Songs of the Sky

Chapter Seven

I was leaning on the couch with my eyes closed as I thought about everything that just happened back at the throne room. So now I wasn'I was leaning on the couch with my eyes closed as I thought about everything that just happened back at the throne room. So now I wasn't just a Summoned Major Key, but also a key holding a consequence of death. I thought about the two missing keys and as much as I wanted to live, I couldn't make myself to hope they're dead. Suddenly, the sullen face of Banjo appeared in my mind.

That's why he seemed familiar somehow. Since Rhap said that the previous Major Key was her girlfriend, Banjo must be the Chosen Song. They were the Maestro. But everything has changed when she disappeared. It affected the whole Cradle Kingdom. I couldn't help but let my heart breaks for Banjo. It must be hard for him.

"Medley." a gentle voice said and I opened my eyes to find Apollo leaning towards me, his face worried.

"Are you okay?" He asked then took a seat beside me.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry for making you worry." I said as I gave him a small smile.

Apollo gave me a look that said he doesn't believe me and sighed. "I know you aren't okay. But don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

My heart softened at Apollo as he assured me. His kindness was so charming that he could steal any lady's heart, not to mention his angelic looks.

Someone snorted and I turned to see Rhap leaning against a wall as he took a sip on his tea. "Now that's one good line there, Romeo."

I glanced at Apollo and his expression changed as he looked at Rhap. There's a hint of darkness on his eyes but he blinked and it was gone.

What was that about? And I frowned at Rhap when he called him Romeo.

"Don't just stand there, Rhap. Have a seat here." Apollo said as he smiled gently at him.

Rhap just snorted and he emptied his cup of tea before disappearing into the door.

Fredrik brought us tea and sweets and we were later joined by Reed who ate Apollo's cake. Apollo shoot him a glare and asked Fredrik for another sweets.

As Apollo took a sip on his tea, the jade ring on his finger glinted and I remembered what king said.

"So that's why I see you all wearing that same ring. It's your instrument, huh?" I asked, staring at his ring. Then my eyes soon staring at his slender fingers. I wonder if Apollo plays the piano.

He put down the teacup and looked at his ring as he spread out his fingers.

"Yeah, we need it to make our melodies." He smiled as he looked at me.

I took a sip on my tea and glanced at the door that leads to the hallway.

"By the way, where's Brio?" I asked.

"I saw him with Jazz earlier. They seem to be talking about something." Reed answered.

I got used to Brio's friendly presence that it felt strange not having him here. He was the first one I've become friends with. I suddenly thought about Diana and remembered her situation with his brother. Did her brother return home already? He shouldn't make her worried and settle the things between them already.

The scene in my dream that night appeared in my mind and I quickly pushed it away. I shouldn't get emotional right now with these songs in front of me. Instead I focused my eyes on Apollo and Reed as we began talking about school which Reed brought up.

They started asking me about my life at school and I learned that they used to go to school before becoming a Song. When I asked them about how did they become a Song, they just simply answered me, "It just happened. Like how you were summoned suddenly." And then they changed the subject. I know there's more to it with how the way they sounded. I know they weren't telling me something but I didn't forced the subject.

I asked them if I will have to quit school also and they told me that it will happen once the Formal Ceremony comes. Thinking about that, I wonder who among the Songs would I choose?

I looked at Apollo and he smiled at me. I felt my heartbeat quickened and I averted my eyes from him, taking a sip on my tea. Suddenly, the door opened and Jazz appeared.

He has a bored expression on his face as he looked at us, his hand holding a book. His eyes landed on me and he yawned.

"You, the girl. Come with me."

I frowned and glanced at Apollo and Reed questioningly but they just shrugged.

"What's the matter, Jazz?" asked Apollo and Jazz scratched his neck.

"Ah. I don't know. It was an order from Banjo."

I frowned at the name. Banjo's calling for me? Now that's weird, I wonder why the guy who seemed to hate me would like to see me.

As we entered the hallway, we walked quietly and I looked at the number of every door we passed. I caught a glimpse of the number nine and remembered about Alto.

How is that guy doing now ? Was he that sick? I'd never seen him and I was kinda curious about him.

We stopped at a door that has number 4 on it and Jazz glanced at me.

"Just stay there for a moment." He said and entered Banjo's room.

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. I stayed like that for a couple of minutes when I felt a someone's breath on my face. I quickly opened my eyes and found Rhap's face close to mine. He has me cornered against the wall with his hands on either side of my head. He was grinning at me with and dark brown eyes was glinting with amusement.

"You don't look bad, milady." he said and his breathe tickled my face.

