The night refused to leave Max's head.
Even after he lay down, even after he shut his eyes to perhaps force his brain's sleep receptors to work, even after the usual Snoop Dogg and Eminem blastings that usually lulled him to sleep, that shimmer in the sky kept replaying in his already tired brain.
It was quick, subtle, and easy to ignore, but Max was not the type to ignore things that felt off.
He turned over on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Damn…"
He rubbed his face. "Why that feel like a warning though?"
Sleep came late, dragged in like a reluctant guest.
…
Morning came loud again.
This time, it was not from knocking but rather from his phone vibrating like it had epilepsy or a feminine orgasm.
Max groaned and reached for it blindly. "Who dying this early...?"
He squinted at the screen and immediately, he saw ArtStream notifications, mentions, messages, and tags.
His performance from last night had officially blown up.
Max sat up slowly. "Oh... okay."
He opened one of the clips, it was his closing performance. The crowd reaction, the emotional shift, and the comments that followed were wild.
["This guy turned the whole song upside down!"]
["Who is Max Walker??"]
["He made me feel anxious and sad at the same time, how??"]
Max scratched his cheek, half amused. "Damn, y'all really going through it huh?" Waking up every day to see himself trending online was still new to him, he was yet to get used to the celebrity life.
Just about then, he saw another video. This time, it was the artist who had made the original song that was adapted.
He had some words for Max.
"Hey my man, saw what you did on the stage last night dawg. You made even I, the owner of the original song feel goosebumps listening to how you reinvented the song. Kudos to you, amigo. Bless up."
Hearing that, Max grinned from ear to ear with excitement.
Then, the Artifice System interface flickered again.
["Artifice Energy"]
["Total: 1412"]
Max let out a low whistle. "Yeah... that's the jump I'm talking about baby!"
The number was climbing faster now as recognition stacked, his momentum was building.
He leaned back against the headboard. "Aiiit, we getting somewhere."
But even as he smiled, a thought crept in quietly, Vale's words from last night. 'Rapid growth attracts attention.'
Max's expression dimmed slightly.
"Yeah.... I gotta chill a bit."
He had no intention of stagnating his own growth to satisfy anybody, he just want to hide it better.
…
Rehearsal started earlier than expected that day.
The energy inside the practice hall felt sharper. More focused. Word had spread. Max Walker was not just another contestant anymore.
He was a threat.
Max walked in casually, hoodie on, hands in his pockets.
A few heads turned. Some curious, some impressed, some..... calculating.
Max noticed all of it. "Yeah... I see y'all."
He kept his expression relaxed though. No need to feed the tension.
Jalen walked up beside him. "Celebrity lifestyle treating you good?"
Max smirked. "Man I'm still broke, chill."
Jalen laughed. "Give it time."
Across the room Victor Kane was already practicing again.
Perfect posture, controlled breathing, every movement intentional.
Max watched for a second, then nodded. "Dude really locked in."
Lila joined them quietly. "You should be too."
Max glanced at her. "I am."
"No," she said calmly, "you're talented. That's different from being disciplined."
Max raised an eyebrow. "Y'all teaming up on me now?"
Jalen held up his hands. "Hey, ain't said nothing."
Max chuckled. "Aiiit, message received."
He grabbed a microphone and stepped onto a small practice stage.
But before he could start, a voice cut through the room.
"Max." Max turned.
Victor stood a few steps away, arms folded, expression serious.
Max tilted his head. "Yeah?"
Victor walked closer. "Let's run something."
Max blinked. "Run what?"
Victor's eyes locked onto his. "A performance exchange."
The room quieted slightly. A few contestants looked over.
Max scratched his chin.
"You mean like.... practice battle?" Victor nodded. "Interpret the same segment. Back to back."
Jalen whispered under his breath. "Oh, this 'bouta be good."
Max grinned slowly. "Say less."
They stepped onto the same rehearsal platform. A small crowd gathered. No judges, no cameras, just raw competition.
Victor gestured. "You go first."
Max shrugged. "Aiiit."
The instrumental played softly. Max closed his eyes for a second, then sang. Short segment, focused, controlled.
He didn't go all out, just enough.
Enough to show skill, enough to feel—but not enough to reveal everything.
When he finished, a few people nodded. Solid.
Victor stepped forward immediately after, no hesitation. His voice cut through the whole room like clean glass—perfect pitch, perfect control.
His version felt sharper, more refined. When he finished, the room reacted stronger. More impressed, more certain.
Victor looked at Max. "Again."
Max smirked slightly. "You greedy huh."
But he stepped forward again.
This time he adjusted slightly—adding more emotion, a little more weight, still holding back, still controlled.
Victor followed. Pushing harder, matching intensity, raising the bar.
Back and forth, the energy shifted.
This was not practice anymore.
This was a quiet war.
The "Art of War", just like in the Sun-Tzu book.
Max felt it—that familiar pull inside his chest. The System flickered.
But he ignored it. Not now, not here. He didn't need help to stand his ground.
On the third round, Max switched it. He changed rhythm mid line. Bent the melody, added unpredictability.
The room reacted instantly.
Victor paused—just for a fraction of a second, but it was enough.
Max saw it.
"Gotcha!"
Victor finished strong, but that moment had happened. Small, subtle, real.
Silence lingered.
Then the room buzzed again. Victor stepped back, studied Max, then gave a small nod.
"You f*cking dangerous." Max grinned. "Told ya."
Victor turned away without another word.
But something had changed. Respect—not friendship, but acknowledgment.
Max hopped off the platform.
Jalen walked up immediately.
"Bro.... that was nuts!"
Max shrugged. "Light work."
But inside, he was thinking.
"Man, I gotta keep up."
Because Victor wasn't playing. And neither was he.
#####
Later that evening, Max stood alone again on the balcony.
The city glowed below—alive, endless.
But his eyes were not on the streets. They were on the sky, waiting, watching patiently, for that shimmer. For that sign.
Minutes passed, nothing happened.
Max exhaled slowly.
"Maybe I'm overthinking it."
He turned to go back inside.
Then—a pulse.
Faint. Quick. But there.
The barrier flickered again.
Max froze. His jaw tightened slightly.
"Yeah.... nah."
"That shi* ain't normal. At least not anymore."
And this time, he didn't just feel uneasy. He felt cert
ain. Something was coming.
And whatever it was... It was getting closer.
And everything might be about to go to shi*.