October 8th, 2016
Munich, Germany

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Julia chuckled, looking at Leah through the mirror while applying mascara to her long eyelashes.

"Trying to find something to put on."

"You have your entire closet on the bed," her friend teased as she turned towards her.

"All my t-shirts are too old and torn, or too baggy, or too tight, and the ones I could actually wear are in the laundry basket..." Leah grumbled, staring at the mountain of clothes piled up on the mattress. Why was it so hard to find something whenever you were going out? "I should have anticipated this."

She would be in the middle of a crowd for hours, jumping, sweating, and screaming, and it would be a miracle if she didn't end up showered in beer. There was no point in dressing up with a cute shirt, but putting on a tee that would make her look like Bruce Banner about to transform into the Hulk, or one that looked more like a slutty dress than anything else, weren't options either.

"Why don't you put on this?" The blonde picked a black sweetheart neckline top she hadn't worn in a long time. "It's nice."

"Too nice for a metal concert."

"You'll die alone!"

"Maybe I want to."

"Shut up and try it on." Julia threw it at her face.

"You're a pain." Her phone vibrating on the night table distracted her. "What-" Leah froze when she read the message popping up on the screen after the notification of a new follower.

DARKOMEN_WOLFF: I hope you like my gift (4:37 PM)

"What is it?" Julia asked.

Leah didn't answer, heart hammering in her chest.

WOODVERSE: What are you talking about?

"It looks like you've seen a ghost."

"Almost..."

The device vibrated again.

DARKOMEN_WOLFF: Just wait and enjoy

"What?" Julia stared at her.

"It's Søren, from Dark Omen."

"What?" The blonde stopped going through Leah's shoeboxes and sat beside her on the bed. Unable to utter a single word, she gave her the phone. "Looks like someone is interested in you..." She giggled.

"Yeah, right."

Leah liked the thought, but it made no sense. The day they met, she'd been wearing something close to a trash bag, her hair was a mess, and the dark circles under her eyes were as prominent as ever. There was no way he could be interested in her, at least not how her friend was implying.

"Why not? I mean, why would he text you and say he has a gift for you if he wasn't?" Julia shrugged, giving her phone back.

"First of all, have you seen the type of women he's usually around?" Models, actresses, sexy musicians... Not to mention his last relationship had been with an incredibly successful and famous music producer. "And second, whatever weird intentions he might have, he'll be disappointed because I'm not gonna fall for his charms."

"Uh-huh."

"What does that uh-huh mean?" Leah nervously laughed.

"Tell me you haven't fantasized about him," Julia pressed, a cheeky smile on her face.

"Who hasn't?" The singer snorted. "Have you seen him?"

"And you wouldn't sleep with him given the chance?"

"What? No."

Lies.

The idea of Søren naked in her bed, or anywhere really, was too alluring. But she wasn't going to admit that out loud. It had taken Leah over a year to have a normal life and almost another one after that to get the confidence to even consider sleeping with someone again-you know, celibacy couldn't break your ribs.

It was hard at the beginning, the anxiety and sickness she felt when a man touched her, the self-consciousness, the fear, those terrifying memories replaying in her head. It had been bad. And although it all had slowly vanished, she still had an irrational reaction when it came to intimacy with musicians or long-haired dudes, especially if they were blond. It had happened twice and never again-freaking out while having sex wasn't fun.

Stupid? Maybe. But it was just like when a song became associated with a person you hated and then you hated that song, too. She had developed a knee-jerk aversion to those kinds of men. Could be around them and befriend them, but that was as far as she could go without shattering.

The brain sure has inscrutable ways.

"Now's when I'm supposed to believe you?"

"Whatever. That's not happening."

"Keep telling yourself that, but I'm smelling a juicy story here, cupcake." Julia laughed, handing her a pair of biker high-heeled ankle boots. "Put these on."

"You want me to die?"

"Guys, are you ready? We're going to be late!" Chris's voice called from the living room.

"Almost!" Leah shouted.

Taking her hoodie off as she turned around, she had a glimpse of her tattooed back. Barely invisible under the ink, she could still see the thirteen-centimeter scar that crossed her rib cage from under her left shoulder blade to the side. No matter how many years had passed, the shadows of violence followed her everywhere, waiting for her to let down her guards to creep in and infect her mind. It was annoying, but most of all, draining. She wished she could disconnect her brain for one solid week.

Throwing the top over her head, she tied her hair up in a ponytail and walked out of the room, Julia right behind.

"We're done," the blonde said as they approached the guys, her caramel bob framing her face, red lips and dark smokey eye shadow drawing attention to her beauty. She was wearing tight leather pants combined with a semi-transparent black shirt that highlighted her feminine curves, and a pair of skyscraper high-heeled boots, giving her all the sexy-biker-woman vibes.

