Breakthrough Past and Hands Of God

The Bards or gamblers swiftly began to move the table and chairs to a corner end of the pub, leaving only a single chair in the center for the performance, while they formed a circle around the chair and began cheering for Armen.

"Break a Leg Armen" (a way of cheering)

"Go show the kid"

"All the Best Armen"

Armen sat down on the chair, pulling a Double Bass from his inventory.

When Luke noticed the Double Bass, he mumbled under his breath "Ho! That's quite an interesting instrument he is about to play".

The Double Bass is a big stringed instrument with four heavy strings. The Double bass is played with a horsehair-strung wooden bow or by plucking the strings with their fingertips. Luke was particularly intrigued by the fact that a Double bass is typically employed in orchestras to play a supporting role and lay the groundwork for music intended for collective performances as rather than solo performances. The Double Bass has a low pitch, but the sound is richer and heavier than its smaller counterparts, such as the Violin, Cello, and so on, which have higher-pitched tones.  

Armen took out his bow and began playing the song; as soon as the first note of music emerged from his Bass, the entire area fell silent, and the audience (Bards) was delighted to appreciate the music clearly, which was about to begin in the most silent setting possible.

Armen began by playing slowly, the bow in his hand moving like a wave in the ocean, generating lovely melodies that signaled the start of the song. After about 30 seconds, he sped up the Tempo and his hand began to move like a horse in a race.

The music resonated in the silence, creating a symphony, but Luke remained concentrated, never blinking, keeping his eyes on Armen as his ears listened to the song, not missing a single beat.

When the song was nearing its conclusion, Luke noticed Armen smiling at him, and his hand movements increased even faster, surpassing his previous speed. Finally, the song came to an end with a final stroke on the string, and Armen got up from his chair, bowed his head like a professional musician, and soon the noise of applause and cheers could be heard inside the tavern.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

"Encore"

"Encore"

Armen approached Luke, leaving his Double Bass and Bow on the chair, and said, "I have given my performance, now show us Brat what you have, and don't try to run away."

Luke moved to a chair and sat down, properly positioning the Double Bass on himself. He heard some applause, but not as many as Armen.

"Be careful Boy do not trip on the wires" (Another way of cheering a musician before a performance)

"Show them Boy what you have got, I have betted on you"

When Luke heard them, a small smile appeared on his face, but when he looked up, his hands began to tremble and his trauma began to resurface, seeing the mocking look on the faces of some Bards as well as Armen, Luke was currently suffering from PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder), which most soldiers suffer from as a result of war.

Soon, Luke's surroundings began to fade as flashbacks began to engulf him, including the day he was abducted, his parents being beaten to death in front of him while he couldn't do anything, and how he feared touching a single instrument following his parents' death.

Outside the Bards began to murmur among themselves as they noticed Luke face down and his hands quivering.

"Was the kid all talk"

"Looks like he got scared"

When an old bard sitting in the corner of the tavern saw Luke's condition, he swiftly got up and took the glass of water that was already in the bartender's hands, indicating that the bartender, too, recognized Luke's current position. The Old Man approached Luke, holding the glass of water.

"Here kid, drink some water, I don't know what kind of life you've lived or what you've experienced, but you have to move on from the past," the old man spoke to Luke, but Luke remained unresponsive.

While shaking Luke, the Old Bard screamed out, "kid, wake up. 'KID.'"

Luke awoke from his nightmare due to the old man's yell, his back was drenched in sweat and he was breathing heavily. Luke initially glanced up at the old guy, looked around, and soon reality hit him. He took the glass of water from the old man's hand and began to drink it quickly, almost choking on it due to his rapid breathing.

"Slowly, kid, slowly," muttered the old bard as he rubbed his back and returned to his seat in the corner.

Luke kept the empty glass of water on the floor while regulating his breathing, even though his hands were still trembling and his heart (inner self) was constantly telling him

"You can't do it," said his inner voice.

"I can do it," Luke said, facing his inner self.

"You can't do it," his inner voice repeated.

"I CAN DO IT!" Luke yelled to his inner self.

"How! HOW will you do it" asked his inner self.

Luke had no answer to that question, but as he felt hands on his back, he turned around to see his parents smiling at him.

"Show them what you got, my boy," Luke's father replied, his expression filled with pride while looking at Luke.

"My baby, do not be afraid of anyone; you were born to shine like a star even in the darkest of nights; show them, let the world see your talent," said his mother while gently caressing Luke's face.

Soon they disappeared in a white light.

Like shackles breaking, the saddest memories of Luke broke down, leaving behind the encouragement of his parents. Luke dropped a single tear from his eyes and began playing the song, while the world around him watched the first song of the greatest bard of the future.

Luke's hands, like the hands of God descending into a mortal plain, began playing the song, and the Bards' eyes widened as Luke did not even miss a single beat.

It was difficult for them to comprehend how Luke could perform a tune perfected by Armen after just hearing it once. It was not impossible for persons with exceptional abilities to perform an unfamiliar song after rehearsing once or twice, but just based on hearing and playing it right after was a feat, not everyone could accomplish. Had they not witnessed what was happening in front of them, they could have thought Armen was playing the song twice.

Soon after, the song finished with a last stroke, much like Armen's earlier performance. Luke stood up and glanced around. At first, the tavern was silent, but soon the sound of two people clapping rang through it, it was the elderly man and the bartender, and then the Bards began yelling and cheering, even throwing Luke on air.

"Wow! What type of talent do you have, kid? In terms of pure talent, you could even play in the royal castle."

"Haha I knew it this kid was special that's why I betted on him see my instincts are never wrong".

Luke was also laughing while thanking his parents in his mind for fully breaking away the trauma that he failed to get rid of in his previous life.