Ren spent the next few minutes completely focused on the sheet music. At first, Bea had to stop several times to explain a few minor changes in the song's structure, while Majo tapped her drumstick to mark the moments when the guitar was supposed to come in.
"Let me breathe during this part," Sofía explained, pointing to a section on the page.
Ren nodded and looked over the note again. "So this part is just accompaniment."
Sofía smiled faintly. "Exactly."
The first runthrough wasn't perfect. There were a couple of chords where Ren came in late and one transition where he had to correct himself quickly, but every attempt was better than the last. He never repeated the same mistake; he corrected it immediately.
Bea watched in surprise as Ren wasn't just memorizing the notes, but the intention behind every section. "How do you do that?" she asked while placing her hands over the keyboard.
Ren lowered his gaze to the guitar. "I don't know. I'm just learning, but it's much easier with all the notes you added. They really help me understand what I'm supposed to do."
During the last few minutes, they played through the beginning of the setlist. This time, no one had to stop.
Majo let out a small smile as she lowered her drumsticks. "Well... at least we're not going to die on stage."
"That was almost a compliment," Luz joked.
Ren let out a quiet laugh as he adjusted the guitar strap.
Then a voice came from outside.
"Two minutes! Get ready!"
The atmosphere changed instantly. It was time for the performance. Ren took a deep breath and looked at his new bandmates.
Luz picked up her bass, and her expression changed immediately. The girl who was always smiling and joking disappeared, replaced by a far more intense and fierce look.
"Let's do this."
----
Ren stood there holding the guitar, his nerves tightening around his throat.
"Tell me again... how did I end up here?"
Luz placed a hand on his shoulder, her earrings reflecting the stage lights.
"Relax... you'll do great... Tempo."
Ren let out a nervous laugh while looking down at the guitar in his hands. Just a few minutes ago he had been sitting down, learning chords he'd never played before, and now he was standing behind a curtain, waiting to walk out in front of a crowded bar. "I don't think my brain has processed how fast all of this happened."
Luz smiled as she adjusted her bass. "A little while ago you said you didn't want to waste any more time."
Ren clenched his jaw. "Yeah... I can't back out now, can I?"
Luz laughed softly. "Nope. Now all that's left is to give it everything you've got."
Behind them, Bea reviewed her last keyboard notes while Sofía took a deep breath, mentally going over the first song. Majo lightly tapped her drumsticks together, keeping time with a melody only she could hear.
There was no turning back. The sound engineer raised a hand from the booth.
"Thirty seconds."
The noise from the audience became clearer beyond the curtain. Conversations, glasses clinking against tables, and people waiting for the next performance.
Ren closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. This was happening in the normal world, but if he thought about it... it wasn't his first performance. He had faced a war, a mission, a battle... "Heh... this is nothing."
Besides, there were people counting on him. He opened his eyes and looked at his teammates.
Luz was ready, wearing a completely different expression than before. Bea's hands rested over the keyboard. Majo gripped her drumsticks with confidence. Sofía waited behind the microphone.
The curtain slowly began to open. "It's time," Luz said.
Ren adjusted his guitar strap and took one last look at the brightly lit stage. With his head held high, he took his first step.
The curtain fully opened, and the stage lights illuminated the members of LightBeat.
For a few seconds, the noise inside the bar remained the same. Some people kept talking, others looked up to see who the next band was. To most of them, it was simply another performance.
Beatriz was the first to step up to the microphone. "Good evening, everyone. We're LightBeat, and we hope you enjoy tonight's performance."
Her voice was calm, but the small smile on her face betrayed the pressure she was feeling. "Before we begin, we'd like to let you know that we have a small change in the lineup tonight. Our guitarist couldn't make it, so someone else has stepped in to take her place."
Bea turned slightly toward Ren. "This is... Tempo. He'll be joining us on guitar."
Several heads turned toward him. For a brief moment, Ren felt the weight of hundreds of eyes resting on his shoulders.
Then he heard a familiar voice from the audience. "Come on, Ren!"
Daniel raised an arm with a grin while Oriol cheered beside him. "You've got this, Tempo!"
Eduardo burst out laughing. "Give it everything you've got! No regrets!"
Even Hannah clapped excitedly, making it impossible for Ren not to smile. The nervousness he still carried disappeared.
He wasn't alone.
Bea returned to the keyboard. Majo adjusted her drumsticks, and Luz settled her bass while giving Ren a confident smile.
Sofía stepped up to the microphone. The shy girl who had barely raised her hand to introduce herself backstage was gone. Her posture was different, her eyes were fixed on the audience, and an entirely new confidence radiated from her. It was as though simply holding the microphone had awakened another side of her.
Ren noticed it immediately.
"So that's the real her..." he thought.
Bring Me to Life - Evanescence - LightBeat Cover
Bea started with the keyboard melody. Sofía's voice sounded ethereal, giving the song an incredible atmosphere. Ren and Majo came in at the same time with their instruments.
🎵 Without a soul (Oh),
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold,
Until you find it there,
And lead it back home 🎵
The atmosphere inside the bar slowly changed. Conversations faded as people began paying attention to the stage. The chorus arrived. Sofía carried the lead while Luz provided the soft backing vocals.
🎵 (Wake me up) Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up) Wake me up inside
(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up) Before I come undone
(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become 🎵
Ren let his hands follow the structure he had learned only minutes earlier. Little by little, he relaxed, moving with the guitar as his body surrendered to the music.
Everything was beginning to fall into place.
---
Author Notes.
Cool almost 200 collections.