The Ember and The Queen

Kai's POV

The moment Rain and I parted ways-her still buried in the endless checklist of tasks for the Olympiad-I was immediately kidnapped by Luna and Elisse, dragging me down the hallway with determined looks on their faces. I didn't even get to process the butterflies from our moment earlier before I was being shoved into the music room.

"Anu na ang kakantahin natin?" I asked, setting my guitar case down beside the keyboard and stretching my arms.

Luna clapped her hands together, already fired up. "Isang Tagalog song daw, isang English, tapos isang medley song-sabi ng coordinator kanina. So we need three solid pieces, dapat stand-out lahat," she said, already heading to the drum set like it was second nature.

Elisse was lounging on the amp, her bass guitar on her lap, already casually strumming a few notes. "So for the Tagalog song, we're going with Mahika by Adie and Janine," she said. "It's a crowd favorite, and it fits your voice perfectly, Kai."

I raised an eyebrow. "Perfectly? Have you forgotten I haven't performed in ages?"

Luna just smirked at me from behind her drums. "Muscle memory, besh. It'll come back faster than you think. Plus, you're not exactly the type who forgets things easily."

I couldn't even argue with that.

"And for the English song?" I asked, walking over to plug in my guitar and tuning it carefully.

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival," Elisse said, still strumming. "Classic. Nostalgic. Catchy. But with your voice, we'll slow it down a bit. Gawin nating acoustic-rock vibe-mas emotional."

I looked at both of them, impressed. "Okay... not bad."

"And for the medley," Luna added, glancing at Elisse, "that's your department, girl."

Elisse grinned devilishly, pulling out a crumpled sheet of paper from her pocket like it was a treasure map. "Okay, hear me out. Midley of female-fronted bangers. We open with Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson-power start. Slide into Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, light and flirty, then end with Don't Start Now by Dua Lipa. Solid vocals, clean transitions, high energy."

Luna banged her sticks on the drum pads for emphasis. "Ganda! Pwede!"

I blinked at them, momentarily speechless. "Okay, wait-this is actually... a really good setlist."

"We know," Luna said smugly. "Now all we need is to rehearse the hell out of it."

Elisse gave me a mock bow. "So, Miss Montinola, ready ka na bang i-unlock ang Rockstar version mo?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "I don't know what you two are planning to unleash-but fine. Let's give them a show they won't forget."

I strummed the first chords of Mahika softly, letting the familiar melody flow through my fingers. And just like that, a piece of me I thought I'd tucked away came back to life.

Yeah, this was going to be fun.

Rain's POV

The hours passed like a bullet train-fast, loud, and relentless. One moment I was finalizing the program sequence, and the next I was coordinating with the deco team for the stage layout. Thankfully, all tasks for the day were finally checked off the list. My shoulders felt like bricks, but the relief of finishing everything made it worth it.

Just as I was about to crash somewhere for a break, Nica and Solene were already tugging at my sleeves like excited kids. "Tara na, let's go see them practice!" Nica said, her eyes lit up with mischief.