“It’s over, the world is ending tomorrow.”

The dusk light peeked through the curtains, illuminating the room. With that, Bellona emerged from under the sheets of white surrounded by shadows, only to be met with an unfamiliar room. A feeling of uneasiness weighed upon her figure as she observed her surroundings. 

Bellona’s ears rang through her head shot through the thickness of her skull. She groaned in pain as she sat up, noticing the endless scars and wounds that stitched themselves across her tattered skin. 

What happened…last night…?

Last night, last night, last night. Oh! That’s right. I wonder who saved me from those kids. 

She continued to linger her gaze around the room, drawing her eyes across the room.

Oh well, it doesn’t matter anymore.

As she continued to scrutinise her surroundings, her eyes landed on a dark, grand piano at the corner of the room. It captivated her attention with its opened lid that glistened in the light. Bellona had always been a musical virtuoso– still, it had been quite a while since she last played her favourite instruments. Around the magnificent piano were a few other instruments that she had paid scant attention to; one of which had been a guitar. 

Out of the opposite corner, an ominous man emerged from the unilluminated bend. Bellona shuddered in fright at the sight of the man, furrowing her eyebrows at his figure. She sighed a heavy breath of relief as she identified the man from the devastatingly dim corner. She had his face memorised in all the hollow corners of her heart. His chocolate brown hair, his peculiar trousers– no one like the individualistic Liam could ever slip past her memories.

His voice was weary when he spoke to her. “Do whatever you want to do,” he said, “I don’t care anymore.” He only left a short answer before departing out of the door beside her bed. The subtle feeling of glee faded away just as fast as his footstep’s echoes succumbed to the concrete floor. Bellona let out a soft sigh. 

Guess I’m alone again.  She thought, left in the despondent, stagnant air.

She wandered towards the piano that first caught her sight. Slowly, she tenderly caressed the keys before pressing down on one of them, whereupon the recognisable tone and timbre echoed throughout the room. 

Without warning, all of these memories of her playing with Liam struck like lightning, all the frustration, all the laughs but most notably, the joy of being able to experience performing with him. 

This must have been the piano I used, and that must have been the guitar he played!

She chuckled before her smile disintegrated into an expression of resignation.

What cold, unforgiving world she lived in or any intense heartache never seemed to throw her off her feet. She only stuck with the melody of the songs she played; the melody of the songs she and Liam played, on stage and off.

“But now it’s different.” she thought, “Saying, ‘see you tomorrow.’ would be wrong today.”

I guess I got nothing left to do than to simply wave goodbye.

Meanwhile, alone in his car – under the orange hue of the great sky above – Liam drove back into the quiet, empty city that was once a thriving metropolis. He couldn’t help but listen to a recorded video of one of his and Bellona’s auditions. As her voice first appeared, he couldn’t help but release a smile. 

In the somewhat disturbingly desolate and dismal streets, Liam, and the many other people that remained were fully aware that tomorrow – an epilogue they would all reach – would be the ending for them all. 

What would a prayer do? When could a wish come true?

His face was relaxed with acceptance and defeat.

Stepping out of the car, Liam’s face promptly lit up with memories of the distant past, as the eloquent, faint, susurration of piano notes from inside of the building entered his ears. He walked briskly as he tracked the sound, his steps growing faster and faster with desperation.

His breathing got more intense before rounding the corner. His eyes widened as he discerned the silhouette of a grand piano. A wave of euphoric nostalgia slammed into Liam before they continued to flow through him.

“Th- that melody-” he murmured.

He heard the voice of the piano abruptly cease. “Oh! Liam, you came!” Bellona excitedly exclaimed.

To avoid the recollection of such times of the duo would have been obsolete, to demonstrate what had ensued though… 

As the awkward silence set in, Bellona beamed with pleasure as she pointed to the guitar on the floor.

“Do you want to join me? It will be like the old times!”

“I- uhm. Alright.” Liam nervously murmured as he settled himself on the floor with the guitar in his hand. 

After all, there was nothing for either of them left to lose to woe now– for in just a few hours, the carefully woven melodies, songs and precious, heartwarming memories would all say farewell.

Playing every note with even more emotion than the last, both grinned ear to ear along with overflowing tears, enjoying each note of their song as much as possible. The guitar blended smoothly with the piano tones, topped off with Bellona and Liam’s light humming, making for a spectacular tune to anyone who could have heard it.

In the final notes of the outro, they both gazed upon each other without a single care in the world, expressing all of the last gentle emotions they could feel and would ever feel, before getting up and hugging in a warm embrace, holding each other tightly as streaming tears ran down their cheeks. They gazed at each other in that final minute, before darkness engulfed their visions for the last time.

“If there was still a tomorrow for us to see, do you think we could have played like we did just now?” Bellona uttered.

Liam whispered fondly, his lethargic voice weaving through the cracks of his melancholic despair. 

“This isn’t the end, Bellona. It’s alright.”