"Are you going to be okay with those?" Erik asked her.

She giggled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll probably end up barefoot, but you know how I am."

"You look amazing, that's for sure," he noted.

"You're being too obvious," Leah muttered in a singing voice.

During a night out a few months before, Erik had confessed that although Julia was three years older than him, they used to hang out with the same posse when they were in high school and he'd always had a thing for her. She was taken back then, so he never made a move. However, after overcoming the awful breakup with his ex, all those forgotten feelings had resurfaced again, stronger than ever since they were both single now.

"Shut up." He laughed, pushing her, almost making her fall.

"Dude!" Leah screeched, grabbing his forearm to keep her balance.

"Sorry."

"Guys!" Marc called from the door, clearly annoyed. "C'mon! I'd like to be near the stage."

"We're coming!" Chris cheerfully trotted towards Marc as they walked out of the apartment.

● ● ● ● ●

"There are so many people already," Marc whined.

"Don't worry, we'll sneak to the front like we always do," Leah said as she tiptoed and looked ahead of them.

"We better," he grumbled, getting the phone out of his coat and putting it in silent mode.

Something else was bothering him. Definitely. Most likely related to his girlfriend or friend with benefits, or whatever that woman was. Leah hated that witch. She would get mad at him for not calling her enough, not buying the exact brand of milk she wanted, smoking. Anything.

That Russian with plastic tits had to do crazy stuff inside the bedroom because otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted that long with her. Marc had been with a guy before her for over a year, and he kicked him out the moment he suggested he should cut his mane.

But maybe it was his unconscious mind biting his ass for trying to hold on to whoever to ignore the feelings he had for the guitarist.

"Stop sulking, dude. Don't you have hair on your balls?" Chris called him out.

"Want to see it?" Marc retorted as he lit a cigarette.

"Give me one."

"Go die," the bassist countered, giving him the middle finger.

"C'mon! I forgot mine."

"All the more reason not to share with you."

As their bickering went on, the girls turned to Erik.

"When are they going to grow up?" Julia chuckled.

"Never." Leah snorted. "Chris acts more like a brat now than when we were younger." The side of her mouth tugged to a wry smile. "Anyway, did Gunther tell you anything about the tour for the new album?" she asked the drummer.

In the early years of the band, they used to take care of everything themselves-marketing, booking the concerts, and so on-with the help of a few colleagues and people they had met along the way. But once BLAST had set its eyes on them, the workload increased, a lot.

They still relied on the same crew they had gathered over the years. Luca, who was a sound engineer and the bassist in the first band Chris and Leah ever had. Noah, their drums tech. Uwe, their beast-tractor of a human-the dude was in charge of the backline, the string instruments, and was also their tour manager. And Eugene, their photographer, designer, and merchandise guy.

Erik's parents, who were lawyers, would assist with the legal aspects of their contract. And all of them worked on the creative part, but they needed help. With their full-time jobs, they couldn't handle everything alone anymore. That was where Gunther and his atypical management company, The Other Dimension, came in.

"Yeah, he said he can work with the dates we gave him and that we might play in the United States next summer. A big-ass tour." Erik wiggled his eyebrows.

"Which one?"

"He mentioned something about signing up for the Battle of the Bands... For the Burn to Rise." His smile grew bigger as he watched the information sink in.

"You're kidding." Julia's brows shot up.

"Nope."

"Holy shit!" Leah felt out of breath.

"What did you say?" Chris's mouth hung open as he turned to them.

"Burn to Rise," Erik repeated.

"Holy Jesus!" Marc shouted, putting an arm around Leah's shoulders, squeezing her against his chest.

"I know, right?" She grinned.

The Burn to Rise was a biennial metal festival that toured the United States during summer. Sponsored by major brands, they promoted activism and allowed non-profit groups to advocate for their cause. It had become one of the largest traveling festivals. One where some of the most outstanding bands from all over the world played. But they always reserved a spot for two up-and-coming groups. And it was precisely this Battle of the Bands contest that could change everything.

"He said they've sent our demo to the jury for the preselection, but we'll find out if we're in within the next couple of weeks."

"Man..." Chris mouthed.

"That'd be insane," Leah said, voicing what all of them were thinking. Going to that festival could definitely boost their career.

"Look, we're moving," Marc exclaimed, quickly forgetting about the mind-blowing news. They all loved music, but that guy was like a kid on Christmas Day whenever they went to a concert.

Fifteen minutes later, as they waited for the doormen to check their tickets, the excitement increased; they were almost there.

