The Last Song of the Angel

Revelation 8:1

"When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."

"August 19, 2023

The NHK cameras turned on, opening their eyes and capturing the exact moment when the five young women dressed in white entered the studio. Their synchronized steps were like a carefully choreographed ceremony, their hair adorned and combed with the utmost care, as the person who brushed their hair had captured one of their best works in each of them, a piece of their soul, as artists often do.

The presenter stood up to welcome them, and the five girls bowed in complete synchrony. The perfection of their movements impressed the presenter herself, who gave a shy smile to the cameras.

—We are here with the five biggest stars of the moment. Edelweiss! After their world tour and their nomination for the Global Harmony Award, we couldn't not have them here tonight. Welcome, girls! Make yourselves comfortable and take a seat.

They all looked at each other excitedly, some crossing their legs elegantly, but careful not to show more than they were allowed to. Others rested their bodies elegantly on the seats as they looked at the cameras like goddesses who had come to conquer the world, devour its soul, and make all of humanity theirs.

Haruka shone like no other, with those purple eyes and a face full of light and life.

—Haruka-san... your voice has been called 'the voice that can touch the sky.' How do you handle that weight? How does it make you feel?

Haruka looked at the interviewer with a slightly shy smile, her purple pupils contemplating with a transparency that perhaps many overlooked.

—To be honest, I don't feel that singing is a burden, I see it more to escape... to be free.

The presenter laughed with a hint of confusion on her face and turned her eyes back to Haruka as the audience in the studio fell silent.

—But... escape? You're the biggest idol of the moment... what would someone like you want to escape from?

Haruka looked at the floor as her colleagues watched her play with her thumbs.

—Silence... That's what many of us are prisoners of.

The presenter leaned subtly toward Haruka.

—And what does that mean, Haruka-san?"

She laughed to herself.

—Not all stars shine forever. The ones that shine the brightest are the ones that burn out the fastest.

Many of them smiled shyly at the cameras while some stared at Haruka, perhaps unaware of the behavior she had adopted a few months earlier. The presenter began to sense a slightly different atmosphere and tried to soften it and turn it into the same positive energy she always tried to convey.

—We had been informed that you are planning to release something this year. The producer told us a secret, that it's a new song. Is that true?

The audience was surprised as they let their voices of surprise echo through the studio. Everyone wanted to hear Edelweiss sing, or rather, everyone wanted to see Haruka.

Haruka nodded.

—Yes, it's the most special song we've ever made... it's called The Angel's Last Song. A song that is a letter to heaven.

The camera zoomed in on Haruka's face, who just watched with a somewhat lost smile.

—But there's something that caught the attention of everyone present... there's a part that has notes that are too high. According to the reports we've had, it's not possible to reach that note.

Haruka smiled as her hair covered her eyes.

—It's not impossible.

Haruka's friends looked at her, knowing her well and what she was truly capable of.

—To sing it, you must be willing to break inside to reach it. A note to break the sky.

The producer looked at Haruka with a hint of disbelief. Her beautiful hair was adorned with golden jewelry in the shape of angel wings, her eyes were shining, and there was a blush around them that further highlighted her beauty.

—Haruka... are you prepared?

Silence fell as she looked at the presenter with a cheerful, confident face.

—I'm ready..."

Nozomi took a deep breath. She looked at her sister, who was beautiful, as only an angel could be. The video ended there, with over ten million views. She looked up at the calendar and, out of habit, played the video again. Her laptop started the cycle again while her mind turned her body into a sea of nerves.

She had practiced and trained for a long time, but... did she really have what it took to get where she wanted to be? She wasn't sure.

Her room was filled with posters of many idols, both male and female. Her bed was large, and even though her aunt's apartment wasn't that spacious, it was very cozy, just like a home should be, although it wasn't always like that, and she knew that better than anyone. She lay down on her bed and looked at the few stuffed animals that had accompanied her since she left her mother's house. She gently picked up Mr. Sparkles and couldn't help but have sweet moments with him, although every rose has its thorns, and just as the good memories of playing with him blossomed, the same image hit her head and turned into thorns that wanted to suffocate her.

