The next night came faster than Kenji expected.
Rain lashed against the city like a restless drumbeat. Neon lights blurred on the wet streets, and the wind carried fragments of far-off melodies from nightclubs across District 7. By the time Kenji reached Studio Re:sonate again, his hoodie was soaked through but his determination burned hot beneath it.
He pushed open the door without hesitation.
Inside, Echo was already there, leaning against the soundboard, a cigarette flickering between his fingers. The room was dim except for the monitors, their glow painting Echo's face in shifting shades of blue and orange.
"You came back," Echo said, voice calm but knowing.
"I said I would," Kenji replied, brushing water from his hair.
Echo crushed the cigarette into an ashtray. "Good. Because tonight, we stop playing safe."
Kenji blinked. "What do you mean?"
Echo turned toward the console, flipping switches. The room vibrated as hidden speakers came alive, pumping out a deep, heavy rhythm that rattled Kenji's chest. "Last night you played from emotion. That's good. But emotion without control burns out fast. Tonight, you'll ride it."
Kenji frowned. "Ride it?"
Echo smirked. "You'll see."
He handed Kenji a pair of wireless headphones. "Put them on."
Kenji obeyed. The second the pads touched his ears, the rhythm changed, slow, hypnotic, pulsing right into his skull. He felt it in his bones, almost like a heartbeat not his own.
"Close your eyes," Echo instructed. "Now match your breathing to the beat."
Kenji inhaled and exhaled, syncing to the sound. It wasn't easy. The rhythm kept shifting slightly, unpredictable, alive. Sweat gathered on his forehead. His mind began to blur between the pulse in his chest and the one in his ears.
"Now," Echo said, "play."
Kenji's fingers found the strings. The guitar hummed, soft at first but the more he played, the more the System's faint hum started to glow in the edges of his vision.
[System Synchronization in Progress...]
[Activating Feature: Sound Alignment.]
[Target: "Rhythm Resonance Training."]
A wave of energy coursed through his body, matching every strum, every breath. The notes no longer came from memory, they burst out instinctively, wild and pure. The sound shook the room, vibrating the walls.
Echo circled him slowly, studying every movement. "Good. Don't think. Let it flow through you."
Kenji felt the world dissolve. He couldn't tell where his heartbeat ended and the melody began. His golden eyes shimmered faintly, catching flashes of light from the monitors. Every note painted an emotion, anger, fear, longing, hope, all tangled into one chaotic, beautiful sound.
Then, the rhythm grew faster.
His pulse struggled to keep up.
He stumbled, nearly missing a chord. The sound cracked, and the energy around him stuttered. The System flickered again.
[Warning: Resonance instability detected.]
[Recommendation: Stabilize emotional frequency.]
Kenji gritted his teeth, forcing his focus back. "Come on… not now…"
Echo's voice cut through the noise. "Stop fighting it. Feel the chaos and lead it."
Something clicked.
Kenji inhaled sharply, eyes snapping open. He struck the next chord like lightning — fierce, steady. The music surged again, twice as bright. The entire studio vibrated, lights flickering with every pulse. Echo raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"Now you're doing it," he murmured.
The System glowed gold.
[Rhythm Resonance Achieved.]
[Skill Unlocked: Pulse Control.]
[Effect: Synchronize rhythm between self and environment, stabilizing tempo and emotional energy during performances.]
Kenji gasped, dropping to one knee as the final note faded. The air around him pulsed for a moment longer, then slowly fell silent.
He was drenched in sweat, his hands trembling but his eyes burned with exhilaration.
"What… was that?" he breathed.
Echo's lips curved slightly. "That was you catching rhythm itself."
Kenji looked down at his guitar, still vibrating faintly. "It felt like the whole world was moving with me."
"That's because it was," Echo said quietly. "When you reach true resonance, everything around you listens, even the silence."
He leaned back against the console, lighting another cigarette. "But be careful. The stronger the resonance, the more it demands. Lose focus for even a second, and it'll eat you alive."
Kenji managed a tired laugh. "Sounds like music."
"Exactly." Echo smirked. "Now you're learning."
Later, as Kenji stepped out into the rain again, he could still feel it, that strange pulse echoing inside his chest. It wasn't just adrenaline. It was the rhythm itself, alive and breathing within him.
He glanced at his phone.
No new messages. No notifications.
Only his reflection on the wet screen. Eyes faintly glowing gold in the dim streetlight.
Then, faintly, he heard footsteps behind him.
"Impressive session," a voice said.
Kenji turned sharply but no one was there. Just the echo of the voice, fading with the rain.
He scanned the street. Empty.
Yet somehow, the System shimmered faintly again.
[Hidden Observer Detected.]
[Warning: Unknown entity linked to System Network.]
Kenji's stomach dropped. "What…?"
The text blinked once then vanished.
The rhythm of the rain grew louder, faster, as if the city itself had started playing along with him.
And somewhere, out in the shadows, someone else was listening.