Chapter Text
Music started playing while Ivan was backstage waiting for his entrance to their song. Trying to calm his nerves before he came on stage. Then the voice of Till could be heard as he started singing.
“허락해줘 네 손 끝까지-”.
“Allow me, to the tips of your fingers-”.
Watching as his score started rising, Ivan’s heart was pounding ever quicker in anticipation. Till sang well, but it was noticeable he was tired, from his face to his voice, he radiated exhaustion. After the first chorus Ivan walked on stage with false bravado to the crowd.
He walked slowly towards his mic on stage, staring down at the crowd below. Till’s eyes darted to him for a second before resuming his lifeless stare to his mic. Ivan wore white and Till wore black they echoed opposites on stage, a stark contrast could be seen through the many eyes watching below. Ivan’s heart raced, beating louder in his ears as he started to sing his part.
“내게 주던 날카로운 말도 내 눈 밑 생채길 내도-”.
“Even if your cold words carve scars beneath my eyes-”, Ivan started singing into his mic.
Memories flashed through his mind while singing, knowing this could likely be his last few minutes breathing. He remembered happy moments. Their time at the garden was fun he recalled, sometimes they would hang out together with their friends. Mizi, Sua, and a few others. Eating together, singing, and writing songs. Unfortunately those moments stopped after they performed on Alien Stage.
Ivan sang loudly as the beat dropped, the crowd underneath growing in awe. Ivan’s points rising, Till’s points falling.
“끝없는 이 노래”.
“To this everlasting melody”, Till sang.
“서로를 향해 춤 춰”.
“Face to face we dance”, Ivan sang back.
“우리의 이야기 영원에 묻힌 채”
“With our story lost in forever's embrace”, Ivan thought he’d hear, but those lyrics never came to his ears. Instead only silence entertained his ears.
Ivan looked towards Till next to him. Till noticing his gaze, gave a quick glance before staring blankly back into his mic
“...”
“...”
Why? he thought. Had he given up? What’s going on? This isn’t like him, he loved singing and of course liked living. Was this because of Mizi? I have been seeing him pretty down lately after Mizi went missing. To stop singing just because of someone else, why? This was not at all what I expected going into this round. These thoughts raced through Ivan’s mind as Till continued his silence.
But the show must go on, Ivan wasn’t going to get distracted and die here. He quickly gathered his thoughts of confusion and continued singing without him, singing Till’s parts as well.
-
Till had lost most of his strength, perseverance, and drive after Mizi went missing. He felt hollow and empty on the stage. Nothing pushed him forward. So he decided to give up, stop singing, and give the win to Ivan.
There’s no point in going forward, Till kept thinking. His mind foggy with despair.
He heard Ivan continuing without him, singing his parts to make up for his silence. The crowd definitely noticed this dissonance and it showed on the score board behind them. Till’s points much lower than Ivan’s.
As his score kept dropping a thought came to his head, and a few memories. His time spent with Mizi, his hopes and dreams. He thought and hoped that Mizi was safe. She was taken by the rebels, probably living life freely as she had escaped.
Maybe if I win I can have a chance to escape or be saved. To be with Mizi again. These thoughts came to Till's mind when the song was reaching its finale, bringing him hope and courage. His memories and thoughts plagued him, fueling his mind and body.
And so with light in his eyes again, Till decided to persevere through the song, once again he wound sing into his mic to get a chance at survival. A chance to be with Mizi again.
“그래 난 오오-”.
“Yes, me, oh oh”, he heard Ivan sing, and that was his queue back into the song.
“끝없는 이 노래”.
“To this everlasting melody”, Till jumped back into the song singing as the beat dropped.
-
Ivan was about to sing Till’s part before he heard Till start singing again. I guess he decided to live, was what raced through his head before singing back.
“서로를 향해 춤 춰”.
“Face to face we dance”, Ivan sang.
Till was once again singing, his score rising once more.
While Till sang his solo, Ivan’s mind was deep in a sea of solace. Till had started again too late, too close to the end of the song. Even with him having more lines than me at this part of the song it probably won’t be enough to save him from his previous blunder. Ivan reassured himself. I’m going to win, Ivan kept thinking, a statement more than anything else.
While Ivan was stressed out of his mind, Till neared the end of his solo. And so began their life determining duet to see who would end up on top.
“차가운 네 입술 끝에 읽어줘 날 그래 날 그려질 이 밤들 위에 쓰러질 고요에 질린 날 보는 네 눈동자에 마셔줘 날 그래 난 오오-”.
“On your icy lips read my soul, yes, my soul, sick of these nights to come, to be engulfed in silence in your gaze where I'm seen, consume me yes, me.”, harmonizing as the last lyrics fell out of their mouths, they dueted their last. As only one can be on stage last, and that is the winner.
“BANG!”
The sound of a bullet could be heard through the rain. Ivan flinched at the sound. He braced himself just in case the bullet barreled towards him. But the bullet didn't hit him, instead he could hear an impact next to himself.
Blood started to pool out onto Till’s clothes, staining them a dark crimson red. Till’s eyes looked towards Ivan as he fell. Shock and pain evident on his face. Ivan could see his eyes start wavering, as Till’s eyes started rolling back, hand outstretched trying to clutch onto something. Till’s mouth could be seen trying to say something, but no words came out. Till’s body collapsed to the ground swiftly, blood already starting to pool out of his body.
Rain kept falling from above as Ivan kept staring at the scene before him. Rain soaking Till’s ever chilling body. No emotions could be made out from Ivan’s face but inside he was sad, sad for a friend now dead, sad for one less person he knew.
After a few moments of staring at Till’s corpse he looked up behind himself to look at the score.
Till-70
Ivan-89
IVAN WINS
Ivan had won round 6 of Alien Stage season 50. Moving into round 7.