"We're here." The boy said to her as he then got out of the car. A moment later, Fantaisie did the same and she went to stand next to him, looking at the worn-down house in front of them.

It looks like no one has been living there for a long time. On the front lawn, the grass is overgrown and unkept, dried leaves are littered all around.

"What is this place?" She asked, slightly confused at the sight and curious as to why her Maestro wanted to visit this ruined house and he answered with only one word.

"...Home." He walked towards the door and pulled out a key, putting it into the keyhole and twisting it, unlocking the door. After a brief pause, he took a step inside.

"This is your home?" Fantaisie asked as she follows him inside.

"Yeah. This is where I grew up and lived with my dad. Before Selene and I moved to L.A." Her Maestro replied as he flicked on the light switch. The incandescent lightbulbs briefly flickered before illuminating the room in warm, yellowish light.

He stepped into the living room, his eyes peering around the area. Although there was a lot of dust everywhere, the room is quite tidy, the furniture was still neatly arranged from the last time it was used.

Akiri quietly strolls around the room, memories beginning to flow. He recalls the good moments and also the bad ones.

Fantaisie also looks around in curiousness, glancing at every small bit of decorations and trinkets on the shelves and photos hung up on the wall. Her eyes then landed on what seemed like a family photo, kept nicely in a picture frame.

She then picked it up and showed it to her Maestro. "Is this you?" She pointed towards the small boy, no older than six, smiling happily as he stood between two adults.

"Yeah. Me, my mom, and my dad." He walked over and Fantaisie handed him the picture. He smiled as he touches the photo with his fingers, more memories of happy times being remembered.

"Your parents..." Fantaisie continued. "Where are they?" She asked, and he reacts by lowering his gaze, saddened.

"Well, dad is working at Symphonica's Berlin Headquarters. Last I heard..." He said as he then looked at his mother in the photo. "Mom... She died when I was young. I barely remember her..."

"I'm sorry." She apologized, feeling bad for bringing up the subject.

"It's fine." He answered, and a moment later, he placed the picture down again before continuing to look around the room. Fantaisie glances at the photo for a brief moment before following him.

After a moment of silence, both his and Fantaisie's attention is now on one thing. Their eyes are set on a dusty old grand piano, sitting in the corner and the boy slowly walks up to the instrument.

"Probably should've covered it up." He said as he slides his fingers across the dusty surface, revealing the glossy black paint underneath.

"Can you play it?" Fantaisie asked with her head tilted slightly.

"You know I don't play anymore."

"Please? For me?" She said, looking up at him with a pleading look on her face. He then let out a sigh.

"Fine. Just a little..." He replied with a sigh as he then went and sat on the stool. He got comfortable on the seat as he presses a few keys, going up the A major scale. "Sounds like it's still in tune."

His fingers hover above the keys for a few moments, his hands are seen shaking, as if in fear of the instrument under it. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and the shaking slowly stops. Fantaisie watches him in anticipation and he took another deep breath until he finally started playing, filling the room with music.

The girl watches intently as his fingers skillfully glides across the keys. She listens as the music drifts around the room beautifully like the humming of an angel.

His music is full of emotions. The feeling of happiness is mixed with the feeling of sadness. She felt as if the music is telling a story without him uttering a single word.

The piece starts off soft and quiet, depicting the feeling of loneliness and isolation.

As his fingers move, his mind started to wander away from the present.

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"Do you really have to go, dad?" A young Akiri asked, looking up to his father.

"Yes, I'm sorry. This is very important." A tall man, sharply dressed in a black suit, replied. Seemingly in haste as he put on his leather shoes.

The boy frowned. "B-but... it's my birthday today... You said you're bringing me cake and-"

"I really can't, son. Next year, I'll celebrate it with you, okay? I promise." Without another word, the man walked out the door, leaving his child alone as the boy lowered his head, saddened.

"You said that last year too..."

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Halfway through, the tempo of the melody picks up, and the tone shifts gradually, feeling warm, bright and lively. The story of discovery and joy, happiness and contentment.

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"You look sad." A female voice said, however, the lone boy she is talking to didn't say anything as he sat quietly on the bench of the playground.

"..."

She leaned closer to him. "What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?" She asked again, but the boy stayed silent.

"..."

The girl then seemingly had an idea. "I'm going to play at the sand pit. You wanna play together with me?"