He's close, too close.

"W-What are you doing?" I said weakly, my voice shaking.

"Hmm?"

He caressed my hair and grabbed my chin. He tilted my chin and I shook my head free from his hold.

He chuckled as if he found something amusing then leaned away from me. He grabbed my wrist instead and dragged me with him.

"Rhap, stop. What do you think you're doing?"

I tried to free my wrist from him but his hold was tight and he kept dragging me until we stopped in front of a door.

He looked at me and I took a sudden step backward. The expression on his face has changed. He no longer wear that playful look but a stern one instead.

"I don't know why they just don't tell you this and put you in puzzle instead. We have a serious problem in our country right now, am I right? And this guy was one of them."

"What do you mean?"

I took a glance on the number on the door and it's 9. This was the room of the ninth song, Alto, who was sick. I stared at Rhap, confused. What did he mean that Alto was a problem?

"See for yourself." Rhap said, a wicked smile was back on his face.

He knocked twice on the door while his other hand was still holding my wrist. "Hey Alto, we're barging in, mate." He said before opening the door and pushing me inside.

"You're the summoned Major Key, right? So before you try to tune us, help that guy first. He never listen to us, so I hope you get his attention. Good luck, milady." He slammed the door shut in my face, leaving me inside the room of a guy I never met.

What just happened?

I was still facing the door, afraid to turn. What should I do now? I just barged into someone's room. I was afraid to see his reaction. He's a guy, and it was wrong for a girl to be inside of a man's room. He's a Song and he wasn't feeling well so it would be too disrespectful for him.

But then I realized this room was engulfed in silence. Maybe Alto was still sleeping.

After taking a deep breath, I slowly turned and gasped when I saw a guy lying on the ground. His face was facing the ground and he was breathing heavily so I ran quickly to him.

I tapped his back lightly as I asked if he's okay. His bed was a mess, the blanket and the bedsheets were in disarray.

His body was hot and he was sweating heavily. He groaned and and I tried to help him get up to put him on the bed.

"Who are you?" He groaned weakly.

"I'm sorry, but I need to help you first before explaining the situation."

I carefully put him on the bed, this guy was indeed in a bad shape. He turned his face to me and I gasped.

At that moment, I thought I was dreaming. I never thought I'd see this face again. He might have grown up but I still remember this very face. His dark brown hair, his brown eyes that always looked at me with so much care. I still remember that thick eyebrows that matched his perfect face.

My heartbeat drummed louder that it could be heard on this silent room as I stared at this guy in front of me. Tears welled in my eyes as I touched his face.

"Max." I whispered, tears falling down my face. "Brother, you're alive."

His eyes widened and he stared at me for a while.

"Ley?" He whispered, weakly.



I nodded and soon his face was buried on my neck as he held me tightly. He was crying. My brother was crying.

I hugged my brother tightly as I let my tears keep falling. I exhaled in relief while I tap my brother's back.

So my brother became a Song? How did that happen? And he was called Alto, the Ninth Song. Thinking about it, were the names of the Songs not their real names? I was really glad to know that my brother was alive. But looking at him, he's not well. What happened to my brother? When they told me that the ninth song was sick, I thought he has a fever or something. But this doesn't look like a normal illness.

Suddenly, I heard the words of Rhap echoed in my head. He said that he was a problem. So something serious was really going on here.

"Brother, what happened?" I asked but before brother could answer, the door cracked opened and I heard Jazz's voice.

"I'm coming in, Alto."

He poked his head and when he saw us, his eyes widened slightly. "Oh."

Jazz entered the room silently as he stared at us with his expressionless face.

"And you're here." He said as his eyes landed on me.

"You didn't know you just put me on trouble. I told you to wait and the next thing I know you're gone? Banjo scolded me." He muttered the last sentence as he averted his eyes.

I felt guilty as he told me that, Jazz seemed to be a nice guy. The face of Rhap appeared in my mind and I cursed him inwardly. But I couldn't deny I was really glad it happened or I won't meet my brother today.

Max pulled away from me and looked at Jazz, confused. Jazz waved his hand at him lazily and Max turned to me. "Somebody explain?"

Jazz sighed. "Well, since you never left your room, you missed a lot of things. That girl over there is the summoned Major Key, but I guess you know that already?"

"What?" Max cried out as he looked at me, confused. "You're summoned as a key?"

"And I guess you didn't." Jazz muttered under his breath.

The face on Max was filled with confusion and anger. What was my brother mad about? He glared at Jazz and Jazz glared back at him, his eyes unflattering. After a few minutes, he shrugged and looked at me.

