Music is the toughest and also the easiest to learn. But for a person who never played any instrument in his life and didn’t know anything about the music notes, it is impossible to learn and play the toughest melody in one day. It’s also an impossible task and we can also say it’s like a blind man winning the chariot race.
The situation is similar for Kent. He didn’t even know the basics of a music note. But for the sake of releasing his companions from the curse, he took on the most frustrating task. Adding to the hard work, the girl spirit’s irritating behaviour completely left him in chaos.
The days passed like minutes as he immersed himself in learning the music from the basics. He showed great patience to learn every single instrument to the perfection. But for a talented person, all he needs is a motive to learn anything. Such is the case of Kent.
33rd day…
Kent sat cross-legged on the eternal lotus flower, floating gently in front of the imposing rock edict. The ancient script carved into its surface glowed faintly, humming with a soft resonance that seemed to pulse with the same rhythm as his heartbeat.
The lotus shimmered beneath him, gifted by the God of Music as a vessel to meditate and absorb the melody.
The melody was called the “Ashta varna Svara Vibhuti,” a spell lost to time, split across eight sacred texts. [Eight souls radiance of self]
His eyes narrowed, tracing the glowing letters as he whispered the name to himself. “Ashta varna Svara vibhuti… The Eightfold Resonance of Self.”
The task began again, but this time with more command and perfection.
The days of hard work wore his mind as he already forgot about his surroundings and the very reason for doing this.
Yet here he was, tasked with mastering eight instruments at once, each one requiring a level of synchronization and skill beyond comprehension. His companions, frozen at the castle gates by the cursed melody, left him with no choice but to persist.
The girl spirit lingered in the shadows, perched on the edge of a floating platform. Her golden eyes followed his every move, curiosity flickering like candle flames.
“Look at him… he’s not even holding the right posture,” she muttered, crossing her arms with a sigh. “This is going to take forever.”
Yet, despite her taunts, her heart silently willed him to succeed. Kent’s triumph meant her freedom too, an unspoken truth that hung between them.
Kent exhaled deeply, raising his hand. The spell required more than just reading. It was alive, pulsating within the very instruments resting on the circular stone platforms.
Each instrument – a veena, tabla, flute, mridangam, sitar, tambura, conch, and bells – glowed faintly in their respective positions. The spell demanded that all eight be played simultaneously, creating the sacred melody that would lift the curse.
Before playing the melody, he began making final preparations.
Kent placed his hand over the veena [you can guqin] first, feeling the cold strings beneath his fingertips.
He plucked a single note, and it echoed across the hall, reverberating off the castle walls. A soft golden light spread from the veena but quickly fizzled. His grip tightened. The instruments responded to the correct melody, not simple notes.
One by one, Kent approached each instrument, experimenting and listening. His fingers stumbled, creating discordant sounds, yet he persisted. Hours melted away as he painstakingly memorized the sound of each note. His clothes were soaked in sweat, but the determination in his eyes burned brighter than ever.
By the time he attempted to replicate his first clone through the spell, the eternal lotus beneath him flickered, signaling exhaustion. He pressed on, chanting the ancient words, his voice cracking but steady. A faint shimmer appeared beside him – a second Kent, though distorted and hazy. The clone collapsed within moments.
“Tsk. I told you, posture matters,” the girl called. “You’re too stiff. Relax. Let the instruments lead you.” Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire
Kent inhaled slowly, centering himself. He adjusted his grip, allowing the veena to settle naturally in his lap. This time, the melody that emerged was smoother. Another shimmer, clearer this time, rose from the lotus. The clone stood tall, identical to Kent in every way.
He stared at the figure in astonishment.
“I did it…” Kent whispered.
“Hah. One down, seven to go. Don’t celebrate yet.” The girl floated closer now, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Still, not bad.”
Kent’s clones multiplied. Each success brought with it more confidence. By the time the eighth clone stood before him, he barely recognized his achievement. The clones moved in unison, each echoing his gestures. Through their eyes, he saw the world from eight different angles, their senses connecting to his as if they shared a single mind.
“This… is incredible,” Kent marveled, flexing his hand as his clones mirrored the movement.
The girl spirit watched with thinly veiled admiration, though she kept her distance.
“He actually pulled it off,” she thought. “Maybe… maybe he can really break the curse.”
With the clones ready, Kent approached the instruments. He stood before them, and with a simple nod, his eight selves moved into place.
The veena, flute, and sitar came to life under their fingertips, while the deep thrum of the mridangam and tabla resounded like thunder. The conch bellowed, and the soft chime of bells filled the hall.
The castle trembled, the black stones quivering under the harmony of the sacred melody. Golden light seeped from the floor, crawling up the walls. Each note seemed to peel away the darkness, transforming the once ominous structure into something radiant.
As Kent played, the curse slowly unraveled. One by one, his companions standing at the gates stirred, their rigid forms softening.
By the time the final note echoed, the dark castle stood bathed in gold, gleaming under the ethereal light.
The girl spirit blinked in disbelief. Her dark clothes turned into milk white, she transformed like a princess.
“He… actually did it,” she whispered.
Kent lowered his hands, his clones fading away as exhaustion overtook him. Yet his gaze never wavered from the sight of his friends returning to life.
At the far end of the hall, his baby dragon trotted forward, clutching a few glittering trinkets in its mouth. Kent couldn’t help but smile.
“Of course you were looting while I did all the work,” he laughed softly.
The girl spirit crossed her arms, pretending not to care.
“You’re not bad, human. I’ll admit that much.”
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New Year is very confusing guys…
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