Chapter Text
The stage was drenched in cold blue light blended with soft red theme fireworks. The air was heavy, thick with anticipation, the silence of the alien spectators suffocating. Their glowing eyes watched from the darkness, their judgment absolute.
Two figures stood beneath the spotlight.
Michael Kaiser. The prodigy. The king. The man who would carve his name into the universe with his talent. His presence was effortless, his confidence unshaken. He didn’t even glance at the other figure beside him.
Alexis Ness. The devoted. The shadow. His hands trembled, but not from fear. He had never feared this moment. His eyes—soft, shining—never left Kaiser. His world began and ended with him.
A mechanical sound echoed through the arena, commencing the first round. Kaiser and Ness took a step forward, ready to perform at their best, their shoulders' sides by sides, slightly brushing each other as they sway to take view of their spectators.
The music swelled.
Kaiser moved first. His voice was a blade, slicing through the silence, beautiful and merciless. Every note he sang was perfect, effortless. The melody climbed and fell, laced with power, dripping with melancholy of the lyrics and a seep of malice. He was untouchable, undeniable.
"Oh my Clematis
Hope that bloomed with darkness nigh"
Ness followed. His voice was softer, soft as it was made out of the dedication of a queen bee manifesting her kingdom for her beloved children, full of longing. Each lyric trembled with emotion, a desperate plea reaching out for something—someone—who he blindly imagine would reach back.
"Oh my Clematis
Stay forever by my side"
But Kaiser didn’t turn.
Not once. Not even when the song almost reach the end.
Ness sang as if his life depended on it—because it did. His voice soared, calling, begging. His eyes glistened under the stage lights, desperate for a glance, a sign, anything from Kaiser.
But Kaiser only stared into the void.
The song ended. The silence returned.
A pause. Then—
A single chime. The results.
Kaiser was still standing.
Ness wasn’t.
The alien judge raised its weapon.
Ness didn’t flinch. He exhaled softly, a quiet relief settling into his bones. His lips curled into a small, peaceful smile.
For Kaiser, always for Kaiser.
But if believe in God is human, If all I can do as a human is to believe, My Kaiser, My God, My Universe...
A shot rang out.
His body fell.
Kaiser watched.
His expression was unreadable. His icy blue eyes, sharp as glass, remained fixed on the lifeless body before him. He didn’t blink. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak.
His thoughts—unknowable.
The lights dimmed.
The round was over.