Page 115 of Semblance

“The day you chose the Golden Virgin to be your precious soul mate was the day you allowed commoners to be a part of the Midnight Society’s affairs. You allowed them into the game,” Sinister replied. “Everything you do Shadow sets precedence and we all know there’s nothing more dangerous than precedence.”

“Don’t hurt him, please,” I found myself begging. At that moment, I didn’t care about anything else in the world besides Justin’s safety, whose only mistake in life was falling in love with me.

“Well my dear, that’s up to you now, “Sinister said. “Are you ready to save your friend?”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked.

The man gestured towards the grand piano. “Play for me,” he said.

“That’s it?” I was skeptical. “I can do that. And then you’ll let Justin go?”

“There’s a catch though,” he said. “I have a very fickle ear and absolutely detest mistakes. I can hear even the most minor ones. I demand an absolutely flawless technical performance.”

“What will you have me play?” I asked.

“Gaspard de la Nuit.”

My heart sank at the cruel twist of fate.

“You can’t be serious,” I exclaimed, recalling all my failed attempts at trying to master the difficult song. What he was asking me to do was impossible.

“I thought you dreamed of being the world’s best performer,” Sinister said. “You can’t be the best without taking on new challenges and facing pressure.”

I turned to Shadow. “I’m not good enough.”

“Aria, you can do this,” Shadow said to me, his voice void of any doubt. “You’re one of the most gifted pianists I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s impossible,” I shook my head. “I make at least ten mistakes on every play-through of the song. It’s far from perfect.”

“Is the Golden Virgin giving up already?” Sinister mused.

“No,” I said without hesitation.

“If the pressure is too much, then concede. I’ll take pleasure in listening to the melodic sounds of your friend’s screaming while he burns.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Justin stirring. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he fixed his gaze on me.

I ran to him.

“I’m so sorry Justin,” I said as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held him. The warmth of his tears trickled down my shoulders and I couldn’t help but cry with him. “I promise you I’ll get you out of this.”

I held him at arm’s length and looked into Justin’s eyes. “I’ll save you just like all the times you saved me during those first years of school. I promise.”

He closed his eyes and nodded, placing his survival within my fingertips.

“If we’re done with the melodrama, let us begin,” Sinister said, taking a front row seat. The doors to the auditorium opened and the masked guests began to file in, filling the empty seats. Sinister patted the seat next to him, motioning for Shadow to join him.

“Go fuck yourself,” Shadow replied.

“Fine, stand there then,” Sinister said, nodding to one of the demon-faced guards.

The thug jammed his gun into Shadow’s spine and left it there, making it seemingly uncomfortable for him.

“Come on then,” Sinister said. “Time’s wasting. We still have the bitch Calisto to deal with after this.”

I was incredibly nervous as I strolled over to the piano and seated myself at the bench in front.

I rested my fingertips atop of the keys and tried to rememberGaspar de la Nuitand its complex melody. Like a computer, I began downloading the sequence of notes from my brain onto my fingertips.

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