Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Seventy-Three ۞ Eyes Open

February and January were such troubled months. 😭

The highlight of the day had finally come. At the center of the arena was a tented space. Beneath the cloths were potrusions, framing silhouettes of objects they could not guess. Despite the Twelve wanting for a last minute practice, it was nearly impossible, especially since there were already spectators.

People were expecting a fight, especially since the past few days had been like that. The audience tend to have misconceptions and are often misinformed. For sure, they would be taken aback by the performance the Twelve prepared. Not a fight, but an equally good show.

The Twelve had decided to go with their regular uniforms. It looked formal enough and seemed only proper, especially since they were representing the academy. At the end of the day, although it took a lot of effort and perseverance to stay and continue studying, people ought to know how to have fun. The academy wasn't only made of duels or learning to slay demons, but living life the way one wants while showing discipline and responsibility.

Valeriana was wracked with anxiety. This would be the first time for her performing in front of such a large crowd. In just a few moments the presentation would start. The other rankers looked giddy with excitement. Genevieve was being bothered endlessly by Tamara. She was finally smiling after a while.

"Good afternoon, folks!" echoed a voice. "Let me introduce to you Celeste Academy's pride and glory! The Celestial Twelve!"

The audience quieted and the Twelve entered the arena. Keelan took the liberty of grabbing the ends of the cloth covering the stage and pulling on it to reveal the set. The cloth fluttered and collided with the wind as a round of gasps rang once eyes landed on the instruments.

The Twelve and one extra proudly took their place. Zion grabbed his electric guitar, earning looks of curiosity from the audience. Rowe took his place and found a comfortable position to play the guitar. Charles did a few finger positions with the bass and strummed softly enough that it was subtle. Valeriana took her seat behind the drums while Corvan sat before the piano. Tamara stood before the Valemnian version of the microphone--the resonance device made from resonance stones. As second voices, Aneeka and Elfre took their place as well. DJ Keelan stood before his post.

After a brief testing whether the instruments were in tune, Tamara was given the signal to start.

"Hellloooo, everybody!" Tamara said. "I bet you're not expecting this. Don't worry, you came to see a show so we'll give you one. We picked a couple of songs and adapted a form of human technology at Valeriana's suggestion."

"Human technology?" people chorused.

"So the first song we're going to perform is Eyes Open by the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The message from this song is very timely and relevant to us so we picked it as an opening. We'll then follow it up by Maroon Five's Sugar to add a dash of sweetness to this performance, then The Band Perry's Done and Avril Lavigne's Alone for some wild wild feels! After that, we got Brave by Sara Bareilles. We'll close it all up with Long Live for a hint of nostalgia." She winked at the audience, who looked beyond lost. "Anyway, if you did not understand any of those, no problem. We'll make you. Guys!"

Valeriana did a swift drumroll, making the audience gawk further. Headmaster Kylon and Seraphina were beyond astounded while Lord Aeron was clapping--cackling like his usual self. Lord Lienhard was smirking the entire while and nodding his head approvingly. After the drumroll, Valeriana did the signal count.

"One, two . . . one, two, three!"

Zion hit the opening notes with his electric guitar and Tamara sang.