Chapter 3

'The Prides of Music' is a relatively new hard rock band and comprises five members, but their popularity is spiking across the nation in a huge spurt. It's all because of their unique blend of powerful vocals, electrifying guitar riffs, and infectious energy on stage. Fans are drawn to their raw and unapologetic lyrics that resonate with a wide range of emotions.

Tiwa Buathong serves as the lead singer and soul-taker for the band, framing himself as beta. Jaran Buathong commands the stage as the lead guitarist, positioning himself as Alpha. Decha Chaiwong takes on the role of the second lead singer, publicly admitting himself as Omega. Kay Suwannarat and Kiat Suwannarat handle the rhythm guitar and drums, respectively, serving as betas.

Tiwa bounces on the balls of his feet as he walks around backstage, visualizing what is happening. So many fearful thoughts roll through his mind. He tries to push them away and focus on the task at hand. He pokes his head out from behind the black curtain next to the stage and seizes the opportunity to see the 'Nightless City of Music' performance, which sounds good—not as good as the headliner, but still decent. The crowd appears engaged, swaying and dancing in rhythm to the music.

Nervous energy radiates from Tiwa as the seconds turn into minutes. There are about thirty minutes before his band is scheduled to take the stage for their highly anticipated concert. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

The 'Nightless City of Music' performance ends, and the crowd erupts into applause. Tiwa can feel his heart pounding in his chest, knowing that soon he will be up there, under the bright lights, performing for all those people. He steps away from the curtain and returns down the corridor to the dressing room, where his bandmates are eagerly waiting.

As he walks down the almost empty, cream-colored corridor, his leg slips on the tiled floor and causes him to fall. "Ouch!" He whines, straightening his position and rubbing his aching elbow.

"Tiwaaa!" He's startled to hear his name being called out, along with the strumming of an acoustic guitar. He turns, eyebrows raised, to see Wasan Panthong, a dominant alpha who leads the band 'Nightless City of Music', sauntering toward him with his bandmates down the hallway.

Tiwa grits his teeth and tries to take the pain in, not wanting to show himself as weak. "What's up?" It doesn't phase the alpha, though, who has finished his melody with one last dramatic strum of chords and then grins.

"Now you slip, and soon your band will slip out through the crowd, just like the stars fading in the sky." Wasan roars, his eyes gleaming. He despises 'The Prides of Music' and is determined to break them. People are spreading unnecessary rumors about their concert being good, but he finds nothing new or impressive about it.

Tiwa shakes his head, chuckling. "Well, right! The stars may fade, but you've just forgotten that they will appear every day." Sometimes, his sins still follow him, no matter what he's done. He should have listened to his brother's words and kept settling in the dressing room. Now he regrets it.

The alpha huffs, as if he's offended. "You can count on it, pretty boy! Soon, this Wasan Panthong will provide an endless night to 'The Prides of Music' and earn an enduring place in those foolish people's hearts!"

Tiwa tries to stay strong, but the word 'pretty' gets on his nerves. He can feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment. He shakes himself out of his speechless stupor. "I'm going to kill you." That's all he can manage to say before he backtracks. "I'm not pretty!"

"Uh-huh." Wasan rolls his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. "Do you not see how pretty you are? But I do. And so does everyone else. I'm not participating in the betting pool regarding your identity because it's for confused idiots, right? I've already confirmed that you're an omega. No one other than them is a tempting and annoying bitch."

Tiwa shakes his head in disbelief, his eyes widening at the comment. He clenches his fist and raises his hand to slap, but the alpha catches it. "Leave my hand, you idiot," he scowls, trying not to flinch and show weakness.

Wasan laughs and moves closer, invading Tiwa's personal space and trying to breathe in his scent. "You can't hide from me. I know who you really are," he whispers, his breath hot against Tiwa's neck.

Tiwa feels a surge of panic as Wasan's actions continue to push the boundaries of discomfort. His heart races as he struggles to break out of the hold, knowing that any slip-up could reveal his secret. Despite the scent blocker, he can feel his true nature beginning to break through, and he knows he must find a way to escape before it's too late. He looks around for help until Jaran chooses that particular moment to come around the corner with their bandmates.