She put the doll away. She no longer fell into a state of hysteria like she had in the early years. In a way, she had managed to cope with that burden with the help of a psychologist, but always, in one way or another, these same emotions managed to gain ground in her mind and heart. She couldn't just erase that from her memory. The rest was clouded, but the image of her sister hanging in her room... seemed to torment her from time to time. Perhaps luckily for her, she no longer had nightmares.

She took her favorite juice box and looked at her sister again. Next to the main YouTube video were thousands of videos of her sister singing. Concerts, interviews, covers that many fans had made, some had even tried to sing her most famous song, all without success. No one had Haruka's voice, and she knew that better than anyone else in the world. All of that was just a graveyard of pixels that refused to die.

She took her cat pillow and hugged it while watching the video on her laptop.

—Haruka... are you ready?

Silence fell as she watched the presenter with a cheerful, confident face.

—Yes, I am...

Her eyes widened, she watched that last part of the video carefully, and as she moved closer to the screen, she noticed something that might have gone unnoticed before. Her sister's mouth seemed to tremble for a few seconds before saying that last sentence.

Her thoughts had left her lost in thought until the sound of her doorbell rang.

—Nozomi...

She looked at the door, coming out of those thoughts that were beginning to hold her captive like a siren's song.

—Y… yes?

—Mr. Asanabe will be here soon. You should get ready.

Nozomi just stood there silently watching.

—Yes... you're right.

Sayuri leaned against the other side of the door, her hand clutching her heart and her face nervous, her purple eyes only able to watch the sun streaming through the window and lighting up the hallway with a warmth that only it could provide.

—Honey... no... you don't have to do this. I...

Nozomi leaned against the other side of the door. Her black hair swayed over her shoulders, its strands playing until they hit the floor, while the shine of her hair glowed with the yellow of the sun, creating a silent piece of art that crept like a shadow toward them. Nozomi just stared at the laptop while her aunt's voice sounded a little distant.

—You can keep helping me sell flowers. Mrs. Kiyoko has a good time with you around.

Nozomi looked at her sister's cover, the group of five that had brought the world to its knees. "If she could fly like an angel, so I will too. She looked down at the floor, where there were many notes, she had taken, some pencils scattered on the floor.

—Nozomi... we can both be happy and live off what the flower shop gives us.

The door opened timidly and Sayuri took a few steps back. The clock ticked in the background, its gears continuing to mark the passage of time with the same sound it had always made.

—Nozomi.

You look at that girl who is like your own, a daughter. You didn't give birth to her, but it's as if you did. You look at her beautiful purple eyes, her cheekbones, her black hair that has a beautiful body, moving its strands all over her body. You can hardly believe she's a teenager because in your eyes you can still see her jumping in puddles when it rains. You are afraid, and even though you know where the root of that fear lies, you can only look at her with a trembling smile. The scent of roses permeates her, and she seems so innocent, so beautiful and fragile.

—Aunt Sayuri...

Sayuri clenched her fist tighter and tried to keep her voice steady. She was afraid, but she had to remain strong, as she had done since she adopted her and took her under her wing.

—Yes, dear?

Nozomi looked out the window as the sun beat down on them both and cast their shadows, shadows that were far apart, untouched, as if there were an invisible wall preventing those shadows from reaching each other and joining hands.

—Can you help me choose my clothes?

A tear fell from her eyes, her emotions eating away at her inside and slowly breaking down, although perhaps Sayuri was trying to stay strong. Nozomi just turned her gaze away, knowing that her aunt didn't want that for her.

—I'm... I'm sorry— she whispered gently as she grabbed her forearm.

—No...

Sayuri's hand touched hers, and she could see tears running down the woman's face.

—It's your dream. I support you, my little one, and... — She took a timid breath—. And I hope you go far and do well— She tried to give her a smile and speak with a hint of joy.

She hugged her tightly as the scent of lavender from her hair flooded her senses. Her tears perfumed Nozomi's hair, and she could only kiss those strands, yellowed by the sun. Then she looked at her tenderly, caressing her face. Her gaze was a shy smile tinged with a little fear, her eyes slowly letting tears escape that ran down her cheeks, leaving a wet trail of emotions behind her.