Hearing her say that, the boy lifts his head up to look at her, his eyes slightly widened in surprise. "R-Really...? You want to play with me...?"

"Of course. What's your name?"

"A-Akiri..."

"Well, Akiri. Nice to meet you. I'm Selene." She said with a beaming smile, holding her hand out to him. The boy slowly reaches, and held her hand.

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He kept playing, his mind getting lost in the flow of memories, while his hands moved seemingly subconsciously, hitting the keys, and expressing his emotions with every note played. He could no longer stop himself as the memories kept flowing.

The song then started to gradually move to a slower tempo.

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"Selene, I really think that this is a bad idea." A now slightly older Akiri said. It was a memory from only a few months ago.

"I want to do this, Akiri. Please. This is my only chance." The girl replied, carrying her violin in its case and about to go out the door.

"I know, but... You can't. I know it's your dream to perform, but it's too dangerous."

She smiled at him. "I believe everyone deserves to be happy." Said Selene. "I want to share my happiness, my music with the world. I want to return music to this world."

"Selene..." The boy trailed off.

"Someday, even when I'm gone, my music will be played and enjoyed for years to come..." She then turned around, facing the door and took a step forward before turning her head to look at him.

"You are coming to watch my concert, right?"

Akiri was hesitant to answer, but he then nodded. "...Yeah. Of course."

She beamed. "Thanks." She walked up to him and gave him a peck on the lips. "Love you, Akiri."

"Love you too, Selene."

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The song picks up again, reaching a crescendo, until it abruptly falls into silence. After a brief moment, the music starts again, this time becoming slow, sombre and dark. The feeling of loss, denial and acceptance.

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"Selene..." The boy was seen in tears, on both of his knees on top of a ruined stage and cradling a lifeless body. He mutters her name, tightening his grip on her body, not letting go.

"No... SELENE!!!"

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The music stops, and the final note still rings out, slowly fading. His fingers remain on top of the keys as tears are flowing freely down his cheeks. Something deep inside was triggered, a feeling that he had suppressed for so long.

"Maestro..." Seeing her Maestro like this, Fantaisie felt an ache in her chest. She slowly walked up to him with her hand reaching over towards him.

"I'm fine... I just need a minute..." He said, slowly taking in breaths to calm himself down, wiping the tears off his face. However, no matter how hard he tried, the tears won't stop flowing.

He then felt a pair of hands wrapped around him. He turns his head to see that Fantaisie is now embracing him from behind, resting her head on his back.

"Fantaisie?" He muttered her name with tears still in his eyes. "What are you...?"

"Hugging you." She answered, rather bluntly. "I've read that it is a way to comfort someone." She gently tightens her embrace, nuzzling her face on his back.

How long ago was the last time he was hugged by someone. The last time he was embraced by her. Although the girl hugging him now wasn't the same, it wasn't any less familiar to him. Her warmth, her touch, it was almost like Selene is still there wrapping her arms around him.

And so, he started to cry again. Releasing all the pent-up emotions buried deep inside, and it doesn't look like he's stopping any time soon.

"Should I have stopped her...?" He murmured between sobs. His hands are clenched tight as he buried his fingernails into his palms. "But it's what she wanted... She wanted to perform..." He continued to cry, letting out his emotions under the embrace of Fantaisie.

Meanwhile, the girl felt her chest beating rapidly, she also noticed that her cheeks were heating up as well, she felt a rather unfamiliar feeling as she embraced the boy.

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A while of complete silence later, Akiri had began to calm down, and Fantaisie then slowly releases her grip on him. He then wiped his tears away with his arm while taking some deep breaths.

"Are you feeling better now?" Asked the girl, to which he then nodded.

"Yeah. I feel much better now... Thank you, Fantaisie." He replied with a small smile.

He then got up from the stool and began to walk upstairs with Fantaisie following from behind.

The second floor has access to only a few rooms. He turns to look at the single door down the short hallway and he walks towards it. He reaches his hand towards the doorknob and twists, slowly opening the door as it creaks a little.

He entered his old bedroom. It was in good condition, untouched since the last time he had stayed in it. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that the room was tidy. The bed sheets weren't properly folded, the drawers are slightly opened, and there are a few pieces of clothing left on the ground.

