
The final battle's waiting just beyond our sight!
Forward! Stand tall! Until there's no darkness left!
"Ugh... it's way too long to sing, and it completely loses the rhythm."
"Maybe I can salvage something..."
The world may sink into endless darkness,
But a single melody will ignite the spark of truth.
With steel in my hand and a verse upon my lips...
"...The final battle? The showdown? The last fight?... Ughhh."
I slammed the notebook shut and rested my head against my hand, clutching my hair in frustration.
I stuffed the notebook back into my backpack.
"It doesn't matter. I'll figure it out someday."
I placed the guitar back on its stand, lay down on my bed, turned on the TV, and resumed watching Fairy Tail.
"Maybe I should just read the manga instead. It'd be faster... and without all the filler."
After five episodes, I turned the TV off. I let out a huge yawn. The exhaustion from the day was finally catching up to me.
"I'll keep going tomorrow..."
I switched off the lights. My room fell completely silent, save for the gentle hum of the fan spinning overhead.
As Morpheus carried me into the realm of dreams, I murmured one last sentence.
"I follow the rhythm of a hero."
Author's Notes
After a whole year... I'm finally back!
By the way, I actually wrote the song. I think it sounds pretty good... although it definitely has a bit of a Mägo de Oz vibe. Hahaha!
Thanks for reading, everyone! Leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of the chapter.
And sorry it was only around 700 words... I'll make the next one longer!