"I guess, you just met the Ninth Song, the Regret Prince." Jazz said to me. His expression hardened before speaking again. "Sorry to break it to you, but that Song is dying."t just a Summoned Major Key, but also a key holding a consequence of death. I thought about the two missing keys and as much as I wanted to live, I can't make myself to hope they're dead. Suddenly the sullen face of Banjo appeared in my mind.

That's why he seemed familiar somehow. Since Rhap said that the previous Major Key was her girlfriend, Banjo must be the Chosen Song. They were the Maestro. But now that she disappeared, everything changed on the Sky Castle, and the whole Cradle. It must be hard for Banjo.

"Medley." a gentle voice said and I opened my eyes to find Apollo leaning towards me, his face worried.

"Are you okay?" He asked then took a seat beside me.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm sorry for making you worry." I said as I gave him a small smile.

Apollo gave me a look that say he doesn't believe and sighed. "I know you aren't okay. But don't worry, we won't let anything happen to you, okay?"

My heart softened at Apollo as he assured me. His kindness was so charming that he could steal any lady's heart, not to mention his angelic looks.

Someone snorted and I turned to see Rhap leaning against a wall as he took a sip on his tea. "Now that's one good line there, Romeo."

I glanced at Apollo and his expression changed as he looked at Rhap. There's a hint of darkness on his eyes but he blinked and it was gone.

What was that about? And I frowned at Rhap when he called him Romeo.

"Don't just stand there, Rhap. Have a seat here." Apollo said as he smiled gently at Rhap.

Rhap just snorted and he emptied his cup of tea before disappearing into the door.

Fredrik brought us tea and sweets and we were later joined by Reed who attacked Apollo's cake. He shoot him a glare and asked Fredrik for another sweets.

As Apollo took a sip on his tea, the jade ring on his finger glinted and I remembered what king said.

"So that's why I see you all wearing that same ring. It's your instrument, huh?" I asked, staring at his ring. Then my eyes soon staring at his slender fingers. I wonder if Apollo plays the piano.

He put down the teacup and looked at his ring as he spread out his fingers.

"Yeah, we need it to make our melodies." He smiled as he looked at me.

I took a sip on my tea and glanced at the door that leads to the hallway.

"By the way, where's Brio?" I asked.

"I saw him with Jazz earlier. They seem to be talking about something." Reed answered.

I got used to Brio's presence that it felt strange not having him here. He was the first one I've become friends with. I suddenly thought about Diana and remembered her situation with his brother. Did her brother return home already?  He shouldn't make her worried and settle the things between them already.

The scene in my dream that night appeared on my mind and I quickly pushed it away. I can't get emotional right now with these songs in front of me. Instead I focused my eyes on Apollo and Reed as we began talking about school which Reed brought up.

They started asking me about my life at school and I learned that they used to go to school before becoming a Song. When I asked them about how did they become a Song they just simply answered me, "It just happened. Like how you were summoned suddenly." And then they changed the subject. I know there's more to it with the way they sounded and they weren't telling me something but I didn't forced the subject.

I asked them if I will have to quit school also and they told me that it will happen once the Formal Ceremony comes. Thinking about that, I wonder who among the Song would I choose?

I looked at Apollo and he smiled at me. I felt my heartbeat quickened and I averted my eyes from him and took a sip on my tea. The door opened and Jazz appeared.

He looked bored as he looked at us, his hand holding a book. His eyes landed on me and yawned.

"You, the girl. Come with me."

I frowned and looked at Apollo and Reed questioningly but they just shrugged.

"What's the matter, Jazz?" asked Apollo and Jazz scratched his neck.

"Ah. I don't know. It was an order from Banjo."

I frowned at the name. Banjo's calling for me? Now that's new, I wonder why the guy who seemed to hate me would like to see me.

As we entered the hallway, we walked quietly and I looked at the number of every door we passed. I caught a glimpse of the number nine and remembered about Alto.

How is that guy doing now ? Was he that sick? I'd never seen him and I was kinda curious about him.

We stopped at a door that has number 4 on it and Jazz looked at me.

"Just stay there for a moment." He said and entered Banjo's room.

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. I stayed like that for a couple of minutes when I felt a hot breath on my face. I quickly opened my eyes and found Rhap's face close to mine. He cornered me with his hands on the wall on my sides. He was grinning as his dark eyes stared at me teasingly.

"You don't look bad, milady." he said and his breathe tickled my face.

He's close, too close.

"W-What are you doing?" I said weakly, my voice shaking.

"Hmm?"