"Is this your room?" Fantaisie asked as he went towards the single bed in the corner of the room.

"Yeah. Sorry, it's a bit messy." He replied before kneeling down at the side of the bed. Fantaisie silently looked at him as he went to reach his hand under his bed, seemingly grabbing something underneath. He then dragged out a dusty black case. On the front where the latches are, is a label with a name on it; 'Selene'.

"What is that?" Fantaisie asked, looking over his shoulder curiously.

He didn't say anything as he released the latches and opened the case to reveal a violin inside. The instrument looks a bit dusty, yet well preserved. The wood looks slightly worn as the wooden finish is dull in some areas and the four strings are slightly oxidized, the signs that it was frequently used by its owner.

"A violin?" Fantaisie murmured.

"Yeah. It was Selene's." The boy answered he stared at the instrument.

"Selene used to play as well?"

"Yeah. We used to play together a lot. Just the two of us, playing music for hours and hours." He replied before closing back the case and carried it by the handle. "Come on. We've spent too much time here already."

"Where are we going now?" She asked.

"There's someone I need to return this to..." With that, they made their way back outside and drove off.

(Timeskip)

After a few more minutes of driving, they had finally arrived at their next location. He stopped the car and parked a few distances away from one of the houses in the residential area.

"You stay in the car. And don't come out unless it's an emergency." He said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and rolled down the window slightly just enough for some air to get in.

The girl was about to oppose, but she decided against it and listen to him instead. "Okay, Maestro."

He got out of the car and shut the door before walking up to the front door of the house.

There was a moment of reluctance as he was having second thoughts, but with a deep breath to prepare himself, he mustered up the courage to knock on the door.

"Just a minute please!"

Some footsteps followed by an audible click was heard as the door was unlocked by the person inside. The door swings open and he saw that it was a woman with long brown hair, seemingly in her early thirties.

"Akiri-kun! Long time no see!" The woman gave him a hug. It took him a moment before he returned the gesture.

"Hey... Mrs Schröder."

They stayed like that for a while before both of them broke the hug.

"Come on inside. I'll make some tea."

"N-No, I'm just-"

"Oh, you're always so shy, Akiri." She pushes him in before he could finish his sentence and he had no choice but to follow her inside.

"Come, don't be shy. Make yourself at home." The woman invited him and they promptly made their way to the dining area of the house. "Take a seat. I'll make some drinks."

He only nodded as he went to the rather small round table, and took a seat on one of the four chairs.

"So, how have you been lately? How was L.A?" She said as she was preparing tea in a teapot, breaking the awkward silence in the room.

"It's... It's nice." He answered.

"I see. That's good." She replied and a while later, she walked back to the table and began to serve the tea. The boy thanked her before taking a sip, both out of courtesy and to calm himself down.

"So, what brings you here today?" She asked as she took the seat across the table and the boy stayed silent, having second thoughts about whether or not to tell the woman in front of him about what had happened. After a few moments, he finally opened his mouth.

"Mrs Schröder... It's about Selene..."

"Hm?"

Mrs Schröder looked at him and saw the expression he had on his face.

"Selene... Your daughter... She's gone..." He finally had the courage to say the words and he lowered his gaze towards the cup of tea in his hands. "I'm sorry... I came here to give this back." He said as he places the black violin case on the table.

Another moment of silence ensues. Akiri kept his eyes low, not wanting to face the woman in front of him.

He felt the urge to leave right then and there. Who knows what she could be feeling right now. She might even lash out at him, blaming him for what happened. He failed to protect his partner, to protect her daughter, so it is completely understandable if she were to blame him.

"...I know." Was her response, and he lifts his head up in surprise.

"What...?"

"I know." She repeated. "Leonard already told me everything." She then smiled at him. "No, Akiri-kun. I'm not mad at you."

"H-Huh?" He looked at her in confusion.

"You thought I'm going to blame you for what happened, didn't you?" She continued, and he only stayed silent, still at a loss for words.

Mrs Schröder continued to smile at him. "Come with me." She said as she got up from her seat, and Akiri only quietly stood up and followed her.

The two of them went up a set of stairs onto the second floor of the house.

She led him towards a bedroom door and she pulled out a key to unlock it.

"This is Selene's room..." He muttered, his voice trembling as if he was scared to enter the room. "Mrs Schröder, I can't... It's too..."