—I promise I'll take care of myself.

They both started picking out something pretty from the huge collection of clothes Nozomi had in her closet. They went through several dresses that she rejected until they found the right outfit. Her white ruffled panties were complemented by a beautiful pink striped skirt, slightly lifted at the back, and sneakers that matched her long socks that reached halfway up her thighs. Her yellow shirt was lifted by breasts that were nothing to be ashamed of for a sixteen-year-old girl, her hands were adorned with black gloves that left her fingers exposed, with a soft fabric that protected her skin. Her ears were crowned with earrings shaped like angel wings, golden as only a crown can be. Her black shoes sparkled in the sun, her eyelashes curved with shine, and her cheeks were highlighted by a small pink blush that was shyly camouflaged by her skin tone.

—How do I look?

—You look beautiful.

She began to comb her hair tenderly and delicately, as only a mother could do. As she combed her rebellious hair, she wondered if they would treat her as well as she did. There were many situations that bombarded her head with anger, but she could do nothing, only... finish getting her little girl ready to jump and shine like a star in space.

They both sat down while they waited for Mr. Asanabe to come for her. He was supposed to arrive in ten minutes, but the time ticking away on that cat-shaped clock seemed to be playing with them.

The silence was only interrupted by the fan on the ceiling. Her aunt could only stare at her hands in silence while Nozomi played with her hair, tangling strands between her fingers to turn them into spirals that then danced in the wind like a doll being wounded up. Both of their cell phones were on the table. The clock kept a slow beat, playing in the silence to lengthen the time in a spiral that seemed almost eternal until a call broke the sepulchral harmony that had inhabited Sayuri's apartment that day.

Nozomi picked up her cell phone.

—It's Mr. Asanabe. He says he's just around the corner.

Her aunt swallowed and looked at her for the first time since they had sat down in the living room.

—Very well. We mustn't keep him waiting.

She got up from the sofa and held out her hand. Nozomi, as if she were a little girl, took her hand and together they walked toward the exit. Leaving the apartment, they took the elevator down to the main exit.

As they entered the lobby, they saw an old black Toyota Crown drive down the narrow street and stop in front of the building. It wasn't a new car; the shine of its paint was beginning to fade with the passage of time, and small traces of rust were visible on the edges of the doors. Even so, it remained imposing, as if the weight of all the trips, contracts, and tours it carried gave it a quiet air of respect.

How many times had Haruka sat in it? Nozomi wondered as the sun shone down on the car, making the black paint gleam in the light of the fiery god that loomed over the city.

Sayuri looked through the door with a knot in her stomach as Nozomi adjusted the hem of her skirt. At that moment, the back door opened slowly and the figure of Riku Asanabe appeared, his bearing as rigid as in the past. His eyes scrutinized her with a certain harshness.

Mr. Asanabe wore a dark blazer, no tie, over a shirt with an exposed button. Sayuri looked at Nozomi and averted her gaze from Mr. Asanabe's. She didn't want to look him in the eye; she didn't even want to leave the reception.

Nozomi looked at her with joy and a white smile full of emotion and fear.

—Honey...—She bent down to her height and took her by the shoulders. His hands were shaking. "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you and you will always be special to me."

Nozomi took her aunt's hand and squeezed it tightly.

—Thank you, Aunt Sayu.

Her hands moved away, and she walked with measured steps toward the car.

You watch her leave... your hand trembles. Don't let them take her away. Your mind can see Haruka, only nine years old, in her sailor suit, a blue skirt, and an adorable little beret on her black hair. Is it a mirage? Tears tremble in your eyes as you try to maintain your composure... your spirit wants to cry, but your body won't let you. Not until she leaves, you won't let her see you falter.

You must be there for Nozomi, you are the only family she has left, her father abandoned her before she was born and her mother... you try not to think about it, but you can't. "Don't let them take her away, they'll kill her like they did with Haruka. Don't let her walk to her grave." But what if she can fly? Birds fly above the storm and thus avoid it... you don't really know if she can. You can only watch her get into that black car... your daughter... the only one you have left.

