158 Heaven

A mere two letters, 'Ft.' had everyone hanging on the edge of their seats, both in concert and online.

'Avicii' was a complete enigma to everyone. He had no online presence anywhere in the world, and a figure that could be called 'Avicii' had never been noticed around TMY.

The name 'Avicii' suddenly became the internet's most intriguing mystery, prompting hundreds of thousands of searches in an instant.

"Who is AVICII?" Discussions: 108.

"Why is there someone named AVICII in TMY's Ft.?" Discussions: 1022.

"Why can't I find any information about AVICII who's featured in TMY's Ft.?" Discussions: 708.

This electrified the already jam-packed Ultra event. Every major streaming platform felt the buzz, and the viewer count surged faster than a squirrel on caffeine.

Real-time view counts on various platforms rolled in, and guess what? They officially crossed the twenty million viewer milestone!

Now, that's what you call a resounding success.

By the time the curtains fell on "Waiting For Love," the audience was bursting with excitement.

Hallelujah!

Phenomenal!

Incredible!

Indeed, these were the reviews, and they were all full of praise! Whether they were streaming the show or dancing their hearts out at the venue, everyone was in harmony.

This single had struck the right chord with its style, melody, and the vocalist's interpretation. It was like that one dish at the potluck that everyone couldn't get enough of.

But before they could catch their breath, TMY, like a graceful gazelle, leaped onto the DJ platform. She raised her hands high, facing the thousands below, with lights flashing all around, creating an intensity of beauty that could rival a sunrise.

And then, as if orchestrated by the gods of music, the next single's title projection appeared in the holographic area, and the music effortlessly continued where "Waiting For Love" left off, showcasing TMY's exceptional skills as an electronic music maestro.

It was a seamless transition!

Though the crowd recognized this single, the familiar two letters cropped up again: TMY - "Levels" (Ft-AVICII).

Another 'Ft.' single!!

But wasn't this one already released without it?

"Wow, this AVICII must be someone special. Two consecutive singles with 'Ft.'"

"Two 'Ft.' singles..."

The viewers had been surprised a few times already today, and by now, they were getting used to it. At least they weren't jumping out of their seats every five seconds like they did at the start of the festival.

But jokes aside, TMY's performance was on fire, and she deserved every bit of attention she was receiving.

At that moment, TMY stood tall on the main stage, looking as fresh as a daisy in her simple outfit and makeup-free face. Her hair swayed gracefully, as if auditioning for a shampoo commercial, creating an ethereal effect under the vibrant lights.

From every angle, she was essentially the human version of a screensaver.

"TMY! TMY! TMY! TMY!" The crowd erupted into cheers, adding a rhythmic and musical quality to the atmosphere, like the background music to an epic movie.

It was one thing to hear a song in a recording, and another altogether to see it live. For those who showed up to TMY's first performance, her performance of this song was certainly less impactful than before...

Until the drop of "Levels," the audience got yet another surprise.

TMY had added some powerful sound effects they had never heard before!

That's the TMY magic for you, always one step ahead.

Everyone was ecstatic...

An electronic music festival typically lasted no more than two hours.

TMY's live performance was no exception. But let's face it, two hours was nothing, unless you were enduring an exam.

From the very beginning with "Faded" and the short-haired girl hologram, to "Waiting For Love" and its cryptic triangle symbol, and then "Levels"...

In such a brief span, the graceful figure on the main stage had delivered enough surprises to rival a season finale cliffhanger. She truly was the undisputed "Electronic Music Princess."

At least that title was well-earned, and there wasn't a contender in sight.

After "Levels," the long-anticipated Jing Qiuhua, another member of T/A, finally took the stage.

The next part of the live performance was "Countdown."

This song, which hadn't been released yet and could only be heard at T/A's live performances, was also the only Chinese-language electronic music track created by TMY.

Under Jing Qiuhua's interpretation, this electronic symphony, brimming with raw emotions, had fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the official release of the EP single.

Then came "Closer," "Solo Dance," and more...

A series of all the released and unreleased songs by TMY, all with fresh remixes for this live performance, delivered the most epic experience to the audience.

This time, it was the real deal...

