The drop

The Climb

Chapter 2:

Kai's phone buzzed relentlessly the next morning, snapping him out of his dreamlike haze. He grabbed it, half-expecting the card in his pocket to have been some kind of elaborate joke. But the name on the screen was real: Nova Records.

"Hey, Kai, it's Jordan. We talked last night," said the voice on the other end. Kai could barely contain his excitement, his voice shaky as he replied.

"Yeah, man. I'm still processing it. You really think I'm ready for this?"

Jordan chuckled. "Ready? Look, you've got the sound. Your energy is there. The only thing missing is exposure. This festival is the platform. You open the night, play your best set, and we'll see where it goes from there."

Opening the night. Kai knew what that meant—he wasn't a headliner. People would be trickling in, maybe not paying attention at first, but he didn't care. This was his shot.

"I'm in," Kai said, his voice steadier now.

"Great. I'll send over the contract details and everything you need. Two weeks to prep. See you soon."

Kai hung up and slumped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Two weeks. Two weeks to get ready for the biggest night of his life. He'd gone from performing in near-empty clubs to preparing for a festival stage. His mind raced with possibilities, but beneath it all was the creeping fear: what if it wasn't enough?

Two Weeks Later

The night before the festival, Kai stood in his small apartment, surrounded by a tangle of cables, controllers, and screens. He'd been rehearsing for days, perfecting every transition, every drop, every moment. He barely slept, living off caffeine and adrenaline. His set was tight, his original tracks lined up with the remixes he'd polished over the past year.

But as much as he tried to focus, self-doubt gnawed at him. The lineup for the festival was packed with industry heavyweights. Echo, his idol, was headlining, and Kai was just the opener, the warm-up act.

"You're ready," he muttered to himself, pacing the room.

Late that night, a notification popped up on his laptop. A new message from Nova Records. Jordan.

Jordan:  "Quick heads-up. Looks like Echo will be arriving earlier than expected. He might catch some of your set. No pressure, man. Just do your thing."

Kai's stomach dropped. Echo? At his set? What if he messed up? What if Echo didn't like his sound? The thought of his hero watching him made his heart pound in his chest.

The hours ticked by until the sun rose. Kai packed up his gear, trying to calm his nerves. By the time he arrived at the festival grounds, the place was buzzing with crews setting up, vendors unloading, and the faint echo of sound checks filling the air.

Jordan met him by the backstage entrance, his usual laid-back vibe almost contagious. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Kai lied, though the nervous energy still coursed through him.

They walked through the sprawling festival site until they reached the stage. It was massive, larger than anything Kai had ever performed on. The sound system towered above, the lights rigged high, ready to flood the scene. He could see workers running cables, setting up lasers, and testing pyrotechnics for the headliners.

Jordan gave him a quick pat on the back. "Alright, man. You're up in an hour. Just let it flow."

Kai set up his equipment in a daze, watching the first wave of festival-goers trickle in. The sea of people grew slowly, and Kai could feel the adrenaline kick in. He did a quick check on his gear, his hands trembling slightly. This was real.

With fifteen minutes to go, he stood behind the DJ booth, staring out at the growing crowd. They were ready, and so was he—or at least, he hoped he was.

As the clock hit zero, the festival lights dimmed, and Kai took a deep breath. The crowd cheered, the energy of thousands of people already pushing him forward. He pressed play.

The opening beat of his first track filled the air, slow and haunting, building gradually. The crowd swayed, nodding their heads as the music took hold. Kai focused, lost in the rhythm, each transition smooth, each build intentional. He could feel the shift in the energy as people moved closer to the stage.

The bass dropped, and the crowd erupted. Kai smiled. For the first time in a long time, he felt in control. The energy was there, the connection he'd been searching for was happening. He watched as people danced, hands in the air, losing themselves in the music. His music.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure approach the side of the stage. It was Echo, flanked by his team, arms crossed, nodding along to the beat.

Kai's heart skipped a beat. He fought the urge to look over too often, focusing instead on keeping the momentum of the set going. But knowing his idol was watching him gave every track extra weight. He pushed harder, pulling out his best transitions, mixing in tracks he knew would hit with precision. The crowd was with him now, fully engaged, and the set was building to its climax.

With just minutes left, Kai queued up his final track—a new, unreleased song, one he'd made for this exact moment. It started slow, a deep, pulsating beat that swirled into an atmospheric build. The crowd's energy shifted again, ready for the final drop.

As the song reached its peak, the lights flashed, and the bass hit with an intensity that sent shockwaves through the crowd. The cheers were deafening. Kai could barely hear his own thoughts over the roar. He had done it.

As the last notes faded, Kai stepped back from the booth, breathing hard, his pulse racing. The crowd was still screaming, and for a moment, he let himself soak it in.

Echo was gone, but Jordan was at his side, grinning. "You killed it, man. I mean it."

Kai nodded, still in shock, the realization hitting him. He'd made it through. For the first time, he felt like he belonged. But deep down, he knew this was just the beginning. The climb had only just begun.