Jaran growls and angrily throws the guitar aside before grabbing Wasan by the neck and pulling him away from Tiwa. "How dare you touch my little brother?" He snarls, tightening his grip on Wasan's neck and delivering a punch.

Wasan gasps for air, his face going blank for a moment. He struggles to break free from Jaran's hold, but the grip is too strong.

The fight continues as Jaran continues to overpower Wasan, showing no signs of stopping. Seemingly arrogant in the blood that boils between the two of them, Jaran throws Wasan to the floor with a final, brutal blow and lifts the guitar menacingly, fury evident in his eyes. "I will end your chapter now," he declares.

With a swift swing, he is about to smash the guitar down onto Wasan's head, silencing him forever when their bandmates swiftly encircle them, stepping in to prevent any harm from occurring and attempting to calm the tense situation.

As his bandmates hold him aside, Wasan glares at the egoistic brothers and shoves everyone away before slinging his guitar over his shoulder. He has a murderous glint in his eyes, but he restrains himself from doing anything stupid with the audience. He growls and slams his fist into the wall, reflecting his anger, and leaves the hallway.

The tension in the air begins to ease, but Tiwa remains frozen in place, where two alphas were fighting vigorously in front of him a moment ago. He can still hear the growls and snarls echoing in his ears as he tries to process what just happened. He can't believe that he witnessed such a violent altercation between two alphas. With fear and confusion, he shudders and blinks his eyes when Jaran comes over to check on him.

"Are you okay?" Jaran asks, concern etched on his face.

"I-I…" Tiwa stutters, not knowing what to say.

"I know. Everything will be all right." Jaran pulls Tiwa against his chest and kisses him on the forehead, trying to soothe him.

The dull ache throbbing in Tiwa's head slowly dissipates as the familiar warmth envelops him, and he finally lets out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. His heart rate gradually decreases, and a sense of relaxation washes over him. Taking a long breath of the comforting alpha's scent, he pulls away.

He remains silent, trying to focus on the task at hand. He should perform well and impress the crowd. He can feel the pressure building with every passing moment. He adjusts his glasses, which he uses as a shield to deflect attention away from his appearance and onto his talent.

The atmosphere is incredibly heavy for a moment, and the bandmates are concentrating firmly on themselves. Suddenly, a gigantic hand grabs Tiwa's forearm, and he turns to see his brother looking at him. "We can do it." He nods, reassuring not only his brother but also himself and his bandmates.

Even though no one is talking, he can tell they are all nervous. There is a sort of anxious energy buzzing around each one of them. "We're going to provide a great concert tonight!" Decha shouts aloud. "All right, on three. One, two, three."

"Show our pride!" They all shout in unison, their balled-up fists symbolizing unwavering unity, as all five representatives of the band proudly proclaim their dedication.

Tiwa feels a slight nervousness; he's scared that his heart will burst out of his chest if he doesn't grip it. He looks down at his watch, which holds a special significance. Why is it so special? Because his sister presented it to him for his eighteenth birthday and blessed him to always shine like a star.

A smile creeps across his face as he realizes it is his moment to shine and demonstrate his talent. The lights shut off, filling the arena with a deafening roar. As the lights hit back on, all his bandmates were already on stage, except him.

Kiat smacks his drum sticks together four times before they begin playing the instrumental beginning of 'The Prides of Music, and just in time for the first low, guttural scream before the lyrics begin, Tiwa rushes out onto the stage.

The crowd goes wild as Tiwa takes his place behind the microphone, feeling the energy surging through him. He begins belting out the powerful lyrics with raw passion, his voice soaring over the heavy music until his light brown orbs solely fix on the cold stare of the dark brown ones in the crowd.

The atmosphere suddenly becomes eerily quiet, as if it were just him and the man in a desolate building. Tiwa can't tear his eyes from the man. The excitement and energy are obliterated, and he takes in a sharp intake of breath when the man winks and smirks at him. His fingers clutch the microphone helplessly as their eyes have an unsaid conversation about whether they know each other. Precisely, he feels like he is looking at a ghost.