Chapter 368: Heartbreaking, yet so beautifulâ¦
When Vanessa woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.
Her first reaction was pure confusion.
As she sat up in bed, she instinctively pressed her hand to her forehead, frowning. âUgh, my head hurts. What happened?â
As that thought crossed her mind, her memories slowly started to come back.
âI remember⦠there was fog⦠and someone with red eyes?â
In that instant, a chill ran down Vanessaâs spine.
Oh no, this time she mightâve really been kidnapped!
But then, something struck her as odd.
In her mind, if someone successfully kidnapped you, wouldnât they tie you up and throw you in a dark room for a few days?
This kidnapper didnât even bother to restrict her movements?
Wow, thatâs bold.
As she thought about it, she climbed out of bed and noticed a pair of soft slippers by the side. She slipped them on and walked out of the room.
And thatâs when she realizedâthis kidnapper must be seriously loaded.
Once the daughter of a wealthy family herself, Vanessa could tell at a glance that this was a penthouse duplex. From the window, she could even see the Sky Tree. The price of a place in this area? Yeah, that was way beyond anything she could comprehend right now.
Then, she noticed another room nearby, its door slightly ajar with light spilling out.
Vanessa swallowed nervously, her guard up, and quietly crept toward it.
Just as she reached the doorway, she heard a familiar tuneâone she knew all too well.
âEyes full of sorrow, trembling endlesslyâ¦â
âIâm all alone in this worldâ¦â
âIn the ever-fading springâ¦â
âEvery year, I only feel the coldâ¦â
Vanessaâs eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.
It was Shadows of Spring.
But something was off. While she recognized the voice, the instruments werenât right. This wasnât Shadows of Spring by VibraMyst.
Wait a secondâ¦
Before she could fully process it, her hand had already pushed the door open.
Inside was a bedroom, and sitting at a computer desk, completely absorbed in what he was watching, was Ethan.
Wait, had she mistaken him for a kidnapper again?
But she didnât have time to dwell on that. Her attention was locked on the glowing computer screen.
On the screen was what looked like a stage from The Pulse, and under the spotlight, singing, was her former best friend, Elise.
It wasnât just Elise. Vanessa also saw Zara and Sophia, along with two other girls she didnât recognize.
Was this⦠a new band?
Her sudden entrance startled Ethan, who had been completely engrossed in the video. Almost instinctively, his right hand flew to the pause button, while his left hand quickly switched the screen to a blank search page.
There was only one person who could make him react like thatâVanessa. And when he turned around, he saw her storming toward him, clearly furious.
Ethan immediately knew that Vanessa had figured out what heâd been watching.
His heart skipped a beat, but he tried to play it cool.
âNessa, youâre awake! Why didnât you call out or something?â
But she wasnât having any of it. She marched right up to him, staring him down.
âWhat was that Shadows of Spring just now?â
Wow, straight to the point.
Her bluntness threw Ethan off, and he started to panic a little. He hadnât even come up with an excuse yet.
He never expected Vanessa to wake up this soon. He figured sheâd be out until at least tomorrow.
As for why he was listening to Shadows of Spring? Well, it was music time, and he was just listening to a song that hit him in the feels. What was wrong with that?
âDonât even think about lying to me!â
Vanessaâs cold voice cut him off before he could say anything.
Ethanâs face immediately showed a hint of fear.
Ethan thought to himself, I havenât even said anything yet, how do you already know Iâm trying to make up an excuse?
Seeing that he had nothing to say, Vanessa immediately decided to take matters into her own hands. She reached for the mouse, but Ethan quickly grabbed her hand.
âWait!â
âWait for what?â
âThis isnât right!â
âI donât think so.â
It was obvious that Vanessa was getting a bit worked up. When Ethan grabbed one of her hands, she immediately reached out with the other. And when both of her hands were caught, she started to struggle, completely unfazed by the physical contact between them.
This gave Ethan a headache.
In the next moment, he stood up, spun around, and gently but firmly pushed Vanessa down into the chair.
âNessa, calm down!â
Vanessa, now held by the shoulders, stared at Ethan with a complicated expression. Iâve been calm this whole time. Youâre the one freaking out, okay!?
Seeing that Vanessa seemed to have cooled off a bit, Ethan finally let go of her shoulders. He scratched his head in frustration and tried to reason with her. âI really think you shouldnât watch this. You wonât want to know what it is.â
âThatâs not for you to decide.â
Vanessaâs gaze was unwavering, filled with determination.
Since Ethan didnât have a memory-wiping device on hand, he eventually gave up. He sighed and looked at her. âHonestly, itâs not a big deal if I tell you. But are you really ready to know the truth?â
Seeing him relent, Vanessaâs stance softened a little. She nodded firmly.
âIâm ready.â
âIf thatâs the case, then go ahead. This is the truth you wanted.â
Ethan clicked the mouse, and the video resumed from where it had paused.
âEven knowing hope is futileâ¦â
âI still keep searching for redemptionâ¦â
âHeartbreaking, yet so beautifulâ¦â
âMaybe now, I finally understandâ¦â
As Vanessa watched what seemed to be a recording of a performance, her eyes locked onto the stage where Elise was singing. In that moment, her heart clenched painfully.
As the song continued, the camera angle shifted, and Vanessa spotted someone familiar in the audience.
Wait, was that Kylie?
But what she saw next was what truly left her at a loss.
Vanessa saw a figure from behind, standing next to Kylie. It was her own silhouette.
In that instant, she felt like she was spiraling into confusion. A whirlwind of emotions tangled inside her, making her chest tighten with pain.
She couldnât understandâif she had been at this performance, why didnât she remember any of it?
But more than that, the fact that the band on stage wasnât VibraMyst, and that they were performing Shadows of Spring without all five original members, hit her even harder. Her fingers twisted together, trembling.
She couldnât help but think back to the time that had once been the happiest, most beautiful part of her life.
The people on stage were shining, but she could no longer stand there with them.
Just like the hand she saw herself reaching out and then pulling back on the screen, it was a past she could never return to.
The weak version of herself seemed to come alive again in that moment.
Vanessa watched as the version of herself on screen ran out of The Pulse concert hall, crying. And the emotions that her on-screen self felt were exactly what she was feeling now.
Her shoulders shook, and at some point, tears had already started streaming down her face.
When the video ended, she unconsciously pulled her legs up, curling into the chair, hugging her knees, and sinking into a long, heavy silence.