"Oh," the man that had checked Leah's ID muttered as he looked at the screen in front of him after swiping her ticket over the machine. She knew there was nothing wrong with it, but now she felt nervous.

"What is it?"

"This is a normal ticket," he noted, typing on his computer.

"Yeah..." She glanced at him as if he was speaking Chinese. "So?"

The doorman chuckled, confusing her even more. "There's a Black Ticket associated with your name."

"What?"

"You're late for the soundcheck and the meet and greet, but you and whoever is coming with you"-he squinted to read whatever was on the screen in front of him-"can watch the concert from the VIP area. You'll have access to the after-party, too." He grinned, amused by her gaping expression.

"That's great!" Marc squealed. Yes, he squealed. "We're on a roll!"

"Stop fangirling like a teenager!" Leah slapped his hand as he tried to grab her ticket. "How-" She turned to the doorman again.

"Guess it's your lucky day." He smiled as he handed them the black bracelets with VIP experience written in silver. "Have fun."

"Yes!" Chris gushed as they made their way down the right corridor. "Did you enter a lottery or something?" he quizzed as he snatched the ticket from her hand, examining it as if he couldn't believe it was real.

"No, I-" It clicked. Søren Fucking Wolff.

"What is it?" Erik asked as they approached the security post.

"Søren!" Julia gushed. "He texted her before saying something about a gift. This must be it!"

"Can't believe he did this," Leah finished.

"Are you sure you didn't get on your knees in front of him?" Chris quipped.

"No!" She glared at him. "And I'm glad we got this opportunity, but I hope he's not expecting anything in return..."

"You should definitely thank him after the concert," Marc teased, emphasizing the verb in a very creepy way.

"Shut it."

"No kidding. Who would do this for free?" Chris continued.

"I, uhh..." She tried to come up with something, but she couldn't.

"Don't worry so much. You'll be able to ask him later tonight." Erik grinned mischievously.

● ● ● ● ●

Loud music. Harsh lyrics. Blinding red flashes. Leah couldn't care less that she was being smashed among sweaty bodies while people were losing it in the mosh pit a few meters away. In the middle of such joyful chaos, accompanied by her friends, nothing could go wrong.

As the lights turned on after the fourth band performed, Chris and Marc left the VIP area to pee for the tenth time and get more beer.

"I'm gonna die," she whined, leaning on Erik. "Not listening to that witch ever again," she mumbled as she looked down.

Julia had convinced her to look a bit more feminine so she wasn't the only one in their group who did, but, hell, she was dreaming of her feet inside some comfy Vans. Even with the boots having platform in the front and a thick heel, standing in the same place for over four hours was torture.

"You know that witch can hear you, right?" Julia remarked.

"Good."

"Are you going to be alive for the party?" Erik joked.

"Of course I will." I still have to talk to that manipulative jerk.

If her friends were right and Søren had hidden intentions when he got the VIP ticket for her, that was what he was. What would you call someone that's doing you a favor to get something in return otherwise?

Leah couldn't deny she was beyond flattered, but at the same time, it bothered her. She had already been in that position; played by a man who felt entitled to everything because he thought he was some kind of God.

"You can always ask Chris to piggyback you again." Erik snickered.

"Over my dead body!"

"That was what you almost became that night." He laughed louder.

"You're so mean." Julia slapped his chest.

"What? It was so damn funny."

Have friends, they said. They'll have your back, they said. Clowns.

The night he was referring to, Chris was carrying her home because she was too tired and drunk, but she ended up with scratches on her face and a pair of torn-out jeans. A story for another time.

"We're back!" Marc sang as he made his way through the throng of people. "Here," he said as he handed Leah her beer.

"Thank you, man!" Erik gulped his in one go.

"The concert's about to start. I'm not going to get you more."

"I'll drink from yours."

"Keep dreaming, you fucker!" Chris slapped his hand when he reached for his cup.

"I can always steal Leah's." The drummer shrugged.

"Why are you all so keen on drinking my booze and eating my food? Are you homeless or what?"

"Because you're the nice one," Erik stated with a grin.

Just as she was about to retort, the lights dimmed and smoke filled the stage. The vibrations produced by the amplifiers, mixed with the murmur spreading in the arena, awakened her. Seconds later, purple illumination switched on, giving the stadium an eerie atmosphere.

As their eyes adjusted to the new brightness, the silhouettes of four men appeared in front of them, the uproar of the buzzing crowd getting louder by the second.

Jørn sat behind his kit, drumsticks coming down to his toms, marking some kind of Viking war drumbeat. The rhythm slowly changed into the ominous pace of their opening song as he hit the bass drums with ferocity, long blond hair windmilling.