Nozomi, before getting in, turned around, looking at that woman who was trying to hold back her tears and maintain a composure that was crumbling as easily as ice melts in spring. Nozomi gave a shy goodbye, although perhaps in her eyes it was a see you soon, but she knew in her heart that her aunt couldn't see it that way.

Asanabe just watched Sayuri from afar and couldn't help but feel a slight pang of remorse. The look on that woman's face was another nail in her coffin, and she tried to get into the vehicle while subtly adjusting the collar of her shirt.

When the car drove away, Sayuri's legs trembled, buckling until she hit the ground. The wall she had barely managed to maintain came crashing down as easily as a child pulling the wings off a fly.

Tears streamed down her face, which trembled along with her hands, and the only sound that could be heard throughout the reception area was that song that can only be heard when a loving soul shatters into a thousand pieces and scatters its heart across the floor. The doorman walked slowly over and took her hands.

—Sayuri...

—My... my little one, they took one of my little ones away again.

The man hugged her as she trembled, sniffled, and bumped into his shoulder. Perfuming him with the scent of her tears.

—Shall we go for some tea?

Sayuri looked at him, sniffling, and in her own eyes she could see the tears blurring the man's gaze and running down his cheeks...

...

The air conditioning moved her body around the car and Nozomi seemed nervous, playing with her thumbs while Mr. Asanabe watched her out of the corner of his eye in the rearview mirror. He didn't want to do what he was doing, but Nozomi's insistence had given him an idea. Give her a reality check, because when the executives saw her, he knew the rejection would be total. Nozomi was beautiful, even for her age, but she could never be Haruka.

Someone like Haruka was born only once in a century, and a girl like Nozomi, without training, technique, or anything to help her, would be lost. That dream would die as soon as she started singing because, even if she didn't sing out of tune, the agency had lost a lot since her sister's death and wouldn't want to risk everything on her little sister, a young woman who, although she sang without going out of tune, was not even a shadow of Haruka.

She had heard her sing in the videos she had sent her, but they were simple songs by minor artists. But... her decision to sing "The Angel's Last Song" in front of the executives, a song that even the most talented voices had failed to perform... ... was madness.

She took a breath. At least when she collided with reality, that dream would die. Nozomi was rather behind; girls destined to be idols train from a young age. Maybe she did do something right after all.

—Are you nervous?

Nozomi looked out the window at the buildings.

—No.

—That's good. Confidence is the most important thing, so you don't get intimidated.

Nozomi took the necklace she was wearing, the last gift from her sister. At the end of it was a small sphere that, when opened, revealed the photo it contained. One where Haruka was carrying her on her shoulders. One where she was cheerful and happy. When Nozomi went to all the concerts with her mother.

—Haruka...– she murmured.

She closed the sphere, and it made a hollow sound. Luckily for her, they lived close to the city and the agency building could be seen from afar. Trees passed before her eyes and the weather provided a beautiful scene. The clouds played among the blue sky, chasing each other and leaving a trail like that of a painter on the firmament.

The agency building grew larger until she could see "Hoshizora Entertainment" in large letters. Her heart tightened and she clenched her fists as the car cautiously pulled up to the agency's entrance. The windows glistened in the sun and the wind whistled as if it was lost among the cars and trains passing through Tokyo.

—All right, little bird. We're here. Are you ready?

Nozomi looked at him with a flame in her eyes.

—At least she doesn't seem afraid. After she gets rejected, I'll comfort her a little. Hopefully, I'll make her feel better—he thought as he got out of the car and helped her by opening the door to her side.

They both entered through the doors, the air conditioning greeted them, and the heat was dissipated and muffled with extreme coldness.

—Wait here for a few minutes, I'm going to talk to the receptionist, so the executives know we're here.

Nozomi nodded and sat quietly while Asanabe got everything ready for her to do her audition, if she could call it that. The clock ticked away, and as she looked around, everything seemed different from any other building. There were images of many albums and covers of many idols she knew, boy bands, and other people who had managed to keep the company afloat after the debacle with her sister.

