The festival was over, but its echoes lingered in the school corridors. The performance was supposed to be the band's debut, a triumph that would launch their sound to the world—or at least to the neighboring towns. But without Lívia, it felt hollow. Duda drummed without her usual fire, and Leo played with his eyes on the floor. Miguel didn't speak to anyone afterward. He just packed his guitar and left.
Lívia spent the weekend in her room. She didn't touch her piano. Her phone buzzed constantly—messages from Duda, missed calls from Miguel—but she ignored them all. Her mind was a storm of emotions she couldn't name: betrayal, heartbreak, confusion, guilt.
Marina didn't help. She walked around the house as if nothing had happened. When Lívia confronted her again, her sister shrugged. "I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault if you were too naive to see it."
That sentence stayed with her. Naive. It echoed every time she looked in the mirror. She began to question everything—her music, her friendships, her worth.
At school, people whispered. Some had seen her storm out. Others had heard parts of the story. Rumors spread like wildfire, and Lívia felt like she was drowning. Even the music room no longer felt like a safe place. She stopped going there. Stopped writing. Stopped smiling.
Duda was the only one who didn't give up. She waited for her every day before school. Sat with her at lunch, even when Lívia didn't speak. Finally, one afternoon, Duda burst.
"You can't just disappear like this!" she shouted, slamming her hands on the desk. "You think you're the only one hurting? We all miss you. The band misses you. I miss you."
Lívia looked up, tears in her eyes. "I can't pretend everything's fine. Not after what happened."
"I'm not asking you to pretend. I'm asking you to fight. For yourself. For your music. For the girl who used to light up when she played piano."
It was the first time Lívia cried in front of someone since the night of the betrayal. And it was the first time she felt maybe—just maybe—she could still find her way back.