Having traversed the darkness that had long plagued him, he headed towards the light in his memory that resembled surging waves. He moved forward, racing along with the fervent yet mournful melody, until he left the void of darkness behind and crashed into the light.

BOOM!

A thunderous void burst from deep within his skull.

Huai Shi's consciousness suddenly trembled, and the encompassing blackness vanished completely. He had finally crossed that intangible boundary.

When he struggled to open his eyes, all he saw was endless radiance, a tide rising like the sea. When it calmed, countless dazzling spectra overlapped, transforming into pure silver, reflecting the splendid stars and sun above the sky dome.

Huai Shi stood between the sea and the stars, looking around in a daze. Vague shadows of people seemed to be moving about, yet he couldn't make them out clearly. These figures walked on their own, gradually Melting into the distant mist.

"Unexpected indeed," he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Using a melody of the void as a ladder to return here again?"

Huai Shi spun around and saw the Raven.

It perched on a rocky outcrop protruding from the sea, its eyes still full of mocking playfulness and indescribable pity. But its reflection in the sea was no longer that of a Flying Bird, but rather the stunning silhouette etched in Huai Shi's memory.

"Yo, Huai Shi."

The reflection of her in the sea laughed softly. "Welcome back to the eternal place that is the cradle of all miraculous prototypes—the 'Sea of ​​Silver'."

Huai Shi looked at her in astonishment, his mouth agape. But then he saw the silhouette in the reflection reach out a hand and gently touch his forehead.

"Unfortunately, it seems your time is about to run out..."

In that instant, Huai Shi felt the music come to an abrupt halt as if the bow had been fiercely stopped.

Then, with a faint push of that slender, phantom-like finger, a Power like gravity emerged from behind, pulling him into a fall towards the void behind him.

In a blink, the stars and sea vanished without a trace.

In his final hurried glance, Huai Shi only managed to catch sight of that lone figure standing between the stars and the sea. Beneath her feet lay the vast, incomplete silhouette hidden under the deep sea. It was so large that even the stars seemed like mere dust. The forsaken White Queen.

Huai Shi opened his eyes, feeling waves of soreness and fatigue in his limbs. The music had ended.

He had never imagined that merely playing would exhaust his spirit so much that he could hardly stand.

It felt as though he had spent all his energy during that arduous, frenzied performance. He was breathing with difficulty, sweat slowly sliding down from his temple and dripping off his chin.

PAT!

Amidst the subtle sound, a dim color spread on the neck of the cello.

It was as if it was the last straw. From that wet mark, fissures slowly appeared, spreading across the soundboard with grating, crackling sounds. Before he could react in shock, he saw the strings riddled with cracks and the nearly broken bow in his hand.

This old cello, his companion for four years, had finally reached its limit, meeting its end during this final performance.

Huai Shi stared blankly at the cracks in his instrument for a long time before regretfully releasing his hold. I'll have to find another craftsman to repair it, but I'm not sure if I can find a suitable luthier...

His heart felt heavy.

And when he slowly lifted his head, he saw only silence.

No one was speaking.

Vivian slowly removed her glasses and set them on the table, her fingers trembling slightly.

"What is this?"

She seemed still immersed in the passionate and sorrowful melody, her eyes slightly reddened, her voice hoarse and suppressed.

"This is Fate, my dear," Newman sighed, reminded of his daughter who had died young. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I believe this is an unfortunate Fate..."

In the unsettling quiet that made Huai Shi particularly anxious, Li ZhuHui, who was seated at the front, was the first to raise his hand and applaud, offering his admiration for the brilliant performance.

Following that, a round of applause erupted from the old man's hands, so fervent it almost burst through the soundproof doors of the audition room.

"Perfect! Perfect!"

Schlot, snapping out of his surprise, stood up first, no longer hiding his admiration. "Such abundant emotion is enough to cover all technical flaws! Devilish charisma! You're simply a natural musician, Huai! I already foresee the emergence of a master—no, a second Paganini!"

"It's hard to imagine that the graceful Miss Ai could teach a student so... wild," Newman said as he stepped forward to shake his hand. "I believe that within no more than two years, Vienna will have a place for you."

Miss Gren, whose expression had remained stern from beginning to end, was more direct. "Have you signed yet?"

"Huh?" Huai Shi was taken aback, not quite grasping the situation.

"Huai, EMG welcomes you. Wait a second, that old fart Newman is definitely going to spout nonsense again, but Rolling Stone will always just do second-rate rock. If you don't want to be someone else's accompanist forever, EMG is the perfect place for you." Without waiting for Huai Shi to react, she stuffed a business card into his hand. "Think it over—"

She didn't finish her sentence. Newman, the hefty old man from Texas, pushed her aside. He grabbed Huai Shi's hands to prevent him from leaving and then incessantly praised the virtues of Rolling Stone.

Surrounded by a group of old men and women whose eyes glittered with US Dollar signs, various business cards kept being handed to him, followed by probing questions about his situation. From when he started playing the cello to whether he had ever been in love, they were like a group of Bagua reporters...

"Anyway, I should start by saying thank you," Huai Shi suddenly said, interrupting their words of praise. He carefully placed his cello on the chair, turned, and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you, teachers, for your praise, and for allowing me to complete this audition and fulfill a wish," he said.

As he spoke, he raised his eyes. From his pocket, he calmly took out a gun and loaded it methodically. Looking around at the astonished faces, he said softly, "Although I'm a bit slow to catch on, I'm not so insensitive as to not notice all the deadly Source Substance outside. Not to boast, but I'm quite sensitive to other people's malice."

"Now—" he said. "Perhaps I can discuss with the gentleman hiding here how the problem should be resolved."

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