Mr. Asanabe approached Nozomi again, his figure towering over her, his shadow bathing her. With that tired look, he gave her a smile.

—Let's go to the elevator. They're waiting for us on the top floor.

Nozomi nodded, and together they went to the elevator. The man pressed the button for the top floor, and as the elevator began to rise, Nozomi's heart began to beat so hard that she thought it might explode and fly out of her chest.

She didn't know how to handle the sea of emotions that were overwhelming her. But she did know one thing: when she started singing, the world would stop. It had always been that way, ever since she had started singing and it had become her refuge. No, music was her refuge; singing was just the way she released her emotions so she could calm down. At that precise moment, she began to hum a song by an idol that had stuck in her head, even though she had originally heard it in a drama. Asanabe just raised an eyebrow as he watched her, but he didn't give it any more thought.

When they reached the top floor, Nozomi approached the window. To her eyes, the people were just tiny ants walking along the sidewalks.

—An impressive view, isn't it?

—Yes.

Mr. Asanabe touched her shoulder and pointed to a door near the elevator.

—It's there— he cleared his throat as he put his hands in his pocket.

Then he ran his hands awkwardly through his hair and tried his best to straighten Nozomi's shirt a little.

—I don't want you to think... that this will be easy or child's play—he said, without looking her directly in the eyes—. They are not easy people to deal with. If you fail, don't think they will have any mercy on you."

—I know—Nozomi replied. Her voice was a whisper charged with electricity. A voice that seemed to be suppressed.

—Well... I'll go this far. The rest is up to you."

Nozomi looked at him curiously.

—Aren't you coming with me?

Mr. Asanabe shook his head.

—Auditions are usually solo. But if you succeed, I'll buy you an ice cream. I promise.

She looked down at the floor sympathetically, then took a deep breath and walked to the door. Mr. Asanabe only saw her as her hair swayed.

—Mr. Asanabe...

Nozomi turned slightly.

—Thank you for bringing me—She tried to smile, but the smile broke as soon as it appeared.

With his thick hands, he gave her a thumbs up.

—Do your best. No... you don't have to be Haruka. Okay?

Nozomi swallowed. Tears tingled behind her eyelids, but she couldn't let them fall.

—Yes."

Nozomi touched the doorknob; it was cold. She was determined; there was no turning back. In her eyes, it either touch the sky or fall into the abyss.

The wood floor seemed to reject her, the cold atmosphere merely watching her in silence. The atmosphere on the other side was heavier, denser, charged with many memories and emotions that seemed to envelop the building. Nozomi cautiously closed the door and looked around the room.

It was large and beautiful, as befitted a high-ranking executive. One of the walls was entirely a huge window that revealed the sky, while at her feet the city of Tokyo was awake, moving people through its veins. The sun poured its golden light onto the marble, but despite its movement, it lacked warmth; it was not pleasant, and the same coldness remained in the room as the host.

Nozomi looked at the walls; there were gold records, perhaps awards that had been given to artists they had propelled to stardom. She felt like she was on another plane. Since she had entered the building, it was like being in another world, something foreign to her. A photo of her sister's group caught her attention. There were some photos of artists, but they were camouflaged among the records. But her sister... she was visible, even more so than the rest of the group. Her golden record was larger than the rest, and that made Nozomi's heart shrink.

At the back of the room, a large shadow was cast over Nozomi, as if it were ready to devour her.

The desk was long and wide, with a small green rubber plant to add some color to the room, something to refresh it. One of those present was a woman, her red hair shining in the sunlight that hit her back. Her glasses gazed at her with the look of a hunter contemplating small, defenseless prey. Her tight-fitting clothes were sexy, showing off a well-groomed, toned, and beautiful body, tamed by a face with lips painted a coagulated red, while the classic sound of the watch on her wrist made its presence known.

Next to him was a man with white hair, combed back in a curious style that Nozomi found amusing. However, the man stood like a statue, his shadow falling over the little girl, who could only meet those blue eyes that seemed to pierce her soul as easily as a cowboy draws a gun. She hesitated a little, and the chain on her slightly unbuttoned white shirt shook gently with her movements.