As the rest of the members joined, Leah's heart sped up. No matter how many times she watched their videos, listened to their music or attended their concerts, nothing compared to the energy of their lives.

The lights turned a soft shade of blue, and Alex began to move on the stage with that cocky attitude he used to have, playing some low and violent notes on his bass. He didn't even need the long hair he had in the past to make everyone feel the power emanating from every single inch of his body. He owned it.

A characteristic sliding guitar sound resonated through the space, and Leah's focus shifted to Ian. The colorful tattoos adorning his arms were on full display, his mohawk moving up and down as he stepped on the edge of the stage. Sticking his tongue out and biting on it, brows furrowed, he prompted the crowd to scream louder.

Blue and white flashes followed the insanely fast drumming hits as the musicians kept giving their all; fierce and solid melody taking over everything. And in the middle of that frantic atmosphere, there he stood, the man who made her heart race like no one else. He was already playing too, his signature black matte guitar looking beautiful under the spotlights as he moved closer to the mic.

Jørn kept beating the crap out of his kit, gradually building up the anticipation, controlling the others with incredible skill. The whole band was headbanging, haunting everyone with their dark, electrifying sound, everything falling into place when Søren growled.

"Deprive of light, left to die
Open your mind, find the man inside
Faded in the misery of a lonely life
Veiled through the sands of time
Stand up to the pain and rise"

All her nerves shivered as her eyes followed his every move. Søren's confident attitude on the stage was hypnotizing. That man was a creature from another world. He had it all. The intense gaze, the imposing body covered in tattoos, the absorbing personality, and the power to make everyone vibrate with the strings of his guitar.

However, what always had Leah on her toes was his deep, raspy voice, so full of emotions and torn, rippling into a darker shade when he growled. The way it resonated from the massive cavity of his chest and through his neck, coming out as the most disgustingly low and guttural tone a human being could produce would make Satan beg for mercy.

As the music went on, she lost herself in it. The chord progression, the darkness of the bass, the shifts between triple and duple meter encapsulating the pitch of the frontman's vocals. One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, and back to the six beats. Ah! It was beautiful. Chris put his arm around her and smiled as he joined her in what probably was the lamest singing of their lives, but she couldn't care less. She was enthralled by the explosion of colors, intoxicated by the notes filling all the particles in the air.

The musicians flew through their set, jumping from one song to the next. Smirks, horn signs, jumps, riffs, sweat... Every single motion and detail made Leah's heart race, bursting with enthusiasm when Søren squinted and his eyes fixed on hers.

They were close to the stage, but she was just one of the hundreds at the venue and still, somehow, he managed to find her, bringing her small existence into notice.

-

After sixty incredible and exhausting minutes, the band stopped playing and saluted their fans. Ian threw a couple of picks at the audience while Alex raised his bass in the air. A shirtless Jørn leaned forward in his seat, putting a hand to his ear, as if he couldn't hear anything, encouraging people to scream louder.

The multitude roared and Søren grinned with that perfect white smile of his. It was a bit crooked, but it was so honest he looked almost cute. Funny how different his aura was when he was performing, completely focused on conveying every emotion trapped in the recycled ball of rage that were their compositions.

He outstretched his arms to the blaring crowd and bowed. When he straightened again, with a smile still on his stupid, attractive face, he ran a hand through his wet hair and put it up in a low ponytail. "Thank you, Munich!" he panted, grabbing the mic. "Thank you. What a blast we had tonight, huh? We only have time for one more before we leave... so, what is it you want us to play to end this amazing night?" He turned his head, palm cupping his ear.

After a few more seconds of endless screams mixing within a baffling sound of whistles, he spoke again, "There's one concise word I keep hearing-"

Before he could finish talking, Ian played several teasing notes of their song called "Dust", earning a strangled squeaking from a group of girls who should have lost their voices by now. "Is that it?" the vocalist asked with a wide smile. "Okay, let's do that one."

The musicians returned to their positions, and the music hit again. A powerful sound soon filled the arena as everyone headbanged, moshed, and hollered louder than before.

"Shattered hopes and skies
Release your grip and face the tide
You fell into the dark
Take one last breath, turn into dust"

While bouncing in and out of her head all night, Leah had relished in that matted yet starstruck sensation as the music pulsed, drowning all the fears she once had.

With shooting fire and a heavy drum hit, the concert ended. Walking to the edge of the stage, the Norwegian band clapped, waved, and bowed to the frenzied crowd, grinning in ecstasy.

After a few minutes of messing around and joking, they made their way backstage. But before they disappeared, something inside Leah writhed as his eyes found hers again, making her feel more real and alive than she had ever been.

________

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