After the explosive cheers of Rin’s victory slowly faded, the festival organizers moved to prepare for the final cultural performance of the closing ceremony.
There were fireworks to be launched.
Noble sponsors to be acknowledged.
And one final act.
.
I stood behind the large stage curtain, hidden from view.
Distant voices called for the next segnt. Layla’s voice rang through the crystal amplifier, calm and professional.
"To conclude our festival’s final night... we present a special musical performance. A tribute, composed and sung by one of our own students. Please welco—Ashen Crimson."
A pause.
No claps. Just silence.
And then whispers.
Yes. That Ashen.
The cold one.
The stall runner.
The warrior who kept to himself.
I stepped onto the stage, alone.
The light above dimd.
A single spotlight followed as I walked to center stage, where a crystal orb floated mid-air—a sound amplifier, enchanted to carry every note, every breath.
Before , the entire academy.
Nobles. Royalty. Faculty. Students. Citizens.
And among them, my team.
Masha, silent and observing.
Seraphina, arms crossed, her usual smirk gone.
Layla, biting her lip, worried.
Lucielle, hands clasped, whispering sothing no doubt embarrassing.
Selene Crimson—my so-called mother—seated with teary eyes already.
But she wasn’t who I was thinking of.
No.
My thoughts drifted to another woman.
The one who raised in a different world. In another life.
She was never royalty.
She had no title.
Only tired hands and aching legs. A cracked voice. A kind heart.
My mother from Earth.
And this song... was for her.
I closed my eyes.
There was no music playing.
No orchestra.
Only silence.
And then... I began.
My voice didn’t rise from my throat.
It echoed from my heart.
"Hold my hand, Ma, teach once more, Lift like you used to before. Wipe my face with your soft old shawl, This world feels dirty, I’m feeling small. A aa I ee U uu Ay ai O au An ah..."
My voice quivered at first, raw and untrained. But I didn’t care. This wasn’t a performance.
It was a confession.
The orb amplified the emotion, not just the sound. With each line, my soul poured out.
"When life stares hard with ruthless eyes, I miss the anger you’d disguise. Even your scolding ca so light— Like flowers blooming in the night. Why, oh why, can’t the world be like you? So warm, so fierce, so pure, so true..."
Gasps echoed from the front row.
Selene covered her lips.
Evelyn closed her eyes.
Lucielle was already weeping, mascara streaking down her cheeks.
The hall had gone utterly still, every heartbeat echoing louder than the amplified voice.
"My head’s on fire, Ma, since the dawn, Place your hand, and the pain is gone. ’Did you eat?’ or ’Why so late?’ No one here asks. No one waits... A aa I ee U uu Ay ai O au An ah..."
I saw even the royal guards—stoic, trained, unshakable—shift uncomfortably, so bowing their heads.
I sang not with musical finesse but with aching truth.
Each word a wound reopened.
"Diamond," you said, or "my shining stone," Why did you raise with love alone? Through your eyes, this world looked fair, But now no one sees with care. If they could see like you see, Would you still scold them all for ?"
My hands trembled at the microphone orb.
I rembered holding her hands as she lay on her hospital bed. That final goodbye. The silence that followed.
"I want to complain, they push around, They laugh, they taunt, they break down. Ma, please hide , call close— My heart feels cold, my soul exposed. A aa I ee U uu Ay ai O au An ah..."
In the crowd, a woman fainted into her husband’s arms, overco with emotion.
A child wept openly in the arms of her older brother.
The courtyard was no longer a festival. It was a temple. A place of mourning and healing.
"From your eyes, let the world be shown, Where I’m not scared, not left alone. Would you still scold them, make them see— What your love truly ans to ? Ma, this heart is bruised and black... Please, oh Ma... just take back. A aa I ee U uu Ay ai O au An ah..."
I let the final note fade into stillness.
Silence reigned.
Not even a whisper.
Not even breath.
And then, slowly, like the tide returning to shore...
Applause.
Soft at first.
Then thunderous.
I opened my eyes.
The entire audience was on their feet.
Not clapping out of politeness.
But because they had been shaken.
Moved.
They clapped with tears in their eyes.
I saw the Fire Queen Lilith close her eyes and bow her head.
Queen Althea wiped her cheeks.
Layla looked away, unable to et my gaze.
Sasha? She was openly sobbing into Seraphina’s shoulder.
Even the Vampire King dabbed his eyes with a velvet cloth, pretending it was dust.
But the one that hit hardest...
Was Selene.
She wasn’t just crying.
She was weeping.
Mouthing the words as I sang them.
Because for all her power, for all her dignity, she heard every word and felt every line.
And maybe, for the first ti, she realized...
That I was soone else, soone from another world, carrying a grief no magic could nd.
But the woman I sang to... she wasn’t here.
She never would be.
I bowed.
Only once.
Then left the stage, vanishing behind the curtain.
My heart pounded.
But it wasn’t from nerves.
It was from release.
For the first ti in two lifetis, I had truly said goodbye.
And I knew...
Sowhere, sohow, she had heard .
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Author’s Note:
This Chapter was deeply personal.
While Ashen’s journey is filled with battles, power, and ambition, sotis the quietest monts carry the loudest echoes. "The Song of a Son" wasn’t about skills or status—it was about love, loss, and mory. If it moved you, even a little, then it did its job.
We all carry soone with us. Soone we miss. Soone we’d give anything to speak to one more ti. This song was Ashen’s way of speaking to his.
Thank you for reading this far. If you’ve felt connected to this story, please consider leaving a comnt, sharing it with friends, or supporting it however you can. Every bit of encouragent helps this story grow and reach more hearts.
Stay with —Ashen’s story is only just beginning.
With gratitude,–ur_awsm_writter
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