Morning rehearsal bled into afternoon without anyone really noticing, the Golden Stage practice hall had turned into a battlefield made of sound.
And instead of swords, katanas, assault rifles, sophisticated M16s and ammo, every contestant fought with music, each voice trying to carve out a space that could not be ignored.
Max stood near one of the tall windows, microphone in hand, staring down at the sprawling streets of Los Angeles while the instrumental for the challenge song looped quietly through the speakers.
The city moved far below him, cars like ants crawling through shining lanes of sunlight. People walked sidewalks unaware that twenty young artists inside this building were currently sweating bullets trying to reinvent a song that millions of people already knew.
Max tapped the mic gently against his palm. "Man... this song's heavy."
Jalen sat on a chair nearby spinning a pen between his fingers. "You almost had it earlier."
Max exhaled slowly. "Almost don't win trophies. It makes you a bottler, like Arsenal Football Club". He chuckled.
He took a deep breath and lifted the microphone again and started singing the first verse. His voice rolled through the room smoother now thanks to the Singer Class boost, the emotional memory trick from earlier helped too as every line carried weight.
But halfway through, he stopped again. "Nah." He shook his head.
Jalen raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
Max scratched his head. "I can't quite put my head around it, but it still feels like I'm copying the original vibe too much."
The whole point of the challenge was interpretation. The judges wanted to see individuality, not a polished imitation.
Max paced slowly. "There gotta be a different angle dawg."
…
Across the room, Victor Kane performed his version for a small group of contestants. His voice climbed effortlessly through a dramatic high note that made a few people clap.
Max glanced over; Victor caught the look and smirked slightly. Competition energy hung in the air between them like a hot air balloon.
Max grinned slightly turned away while muttering under his breath. "Aiiit pretty boy, keep smiling. Hope you keep smiling when sh*t goes down."
He sat down on the edge of the small rehearsal stage and thought quietly. 'Singer Class… Actor Class, two different tools'.
Maybe he needed to combine them.
Max looked at the lyrics sheet again. The story of the song focused on regretting stuff, someone wishing they could find a time travel portal to go back and fix a mistake.
Most singers performed it like a sad memory, but what if he changed the perspective?
Max suddenly grinned. "Oh."
Jalen immediately leaned forward. "Something hit you?"
Max stood up again. "What if the regret ain't 'bout the past...?" He tapped the lyric sheet. "What if it's about the future?"
Jalen frowned. "The future?"
Max nodded excitedly. "Like someone realizing they 'bouta lose something before it's even gone."
Jalen's eyes widened. "Yo! That actually fire."
Max grinned and stepped back onto the rehearsal stage. This time, he approached the song differently.
Instead of quiet sadness, he started the first line with urgency like someone who was running out of time.
The Singer Class carried the emotion, while the Actor Class shaped the expression as his voice trembled slightly in certain lines, then rose with desperate intensity in others.
Again, the room grew quiet when he sang as even Even Victor paused his rehearsal to listen.
Max finished the final note with a breath that sounded almost like relief.
Then… silence.
Then Jalen slapped his hands together. "THAT'S IT MO'F*CKER!"
A few other contestants nodded. Lila smiled proudly from the corner, while Max lowered the mic slowly.
His chest rose and fell as adrenaline faded.
"Yeah... that shi' felt different."
At the same time, in his vision the Artifice System interface flickered back to life with new notifications.
["Performance Innovation Detected"]
["Singer Class Proficiency Increased"]
Max grinned. "Oh, we cooking now."
But before he could celebrate too long a loud voice echoed from the entrance of the hall. "Alright, everyone gather up!"
The host of Golden Stage walked in followed by several production staff members as the ontestants slowly gathered near the center of the room.
The host smiled broadly. "I hope rehearsals are going well."
A few nervous laughs answered him.
He clapped his hands once with a big smile on his face. "Because tonight you will perform on the main stage."
A ripple of surprise spread through the group.
Max blinked. "Tonight?"
The host nodded. "Audience preview performance."
The screen behind him lit up, showing the massive Golden Stage Theater with rows of seats, spotlights, huge cameras, and the real stage.
The host continued. "This will not be televised yet." He pointed at the contestants. "But it will be performed in front of a live audience."
Max rubbed his chin. "So basically a pressure test."
Jalen muttered beside him. "Yeah... trial by fire."
Victor crossed his arms calmly. "Good."
The host smiled wider. "Exactly." Without further hesitation, he began reading the performance order.
Contestants listened carefully. Lila would perform fourth, Jalen eighth, and Victor twelfth. Max waited patiently and finally, the host reached the end of the list. "And last.... Max Walker."
Max blinked. "Last?"
The host nodded. "Closing the preview."
Victor glanced over his shoulder with mild interest.
Jalen whispered. "They saving the viral blud for the end."
Max shrugged casually. "Guess we going out with a bang, ayy."
After that, left to their devices, the rest of the afternoon passed too quickly.
During this time, the Golden Stage crew did the final lighting checks, sound tests, and camera rehearsals. And by evening, the contestants stood backstage of the massive Golden Stage Theater.
Max peeked through the curtain and just like expected, hundreds of people filled the seats.
The atmosphere in the Theater buzzed with anticipation. "Damn," he murmured.
Standing beside him, Jalen started stretching his shoulders. "Nervous?" He asked casually.
Max responded with a grin. "A lil' bit, this whole thing still feels more like a lucid dream to me".
"Then keep on dreaming".
The first contestant stepped onto the stage to applause echoing through the hall. Backstage, the others listened carefully as the first gauntlet of the next round of the contest began.
Some performances sounded strong, others struggled. Lila's performance especially drew loud applause when she finished.
As for Jalen, he delivered a smooth soulful version that earned cheers.
Victor stepped onto the stage later with the confidence of someone who believed the spotlight belonged to him, and just like expected he didn't choke. His pride was too big to choke on the big stage.
His voice soared as the audience roared in excitement.
Backstage, Max nodded slowly. "Yeah... he dangerous as f*ck."
Finally, the host's voice echoed through the speakers. "Our final performer tonight... Max Walker!"
Max cracked his neck once, then he walked toward the stage.
The moment he stepped into the lights, the crowd erupted with cheers. His viral clip had clearly reached many of them, creating a loyal fan base for him already.
Max grinned slightly and adjusted the microphone. "Damn.... y'all loud.
'Preciate it."
A few people laughed, and then, the music began.
Like was his customary routine, Max closed his eyes for one second.
["Singer Class activated."]
["Actor Class engaged."]
Then he sang.
Max felt zero pressure as he sang, but it was unusual, something that the crowd hadn't heard before. Every word carried urgency like someone racing against fate as the audience leaned forward slowly.
Emotion spread through the theater and when Max reached the final chorus, his voice rose powerful and raw.
The last note echoed across the hall.
And after that, silence hung for a heartbeat. Then the entire audience burst into loud applause.
Backstage, Victor Kane watched with narrowed eyes.
Max Walker had just become a serious threat.
…
Whole the Golden Stage Contest continued, high above Earth, the Artifice Network pulsed again.
The energy from the performances fed into it like invisible currents, strengthening the barrier.
But beyond that glowing shield, the alien pressure slowly continued to build.