🌌 Chapter 9 — Never Die

- Original song: Megurine Luka https://youtu.be/LrOQMyT4iZY?si=kk5jkeSLk74bhcLC 💜💗💜💗💜 Story 💗💜💗💜💗 The room was lit only by the television. Purple and gold from the stage spilled through the screen, casting shifting light across the walls like a quiet, flowing glow moving slowly through the still air. Megurine Luka sat in her chair without moving. Her gaze remained fixed on the person standing in the center of that light. Kamui Gakupo’s voice flowed from the speakers—clear, steady, and carrying a presence that was impossible to ignore. Behind him, the stage lights blossomed layer upon layer, deep violet intertwined with gold like a burning nebula in the night sky, surrounding his figure in a sea of radiance. Applause rose like waves, surging again and again. That world was so bright. Bright enough that it almost felt impossible to believe that there had once been a time when the two of them simply sat in the same room, singing softly together. Luka said nothing. She only watched. That tight feeling in her chest was still there. It was not jealousy. Nor was it simply sadness. It felt more like a quiet flame—something made of pride, nostalgia, and a hollow space she could not quite name. She listened to his voice. It was still beautiful. More mature now. More controlled. Every note sounded carefully shaped, polished like something carved with precision and released into the air of the stage. And yet— If someone listened closely, they might have noticed a certain weight hidden within the music. Like starlight that was too distant. Like something buried deep beneath the melody. A faint sadness, so subtle it was almost impossible to recognize. But Luka did not notice. She only looked at the violet stage. In her eyes, it was the place he had finally reached. The stage he had always dreamed of. The performance slowly drew toward its end. When the final note faded, the audience erupted into even louder applause. Deep violet lights rolled across the stage like waves in a midnight sea. Luka’s fingers moved slightly. Then she reached forward. *Click.* The television turned off. The room fell instantly quiet. The brilliant violet glow disappeared. The space was left in a soft, calm stillness. Luka remained seated for a moment. The stage that had belonged to the night now felt far away. Like a dream from another time zone. Slowly, she stood up. She walked toward the window. The curtains were still drawn, blocking the outside light. Luka reached out and gently took hold of the fabric. Then slowly— She pulled the curtains open. The sound of the cloth sliding along the rail was soft. In the next instant, daylight flooded into the room. Bright sunlight spilled across the floor and touched her face. The sky outside was wide and clear. Far below, the city moved quietly through its day. The world of that night-time stage now felt like it existed in another country entirely. She stood there for a moment. Then she turned around. Walking back to the desk. Papers and notebooks were scattered across the surface. In the center lay a worn notebook. It was her lyric notebook. The one she had been preparing for her audition. Luka looked at it silently for a while. Then she reached out and picked it up. The pages rustled softly as she opened it. Lines of lyrics filled the paper. Some parts had been crossed out. Others rewritten. Small notes had been scribbled in the margins. These were melodies and emotions she had written alone. No stage. No applause. Just herself. Her fingers stopped on one line. It was a lyric she had written long ago. Back when she still had no idea what the future would look like. Back when she didn’t know whether she would ever stand on a stage. She stared at those words for a long time. Then she picked up her pen. The tip touched the paper. Without hesitation, she drew a single line across the old sentence. The words disappeared beneath the ink. Not because they were wrong. But because— She was no longer the same person who had written them. The pen touched the page again. New words slowly appeared. She wrote slowly. As if she were carefully sorting through her own heart. Outside, the daylight was quiet. The sounds of the city felt distant. Inside the room, the only sound was the pen moving across the page. Luka softly hummed as she wrote. Her voice was quiet. But steadier than before. Those melodies were no longer just memories. They were no longer only the songs two people had once shared. They were slowly becoming her own. She stopped writing and looked at the line she had just finished. At that moment— A ray of sunlight from the window fell directly across the page. The light rested quietly on the paper. Illuminating a single line she had just written. It was a simple phrase. **Never Die.** Luka looked at those words. The warmth in her chest was still there. But this time it was no longer just pain. It felt more like a flame that had never completely gone out. She closed the notebook gently. Then opened it again. And continued writing. For the day when the lights would finally rise. For the moment when she too would stand on a stage. And sing with her own voice. Sunlight rested quietly on the desk. And the words remained there in the light. **Never Die.**