He caressed my hair and grabbed my chin. He forced me to look up and I shook my head, freeing my chin from his hold.

He chuckled as if he found something amusing then lean away from me. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me with him.

"Rhap, stop. What do you think you're doing?"

I tried to free my wrist from him but his hold was tight and he kept dragging me until we stopped in front of a door.

He looked at me and I took a step backward when the expression on his face changed. He no longer wears that playful look but a stern one instead.

"I don't know why they just don't tell you this and put you on puzzle instead. We have a serious problem in our country right now, am I right? And this guy was one of them."

"What do you mean?"

I took a glance on the number on the door and it's 9. This was the room of the ninth song, Alto, who appeared to be sick. I stared at Rhap, confused. What did he mean that Alto was a problem?

"See for yourself." Rhap said, that a wicked smile was back on his face.

He knocked twice at the door, his other hand still holding my wrist. "Hey Alto, we're barging in, mate." He cried before opening the door and pushing me inside.

"You're the Summoned Major Key, right? So before you try to tune us, help that guy first. He never listen to us, so I hope you get his attention. Good luck, milady." He slammed the door shut in my face, leaving me inside the room of a guy I never met.

What just happened?

I was still facing the door, afraid to turn. What should I do now? I just barged in into someone's room. I was afraid to see his reaction. He's a guy, and it seems wrong for a girl to be inside of a man's room. He's a Song and he wasn't feeling well so it would be too disrespectful for the song.

But I realized this room was engulfed in silence. Maybe Alto was still sleeping.

After taking a deep breath, I slowly turned and gasped when I saw a guy lying on the ground. His face was facing the ground and he was breathing heavily and I ran quickly to him.

I tapped his back lightly as I asked if he's okay. His bed was a mess, the blanket and the bedsheets were in disarray.

His body was hot and he was sweating heavily. He groaned and and I tried to help him get up to put him on the bed.

"Who are you?" He groaned weakly.

"I'm sorry, but I need to help you first before explaining the situation."

I carefully put him on the bed, this guy was indeed in a bad shape. He turned his face to me and I gasped.

At that moment, I thought I was dreaming. I never thought I'd see this face again. He might have grown up but I still remember this very face. His dark brown hair, his brown eyes that always looked at me with so much care. I still remember that thick eyebrows that matched his perfect face.

My heartbeat quickened that it could be heard on this silent room as I stared at this guy in front of me. Tears began to well up on my eyes as I caressed his face.

"Max." I whispered as tears fell down my face. "Brother, you're alive."

His eyes widened and he stared at me for a while.

"Ley?" He whispered, weakly.



I nodded and soon his face was buried on my neck as he held me tightly. He was crying.

I hugged my brother tightly as I let my tears fall. I exhaled in relief while I tap my brother's back.

So my brother became a Song? How did that happen? And he was called Alto, the Ninth Song. Thinking about it, were the names of the Songs not their real names? I was really glad to know that my brother was alive. But looking at him, he's not well. What happened to my brother? When they told me that the ninth song was sick, I thought he has a fever or something. But this doesn't look like a normal illness.

Suddenly I heard the words of Rhap in my head. Rhap said that he was a problem. So something serious was really going on here.

"Brother, what happened?" I asked but before brother could answer, the door cracked opened and I heard Jazz's voice.

"I'm coming in, Alto."

He poked his head and when he saw us, his eyes widened slightly. "Oh."

Jazz entered the room silently as he stared at us with his expressionless face.

"And you're here." He said as his eyes landed in me.

"You didn't know you just put me on trouble. I told you to wait and the next thing I know you're gone? Banjo scolded me." He muttered the last sentence as he averted his eyes.

I felt guilty as he told me that, Jazz seems to be a nice guy but the face of Rhap appeared on my mind and I cursed him inwardly. But I couldn't deny I was really glad it happened or I won't meet my brother today.

Max pulled away from me and looked at Jazz, confused. Jazz waved his hand at him lazily and Max turned to me. "Somebody explain?"

Jazz sighed. "Well, since you never left your room, you missed a lot of things. That girl over there is the newly Summoned Major Key, but I guess you know that already?"

"What?" Max cried out as he looked at me, confused. "You're summoned as a key?"

"And I guess you didn't." Jazz muttered under his breath.

The face on Max was filled with confusion and anger. What was my brother mad about? He glared at Jazz and he stared back at him, his eyes unflattering. He then shrugged and looked at me.

"I guess, you just met the ninth song, the Regret Prince." Jazz said to me. His eyes turned stern before speaking again. "Sorry to break it to you, but that Song is dying."