The video went live at 3:14 a.m.
LunaVerse uploaded it straight from her camera to her channel with the title:
🎥 "Unknown Prodigy at Echo Underground – L.C. Breaks the Silence"
She added barely a description. No hashtags. No hype.
She didn't need to.
By morning, the comment section had exploded.
"Who is this guy? That original track hit like a truck.""Never heard anyone sing pain like that.""I played this on loop all night. Still not over it.""Is L.C. signed? Signed or nah?""The rawness... it's like early Ed Sheeran meets paincore."
The views rolled in faster than Echo Underground had ever seen.
500… 2,300… 11,000.
Back at Everhart High
Liam entered class like usual—hoodie up, earbuds in, invisible as always.
Until someone from the back muttered, "Yo… is that the L.C. guy?"
Someone else looked over. "No way, he's in our school?"
Nova leaned over and smirked. "You're famous. Sorta."
Liam grimaced. "I was famous last night. I'm forgotten by lunch."
But part of him knew that wasn't true.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere in Everhart...
Across town, a man in a sleek black suit tapped his screen repeatedly. His assistant watched as the video played again.
"A kid?" he muttered. "That voice… that delivery… It's like he's bleeding emotion."
"Should I reach out to him, sir?"
The man sipped his coffee, eyes narrowing.
"Not yet. Let's see if he crashes or climbs."
That Evening – Nova's Garage
It had become their makeshift studio. A mic. A laptop. Some foam on the walls. Dreams scribbled across notebooks.
"People want more," Nova said, scrolling through comments. "You've got DMs from local studios, YouTubers, even an indie label."
Liam stayed quiet, eyes on the guitar in his lap.
"I didn't do this for fame," he said. "I did this because the world silenced me once. I just wanted to speak again."
Nova placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Then keep speaking. Louder this time."
Liam nodded.
"Let's make the next track better."
End of Chapter 6