REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 44: Panic...

Elara stood behind the large curtain which separated the preparation hall from the stage. She could already hear the faint chatter of the crowd and the clinking sound of glasses.

Ziva stood right behind her. Her dressing was quite impressive today, but still a bit, off. She wore a neat blouse tucked into flare trousers. If only she hadn’t worn that puffy coat on it, maybe it could have been better. Glasses were on her eyes as usual, and the beret on her head also contributed to her overall look. Serious but weird.

Ziva’s hand reached out and pat her hair lightly. "Always try to look good, no matter what," she said in a low voice.

Elara couldn’t help but turn and flash her a small smile. "Well It’s not like I’m here for a beauty contest," she said.

Ziva scoffed and shook her head slowly. "It’s not just about what you sing. People notice everything. Stand out even if you think you don’t need to."

Elara felt a small warmth in her chest. She turned back toward the curtains, trying to look past the fabric. She thought quietly to herself.

No matter how people turned against you, no matter what they say or do... there are still people who care. There are still people who believe in you.

A lady walked in through the curtains from the stage. She was the singer whom Elara would perform after.

She didn’t even spare Elara a glance and Elara didn’t react either. None of these singers were familiar to her. They didn’t matter. What mattered was her song, her voice and the stage.

Elara took a slow breath, pushing her mind to regain its focus. Ziva patted her back again. "Go, and don’t try to impress anyone. Just sing your way. Your own voice is enough." she said quietly, a small smile playing on her lips.

Her own voice... that’s all she need. The words echoed in Elara’s mind.

Before Elara could take a step, Ziva spoke up again. "And..Be very careful."

Elara gave a small nod, took another deep breath, and stepped forward through the curtains.

–

Inside a small lounge in another part of the building. A man sat in one of the armchairs leaning his back against it. His legs are stretched out in front of him and he kept turning an empty paper cup slowly in his hands. His eyes were half-closed. Every now and then, a faint echo of music slipped in through the walls.

Another man sat across from him, one leg crossed over the other, scrolling on his phone. He suddenly laughed at something on the screen.

"Listen to this line they want you to say in the next scene," he said, holding up the phone. "’Your eyes are the only thing keeping me alive in this storm.’ Can you believe they pay us to say stuff like that?"

He looked up with a grin. "I mean, come on. Who talks like that in real life?"

The first man opened his eyes fully and gave a small smile. "People who are in love, maybe."

"Yeah, right. Or people who are getting paid to pretend." The other man leaned forward. "You ever feel like that? Like the words are too big for your mouth?"

"Sometimes," the first man answered quietly. "But that’s the job. Afterall, It isn’t real."

The other man snorted. "You make it sound easy. I still feel like an idiot half the time."

"You don’t look like an idiot," the first man said with a gentle voice. " It’s normal for you to feel..."

The other man quickly waved a hand like he was brushing the compliment away. "Flatterer. Save that energy for the camera."

They both laughed softly. After a moment, the other man leaned back again. "You know what I get jealous of sometimes?"

The first raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"The singers. They open their mouths and something real comes out. No script. No director telling them how to feel. I wanted that when I was younger. I used to sing in the shower like I was on a world tour."

"You still do. I’ve heard you." The first man said, smiling a little wider.

"Shut up." The other man laughed, cheeks going pink. "I’m serious. I wanted to sing. But my voice? It’s like a dying cat. So I stuck to acting. At least here I can pretend I’m someone who belongs on stage."

He shook his head slowly. "Your voice isn’t bad. It’s warm."

The other man rolled his eyes but looked pleased. "Yeah, yeah. Keep sweet-talking me. Maybe I’ll believe it one day."

The first man reached over and gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "Stop talking like that. I’m as straight as an arrow."

The other man burst out laughing. "Sure you are. That’s why you keep staring at me during the love scenes like you’ll devour me right there."

The first man laughed too. "That’s called acting."

"Uh-huh. Flawless acting."

They both chuckled again.

Outside the room, the music from the venue drifted in again. The first man tilted his head toward the sound. "That person singing is quite good."

The other man listened for a second. "Sounds good. Whoever that is, they’ve got something." he said.

The first man nodded slowly. "Yeah. They do."

The other man watched his face. "You love music too, don’t you?"

He looked back at him with a small smile. "I do. But acting is where I feel most al—" his words suddenly got caught in his throat.

A new voice drifted into the room and his smile froze.

_

Elara was in the middle of the song. Her voice was not too slow and not too fast. For the people listening, it felt simple and clear. Like she was only expressing what she felt, and not trying to impress anyone.

She was almost through the song now. And she was quite thrilled that there was no mishaps.

But maybe she shouldn’t have thought of that. For suddenly...

When she reached the high note. The moment the whole performance had been building toward from the very beginning. Elara opened her mouth. And her voice broke.

The crack was sudden and it echoed clearly in the silent hall. For a split second her heart jumped hard in her chest, but she did not allow herself to look panicked.

She lowered the microphone quickly and cleared her throat calmly, as if it didn’t bother her a bit. Then she raised the microphone again and continued singing.

The next few lines came out smooth again and anyone who had not been paying close attention might have thought the break was only a small mistake.

The song continued. Then her voice broke when she reached the rising part again. This time she heard it clearly.

Her heart slammed against her chest. She was almost finished with the song. Why now?

She had practiced this song many times in her room. She had practiced it again and again in the practice hall. She knew every part of it. She knew exactly where the high note was supposed to rise and she had never broken there. Not even once.

Her face did not change. Her expression remained calm. But inside her mind everything was suddenly in chaos.

She could hear the murmurs starting in the crowd now. She could not hear the exact words, but she did not need to. She knew exactly what everyone would be thinking about right now.

Her mind raced quickly. Something was not right. Her voice had been perfectly fine all week. Even this morning when she woke up. There had been no problem during practice. This was not normal. Something outside her voice had caused this.

Just then her eyes dropped down toward the microphone in her hand...