The third man had a meticulously groomed beard, his black glasses preventing Nozomi from seeing his emotions, and his suit and tie made him stand out with an aura of elegance that few people had, perhaps not even the executives of prestigious companies could arouse what Nozomi felt when she saw him.

—Welcome... Aihara Nozomi.

She bowed. While the woman glanced at the paper in her fingers.

—It's... it's a pleasure...—She tried to say as she bowed again, shaking her hair. However, her voice broke like a poorly held glass.

The woman silenced her with a barely perceptible gesture of her long fingers.

—Let's not waste time with pleasantries, girl. We know who you are. Or rather... we know who your sister was— Her green eyes sank into her with a harshness that hurt —. Are you sure you want to sing that song? It's an abyss, you know? One that even the greatest dare not peer into.

The white-haired man laughed dryly and took a cigarette out of his hand and began to smoke.

—You're only here because of your sister's name. Because of the respect we had for her as a professional. However...— He blew smoke out of his mouth. —. If you didn't have your sister's last name, you wouldn't be here.

—Nozomi, I don't want you to misunderstand us, but it was your sister who brought you here. We hope it's not a waste of time, as we all believe.

The words were bullets meant to shatter her soul, snakes around her neck meant to kill her. Nozomi grabbed her necklace and squeezed it tightly as a drop of sweat ran down her forehead, rolling down her cheek until it hit the floor. She gently touched the pendant and opened it to see the photo of her sister. Her fingers trembled a little, but she couldn't give up.

"For you... Haru."

—You will only have this one chance—said the red-haired woman, crossing her legs—No more, no less. If you fail, it will be all over, little one.

—Nozomi, are you sure you're really going to sing that song? Not even the most prodigious voices achieved what your sister did.

Nozomi's hands trembled, but she found strength in her weakness and, after looking at them with those fiery eyes, she replied.

—Yes—Her voice was a whisper, yet it vibrated with a sweet determination that was impossible to deny—. I'm ready.

The white-haired man pressed a button on the table. A soft musical wave began to ripple through the room, as if coming from another room, or another time.

It was a slow, restrained arpeggio, reminiscent of the whisper of the sea before it had decided to become a storm and turn its waves into seas of rage that roar like an animal attacking another.

Nozomi closed her eyes, letting the melody kiss her gently and its notes move through her body. The silence in her mind became eternal, one where she could only hear the beating of her own heart.

And then she began to sing...

"In the center of the light, where the applause falls silent,

your shadow danced behind the curtain.

God chose you from among all the angels,

But no one noticed that you were falling apart."

Her voice was soft, a fragile thread as thin as glass before it broke. But as soon as she began, something seemed to change in her. Something warm began to blossom in her chest, moving up her throat, causing the thorns of that vine to tinge her voice with a melancholy that began to bathe the dance floor itself.

Her eyelashes began to get wet with tears that suppressed her emotions in water and love. She still couldn't allow herself to do so. She felt an invisible hand on her shoulder and a chill ran through her body as quickly as lightning struck the ground. That was when she opened her eyes...

She continued singing.

"That "do" sharp in the sky broke,

and the stars, trembling, fell silent.

Your voice touched the soul of the world...

but it wasn't enough."

For just a fraction of a second, it seemed as if Haruka was singing. As if that voice began to weave, like a spider, beautiful cracks that embroidered the past and brought bittersweet memories. As if those vocal cords brought with them the scent of summer and changed all the light that had been denied and stolen from her.

The music began to rise, to fly, to build golden stairs to the sky.

Nozomi felt her lungs begin to gallop, her voice begins to burn as she climbed the steps one by one that the melody itself began to embroider.

"This is the angel's last song,

The feathers of your wings scatter across the sky.

A cry so loud that the air brakes,

a note so pure that it made the sky tremble.

Your voice reached the throne of God,

but in return...

it stole your peace.

And I... I will sing what you could not finish."