Because, besides the new singles, all of TMY's older tracks were given a fresh twist. No one in the crowd expected the way she would manipulate these familiar tracks, making even the most dedicated listeners see them in a new light.

In the next moment, a wave of electrifying music washed over the venue. After "Paradise" and "Seve," she switched gears once again.

The familiar triangle-shaped logo filled the screen once again, and a new song began...

An upbeat track slowly transitioned in, as Jing Qiuhua began to sing the intro.

"Step out into the dawn

You pray til, You pray til, the lights come on

And you feel like you've just been born..."

Contrasting the upbeat melody, Jing Qiuhua's voice sounded somber and almost longing for something out of reach.

Miaoyi had been very particular about the emotions this song should carry, and Qiuying portrayed that perfectly.

Though this was the first time the audience had heard this song, a sense of nostalgia filled their souls. 

Even across universes, a song like "Heaven" still carried just as much weight.

In that moment, as "Heaven" played, the live audience began to calm, much like a crowd at a sports event quieting for the national anthem. They dedicated all their focus to listening, out of respect for the amount of emotions packed into this piece.

Although in the Livestream, the atmosphere didn't translate as well, even the rapidly moving chat slowed during this particular song. 

Though the comments wanted to speak about the fact that this was the third song with the "Ft. Avicii" tag, they refrained for the moment and submersed themselves into the music.

Even TMY had slowed her pace at the stage, and had shifted to smooth, meticulous movements, so as to not draw the viewer's attention away from Jing Qiuhua's performance.

But, this somber atmosphere didn't last forever, as Jing Qiuhua had begun singing the pre-chorus. The music slowly built towards the drop, as energy slowly returned to the audience.

This was no longer just a song about remembrance but had transformed into a celebration of a life well lived.

The emotions transferred seamlessly from the song to the audience, and soon the atmosphere from before had returned, amplified by the celebratory tones of the song, not sad that sad that he was gone, but celebrating that he existed at all.

Through this song, the audience began to gain a clearer picture of who or what "Avicii" meant to TMY. Though they still had no idea who he was or had been, the impact he had on her life rang true.

As Qiuying was singing the final chorus, Miaoyi was getting ready to end her performance. It had been almost an hour and a half, which was almost exactly how long she had planned for it to last. Though, she didn't expect to be as affected by this song as she had been...

She had actually slowed her performance, not to avoid drawing attention away from Qiuying, but out of an intrinsic need to not mess up this performance. 

Miaoyi and Qiuying had done a practice run of the performance–though The Rex never got that luxury–but now with the crowd, and Qiuying's emotion-packed voice, Miaoyi could feel herself almost tearing up.

She had pushed herself to slow down because she feared she might hit something accidentally with her slightly trembling hands.

The day she had heard about him, she didn't get up out of her bed. She had practically isolated herself in her room, only occasionally ordering food.

Nothing lasts forever. She had told herself that everything ends eventually, and that it was meant to happen. Eventually, she had been able to return to some semblance of normalcy, but deep down, she knew she had been lying to herself.

But now, as she looked out at the crowd respectfully letting Qiuying finish out the song, some even bowing their heads, she felt the massive Avicii-sized hole in her heart heal slightly.

She had tricked herself so skillfully that even she believed she had been unaffected, but this performance made her aware of just how much it was still affecting her.

Now, thanks to Qiuying's ever-talented voice, she could start putting the pieces back together.

She would never be the same as she was before.

But, she knew that.

She didn't want to be.

At that moment, Miaoyi suddenly broke into a smile. Amid her actions, a new file name appeared on the small LED screen of the mixing console.

After one final epic gesture, it was time to bring the curtain down...

A file name that had never been associated with any previous single...

"Who said I could only release two new singles?" Miaoyi gazed at the file name on the LED screen and muttered to herself.

Thankfully, no cameras caught this moment; otherwise, she might have looked like she was having a heart-to-heart with a mixing console.

After her quiet words, Miaoyi took a deep breath, summoning her last reserves of energy. With a single fluid motion, she adjusted the knobs for "weakening" and "gradual dispersal" on the effects unit, and loaded the new file into the second CD deck.

In the next instant, a lively audio effect bar twisted onto the LED screen of the second CD deck. Then, Miaoyi pressed the "play" button.

After that emotional performance, it was time for the grand finale!