She grabbed his arm and slowly pulled him inside. He was forced to set his gaze around the bedroom.

It was relatively neat and tidy, unlike his room. It looked like someone had been frequently cleaned by someone every few weeks. A few childhood photos are seen hanged on the wall.

Among them, was a picture of both Akiri and Selene, playing their instruments in a duet. Akiri is on the piano, while Selene is playing her violin. He stared at the photograph, deep in thoughts until Mrs Schröder went to stand next to him and started to speak.

"She's truly herself when she's playing music with you." She said, picking up the photo frame. "Even just being with you, it's enough to make her worries go away."

The boy stayed silent, staring at the girl inside the photo. A perfectly preserved memory of simpler, and happier times.

The woman then handed him the photo before continuing. "Do you remember? That day her father died, she was lost. Until you came to her."

He recalls the moment a few years ago, his head lowered to look at the carpeted floor as his mind was taken back. Selene was devastated at the loss of her father. She locked herself in her room for days, refusing to talk to anyone. But the boy kept coming to her doorstep every day, despite the many times he got turned away.

"...You got her out of that rut, when even I can't." She went on. "When you played the piano for her that day, changed everything. She was a whole new person after that."

He remembered that on one day, he decided to try something different. He went to play the grand piano from downstairs, just loud enough so that Selene could hear it from her room.

"...She began falling in love with music. Wanting to hear it more, wanting to make it. And eventually, she fell in love with you."

"Mrs Schröder, why are you telling me all this?" He asked, his head lowered to look at the carpeted floor.

"So that you'd stop feeling so miserable." She said, and he kept quiet. "I know that you're sad, you're in pain about losing her. And that's okay... She meant a lot to you. And I missed her a lot as well." She continued. "But she would want you to move on, she wouldn't like seeing you like this."

Tears once again started to form in the corner of his eyes as he heard that.

The woman reaches a hand over and places it on his shoulder. "She died doing what she loves, pursuing her passion. She wanted to return music into the world. Isn't that her dream?"

He recalled her words the moment just before she went out to perform.

"I believe everyone deserves to be happy. I want to share my happiness, my music with the world. I want to return music to this world..."

"Someday, even when I'm gone, my music will be played and enjoyed for years to come..."

Her words echo, lingering in his mind.

"So instead of being depressed all the time, why not try to continue her legacy? Try your hardest to fulfil her dream?" She said as she went to a bookshelf and pulled out a file from the rows of books.

"What's that?" He asked, to which Mrs Schröder then handed him the file.

"Her legacy." She simply answered as he looked at the file in his hands to read what it says on the cover; 'My Songs', in Selene's handwriting. He opened it to see that it was filled with composed songs.

"She wouldn't tell me why at the time, why she loved music so much. She said that it was her most treasured secret." She said, looking at a picture of Selene playing the violin. "But I think I know why now."

"Why?"

She only smiled at him. "...You have to find that out yourself."

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"Thank you, Mrs Schröder." Akiri thanked the woman as he stood in front of her doorstep, ready to leave as the sun had just started to set for the day.

"You're welcome. Feel free to visit any time." She replied before handing him over Selene's violin case. "Here. Can't make music without an instrument."

He accepted it and held it by the handle.

"Make Selene proud."

"I will." He said, determination is clear in his voice and he thanked her again before turning to leave to his parked car.

"Oh, and Akiri-kun..."

He heard her say and he turned around to look at her after only taking two steps.

"Say hello to your new partner for me." She said with a wink. He looked at her, eyes slightly widened in surprise for a moment.

"Y-You knew?"

She smiled. "Of course. Take good care of her, okay?"

He looked at her with a serious expression and gave her a firm nod. "I will." And with that, he walked away, carrying the black violin case in his hand, carrying the hopes and dreams of the girl whom he loved. To carry on Selene's legacy.

And so he left his hometown with a new purpose and goal to strive for.

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(A/N: Alright! We've reached the halfway point for this story and I wanted to ask you; what are your thoughts on this story so far? Any feedback you give is appreciated. I'm really curious as to what your thoughts are on this book, so feel free to let me know in the comments, just remember to be respectful.

As I've stated before, remember to vote if you've enjoyed this chapter. And make sure to follow my profile to keep up to date with the statuses of my stories. Thanks for reading.)