Chapter 1378:
She briefly glanced at the screen, then met his gaze with unflinching confidence. “Perfection.” Surprise flickered across the host’s face. “Really?” “I know it seems unlikely, but I’m prepared. You’ll see.” The excitement in the room was palpable as he declared, “Let’s get started then.” As the host vanished backstage, Elyse found herself alone under the spotlight. Her gaze, a cocktail of calm and fierce determination, hinted at an inner fire ready to ignite. Sensing the shift in the room, she dropped her eyes to meet Celeste’s, who sat among the judges with a look of cool disdain.
Celeste’s eyes rolled slightly; her relaxed posture exuded indifference. She clearly underestimated Elyse. For Elyse, appearances meant little; her true strength lay in the relentless grind of practice and steady growth. With a single pluck of the strings, the room hushed, captivated.
The piece erupted, a storm of rhythm and passion. Its relentless pace challenged even the most skilled, demanding a delicate dance between precision and feeling. Krista’s focus on avoiding errors led to a rigid performance, her expressions contorted in a silent scream of effort.
Celeste, absentmindedly twirling her pen, didn’t shift her scrutinizing gaze from Elyse. The piece was merciless, highlighting Krista’s shortcomings. As for Elyse, Celeste was skeptical—could Elyse really fuse technical mastery with heartfelt emotion into a flawless performance?
Remarkably, Elyse transcended expectations. Her interpretation of the classic was a revelation. The intensity of the music swept through the audience, capturing their hearts. The audience’s excitement surged, riding the waves of Elyse’s performance, their anticipation building with each note. Celeste’s skepticism gradually melted into shock. How? How was Elyse delivering such a flawless rendition?
With her eyes gently closed and a faint smile on her lips, Elyse moved her fingers with such fluid grace that they seemed a blur. Yet, her face remained serene, captivating, utterly at peace. Even Celeste had to acknowledge the brilliance of Elyse’s performance.
As the final note lingered in the air, Elyse stood calm and smiling, basking in the wave of applause that washed over her.
The host, beaming with enthusiasm, exclaimed, “Elyse, your performance was incredible!” Elyse gave a modest nod and a gentle smile. “Thank you.” With a playful chuckle, the host moved the evening along. “Let’s see how the judges scored.”
The panel, captivated by Elyse’s performance, hailed it as a feast for the senses. All but Celeste had their scores ready in a flash.
For Celeste, scoring Elyse was a quandary. She harbored a bias against her, struggling to believe that Elyse’s flawless display wasn’t just a fluke. She briefly entertained the idea of giving a low score but found no grounds for it after such a commanding performance.
Reluctantly, Celeste assigned a middling score, citing minor, almost negligible flaws. Her critique sparked a brief but heated debate among the other judges.
Elyse, ever graceful, accepted the feedback with a nod.