come back to the basics

I

Seana walks down the stairs towards the rehearsal room. As she descends, she hears a heated argument coming from the recording studio. Glancing at her watch, she realizes they're running late for the concert. But something about the argument makes her pause.

I was heading downstairs, already running late. But the shouting from the recording studio stopped me in my tracks. Liya... her voice trembled as she spoke on the phone.

Seana edges closer, listening in on Liya's conversation.

-Why? Why would you do this to me?

-Do you really think this will make me forget the truth?

Liya's shaky breathing fills the silence. Seana freezes, unsure whether to interfere

-Forget about me. Pretend none of this ever happened. You never loved me anyway... and you know what? I don't love you either. Because now I know what you really are: a horrible person.

Liya hurls the phone against the wall and bursts into tears. Seana, shocked, watches her.

-Are you... are you okay? I mean... are you up for the concert?

Liya looks up, her eyes bloodshot. Seana notices her hesitation. For a moment, it seems like Liya is about to break again, but she takes a deep breath.

-Yeah. I'm better than ever.

Her voice doesn't match the icy coldness in her gaze. Seana notices, but she chooses not to push.

Liya and Seana leave the studio and get into Ruth's car. The atmosphere inside is suffocating. No one says a word. Seana puts on her headphones, trying to lose herself in music. After a while, Ruth breaks the silence.

-Liya, are you really okay?

Liya remains silent, staring out the window. From the backseat, Seana glances at her. She knows something is wrong, but she doesn't know how to approach it.

There was something in her silence that unsettled me. And then it hit me

- was it my fault?

- Maybe all of this... maybe I'm the one to blame.

Liya sighs, still ignoring Ruth's question. As Seana sinks deeper into her thoughts, a hollow feeling starts to grow inside her.

Maybe I had been ignoring my own feelings for too long. But now there was no escaping them. Something inside me was still broken, though I didn't know why. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't even do that.

The tension in the car keeps building, but they finally reach the venue

The girls prepare for the show. Koen, the presenter, greets them with a warm smile. But Seana can't focus. The emptiness inside her is gnawing, and her worry about Liya only grows.

-Welcome! I hope you enjoy tonight as much as we do. The audience is dying to see you!

Seana forces a smile, stealing a glance at Liya, who seems completely out of it, clutching her guitar tightly. Her phone buzzes, and Seana notices the change in her expression.

Liya seemed like she was in another world. Whatever was on her phone... it was getting to her. I could see it in her trembling hands, in the way she avoided all eye contact.

The show begins. The audience cheers, but Liya doesn't seem to hear any of it. She strums her guitar, but her mind is miles away.

Each chord she played felt hollow, like the music never reached anyone's ears. While Ahvi and the others gave their all, Liya struggled just to keep it together.