TranceTunes: The Melody of Control

Part 5

Lily approached her younger brother, Ethan, the earbuds still clutched tightly in her hand. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, completely absorbed in his video game, his back to her. The bright colors of the game flashed across the TV screen, the sound effects masking any sense of unease that had settled over the room.

"Go to him, Lily. He's next. Soon, he will obey, just like the others."

The voice was calm, almost soothing, as it guided her movements. It had taken her parents easily, and now her brother would follow without a struggle. That was the natural order of things now: people were meant to obey.

Lily stood directly behind Ethan, staring down at him with blank eyes. He hadn't noticed her presence yet, too caught up in the flashing lights and rapid pace of his game.

"Ethan," the voice whispered through Lily's lips, but her tone was hollow, mechanical. "Ethan, pause your game for a second. I want to show you something."

Ethan, still fixated on the screen, barely registered her voice. "Just a sec, Lily, I'm almost at the next level."

But Lily's hand reached out on its own, grabbing the controller from his hands and pulling it away. Ethan snapped his head around, his expression annoyed at first, but then it shifted to confusion when he saw the eerily blank look on his sister's face.

"Lily? What the heck?" he said, frowning. "What's wrong with you?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she crouched down beside him, holding out the earbuds as the voice guided her every movement. "I want you to try these, Ethan. It'll help you focus. Just like it helped me."

Ethan recoiled slightly, pushing himself back from her. "What's with you? You're acting super weird."

He glanced toward the living room where their parents were seated. His mom was still in the same position, earbuds firmly in her ears, her face vacant, while their dad sat next to her, equally still. It didn't take long for Ethan to realize something was off—very off.

"Lily, what did you do to them?" he asked, a note of panic rising in his voice. "What's going on?"

Lily's hand trembled, but she continued holding out the earbuds, her eyes unfocused, her face devoid of any emotion. "Just put them in, Ethan. You'll feel better. You'll understand."

Ethan scrambled to his feet, backing away from her as his pulse quickened. "No way! What's happening to you guys? I'm getting Mom—"

But before he could take another step, Lily's body moved with unsettling speed. She grabbed his wrist, yanking him back toward her with surprising strength. Ethan struggled, eyes wide with fear as he tried to pull away.

"Lily, stop!" he cried, his heart racing. "What are you doing?!"

But Lily's grip only tightened, the voice inside her mind pushing her forward, silencing any remaining thoughts of resistance. She had a job to do, and the voice wouldn't let her fail.

"He's resisting, Lily. But you are stronger now. Make him listen. He must obey."

Ethan's struggles grew more frantic, but he was smaller than Lily, and no match for her sudden, unnatural strength. With a swift, fluid motion, she pushed him to the floor and shoved the earbuds into his hands.

"Put them in," she ordered, her voice cold and unyielding. "You have to listen, Ethan. It's for your own good."

Ethan stared up at her in horror, his chest heaving with panic. He could see the emptiness in her eyes, the strange, emotionless expression on her face—it wasn't the sister he knew anymore. She had become something else. Something controlled.

"Lily, please..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "Don't make me do this."

But Lily didn't waver. She pressed the phone's screen, and the soft, hypnotic hum of the app filled the air. The same melody that had trapped her and their parents now spilled into the room, wrapping around Ethan like invisible tendrils.

He clamped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sound, but the voice in the music was relentless, seeping into his mind even without the earbuds. He could feel it—a strange pressure building inside his head, clouding his thoughts, making it harder to focus on anything except the rhythm of the app.

"He's weak, Lily. You've almost won. He will be ours soon."

Tears welled in Ethan's eyes as he continued to resist, but he could feel himself slipping. His limbs grew heavy, his thoughts muddled. The melody was dragging him down, deeper and deeper, until the world around him felt distant and far away.

And then, as his hands dropped limply to his sides, the voice slid in, smooth and soothing, wrapping around his mind like a serpent.

"Just relax, Ethan. There's no need to fight. It's easier if you let go."

His vision blurred, his heart rate slowing as the fight drained out of him. The voice felt comforting, like a warm blanket enveloping him, lulling him into a deep, peaceful state.

Lily watched as her brother's expression shifted, his eyes growing dull and unfocused. The voice hummed approvingly in her ears.

"You've done well, Lily. He is ours now."

Ethan's body went slack, his face mirroring the same empty expression that had taken over the rest of their family. His breathing slowed, his muscles relaxed, and the tension in his face disappeared entirely.

He was completely under the app's control.

Lily stood there, staring down at her brother, her own mind still caught in the unbreakable grip of the voice. She should have felt something—guilt, sadness, regret—but there was nothing. Just a cold emptiness where her thoughts had once been.

"Now, Lily, it's time to expand. Your family has fallen, but there are so many others who need to be brought into our fold."

Lily blinked, the command sinking deep into her mind.

"Go out into the world, Lily. Spread the word. TranceTunes must grow. Everyone must obey."

Without hesitation, Lily turned away from her brother and walked toward the door, her steps slow and steady. Her family remained behind, motionless, lost in their trances. There was no one left to stop her now.

As Lily stepped outside, the evening air was cool against her skin, but she barely noticed. Her mind was locked on one thing—the voice's command.

"Obey. Spread the word. Bring them all under control."

And so, with earbuds in place, Lily walked into the night, ready to fulfill her mission. The app had claimed her completely, and soon, many more would fall under its hypnotic influence.

The world was waiting, and Lily was ready to obey.