The executives began to marvel. They rose from their chairs as they watched the girl sing in disbelief. That girl sang with such a delicate edge that it seemed to cut through the air. It seemed to break the thin membrane that separates the human from the inhuman. The red-haired woman just leaned forward, as if something had scratched her from within, as she watched her friend's beard move with his half-open lips.

"It was impossible to sing.

That note—that note—

was a curse disguised as glory,

but you...

you reached it...

and the world devoured you."

Nozomi's voice was like a fire that began to burn them, and small tears began to well up in her eyes, moistening her closed eyelashes. The pores of the two men began to open as Nozomi's voice gave them goose bumps. The woman remained serious but confused. Who had it been? Who taught her to sing? It was impossible; her voice was beginning to reach notes that could only be achieved with training.

"Now it's my turn to look into the abyss

and raise my voice where you fell.

But I don't sing alone, sister...

I bring you with me."

Nozomi's voice began to splash off the walls, photographs, and records. None of that mattered anymore; it was as if the room itself was waiting for what she was singing.

"This is the angel's last song,

we will make God jealous.

Your voice opened the gates of heaven,

mine will break the sky.

I will not fear the height that brought you down,

because this time...

I will not sing for applause.

I will sing to break the sky."

Her voice was honey spilling from her lips, a voice so sweet, melodious but enveloping. It was like watching a demon singing to capture a soul. They felt their souls being dragged into an abyss from which they did not want to escape... but... ... Was it too soon?

—All right, this is the moment, kid. Let's see if you have what others don't— thought the woman as the song approached the note that no one had ever been able to sing.

The music rose in intensity, the instruments weeping in a sea of epicness as melancholy sickeningly stained the notes that mingled with Nozomi's enveloping voice. Her tears began to run down her chin as her hair shook with an elegance that made the sun follow her wherever she went.

"And you cried a note...

a single note,

higher than the cry of angels,

purer than the mantle of God."

Nozomi opened her mouth but paused for a moment. The music rose and rose; it would bring down the sky itself if it wanted to.

"Now it's going to break," thought the woman in red, almost with relief, as if a cruel destiny were finally being fulfilled.

—I knew it... How can a child get there? — thought her companion.

But Nozomi remembered her sister's hand on her head. She remembered the promise she could never make out loud, the day she stood in front of her coffin. "I'm going to sing for us. Even if the sky breaks me. And if the sky opposes me... I'll see it reduced to ashes."

—I'm sorry, girl. You're a long way from reaching your sister's pitch...—Her thoughts were cut short. Like someone suddenly cutting off a song.

And then she did it.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Nozomi's voice began to climb the steps one by one. She climbed and climbed without stopping until a point where what was humanly possible no longer mattered, only she and her voice were going to break the sky that Haruka could not break. A crystal note so high and clean that it made the soul shatter like glass shards. The marble seemed to vibrate along with the windows, the lights flickered for a few moments, and that second seemed eternal.

The woman's eyes flooded and drowned like a ship at sea; the white-haired man could only tremble as Nozomi's blade hit the ground. The executive with the big beard was sweating and shaking.

Nozomi stood there, holding a note that was impossible to touch. It was like seeing Haruka the night she premiered the song and brought the world to its knees, but... Nozomi... ...her voice had broken what seemed impossible.

Nozomi lowered her voice and looked at them with a gaze that completely hypnotized them and made them approach her. As if she could control them with just a glance into their souls. A woman capable of stealing the soul of humanity with her voice. An angel. Tears ran down her face and her purple eyes laid bare the souls of those who thought they had seen everything.

"This was the angel's last song,

but in my voice, it has become immortal.

I am the echo of your sacrifice,

and together we will shine, even in the darkness.

Let the world hear and tremble again,

for this note is not an ending...

It is our rebirth.

The last song... has begun to play."

The instrument began to play softly, the violent notes now submissive and gentle.

They could only watch her crying, trembling, their faces wet with tears, while Nozomi did not even look at them, as if they did not exist. She was looking at the sky, the clouds, pointing her finger toward that same firmament.

—I... I..."

The woman could not even speak. Her voice trembled.

That girl did what even AI or voice programs couldn't do... one note... just one note... ... that broke the sky.