See the Light Chapter 2 Song for the Souls Part 4

Chapter 2 Part 4

I pointed to the guitar hanging on the wall, its strings covered in a thick layer of dust, and the wood worn and cracked with age. “Does that guitar work, or is it just a relic?”

The bartender’s eyebrows arched in surprise, his gaze shifting to the neglected instrument. “You can play?”

“Yes,” I replied, a hint of nostalgia slipping into my voice. “But only if it still has some life left in it.”

His eyes lingered on the guitar for a moment before he slowly nodded. “It works. But no one’s touched it in eighty years.”

“Eighty years?” I repeated, incredulous. “What happened?”

His expression darkened, the light in his eyes dimming as he spoke. “People with the elements came. They changed everything. Now everything’s about efficiency and control. Music, art, the things that once fed our souls, were deemed unnecessary. We give them food and supplies, they give us housing and health. They extend our lives, keep us safe. But they took something from us too.”

He paused, his voice growing bitter. “Today, everyone wants to learn how to wield the elements. They trade their passion for power, their creativity for control. No one has time for music anymore, no need for it. Why bother learning to play when a wave of the hand can do what a song once did?”

I frowned, trying to grasp the full weight of his words. “So people don’t play from the heart anymore? They don’t make music with their hands, with their souls?”

His gaze grew distant, his tone laced with a sorrow that ran deep. “That’s right. Music has become just another casualty in our pursuit of convenience and power.” There was a sad tone to his voice…

"Everyone would pay a high coin for someone who can play," the bartender suddenly remarked, his tone thoughtful, as if considering the rarity of such a skill. "It may be unnecessary, but it’s certainly unique."

"And what about someone who can sing?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, gauging his reaction.

His smile widened, a gleam of interest sparking in his eyes. "Now that might bring even more business to my place."

"Let me show you what I can do first," I suggested, my fingers itching to touch the instrument. I reached for the guitar, my hand hesitating as I marveled at the material—so familiar, yet inexplicably different.

It felt strange in my hands, the consistency of the material unlike anything I'd ever known. But I pushed that thought aside. Focus. I needed to see if I could make this work.

I plucked the strings gently, feeling the vibrations under my fingers. The system was the same, but the sound—it resonated with an otherworldly timbre, as if the frequencies here were... off, somehow. But music was universal, wasn't it? No matter the world, the planet, the reality. I took a moment to tune it, my ears adjusting to the new sounds, before I began to play.

The room fell into a hush, all eyes on me as the first notes filled the air. The melody was a ghost from my past, a fragment of a memory shrouded in uncertainty. I couldn't recall its name, but I poured my heart into it, letting the music speak for me. The notes trembled and soared, telling a story even I couldn't fully grasp.

And then, I began to sing. My voice wove through the melody, climbing from deep, soulful tones to high, ethereal notes. It trembled, intensified, and softened, carrying with it all the emotions I couldn’t put into words. The room was silent, captivated, every eye on me as I drew them into my world, even if just for a moment.