Idol Revive: If I Don't Debut, I'll Disappear
Chapter 52: Open Broadcast 1st Round (2)

Chapter 52: Open Broadcast 1st Round (2)

The music started.

As the haunting piano solo played, the spotlight above the stage flickered to life, illuminating six figures. It’s color had changed from when Yeon Miwol entered.

Now, it was blood-red, bathing the stage in crimson glow.

Finally, the audience could clearly see them.

The stage was arranged to resemble a large gothic mansion under the eerie light of a red moon. One man was standing at the center of the mansion, his back against the audience.

Scattered around were lifeless bodies, like old, discarded dolls.

There were six of these dolls laying motionless at his feet, all dressed in gothic attires. Their heads were adorned with matching black berets, which, despite all of them lifelessly tilting their heads, hadn’t fallen off at all.

Just with the piano intro, Ivan felt a chill, rubbing his arms to suppress the goosebumps rising on his skin.

When the man on the stage raised his hand, an ethereal, soft voice echoed through the whole venue, sending shivers to the audience.

"Why do I feel like I’m alive

When I’m with you?"

However, the voice didn’t come from the standing man, but from a red-haired doll among the lifeless dolls on his feet.

As the doll’s mouth opened, it suddenly raised its hand in perfect sync with the man as if an invisible string had pulled it up.

Gasp!

Minji recognized this doll as the first audition participant she had watched on UCube broadcast.

’He’s the first one performing again...’

Minji stayed rooted in her place, gripping the banner in her hand tightly.

’Oh my... Hearing him sing live was even more—kyaaa!!!’

The standing man continued to "pull the strings," guiding the red-haired doll, Rayen. Eventually, Rayen stood up, and the other dolls leaning against him fell to the ground lifelessly.

His movements were precise, in perfect harmony with the gestures of his marionettist and the piano’s haunting notes. For a moment, Minji doubted her eyes.

’Eh? Is that really him? He isn’t bad at dancing at all!’

As Rayen finished his line, an electric guitar joined the piano, merging into a new kind of jarring yet enthralling atmosphere.

"Without your breath..."

Another doll sang its line while laying on the cold floor — it was Binh... His unique voice adding to the accumulating chilling mood as if the climax was near.

"Without your touch, I’m feeling cold.

Until you came to find me here..."

Almost whispering, Renjiro sang the last line of the stanza before collapsing to the ground.

"Just a lone sole."

All the instruments abruptly halted.

"....."

"Take my hand." A deep voice startled the audience.

The marionettist finally turned around, revealing a pale white face, staring blankly into space.

Then, in a burst of sounds, the piano, guitars and drums entered at the same time, opening the chorus in an explosion. The dolls on the ground rose suddenly, each singing their lines while reaching out toward the man controlling them.

Liam danced elegantly, weaving through the stage, while "pulling" the strings of the dolls around him — both props and real people.

"Can you take my hand?

Pull me into your arms."

Everyone bellowed to the controller.

"Take me!!!"

The dance steps seemed rigid, at the same time powerful, making the audience feel awake, shedding the creepy goosebumps on their skin.

At first, Ivan didn’t recognize the song due to its eerie arrangement. The original was intense right from the start, but this version started a bit more forlorn and unsettling; somewhat like a desperate plea of a person begging for company.

Only when the chorus arrived, and the dolls sang the iconic "Take me" line did he realize it.

’It’s Take My Hand!’

Resurrect Me was often mistaken for Take My Hand because that particular line in the chorus was more memorable. After all, who would even remember the words "Resurrect Me" when it wasn’t even mentioned in the lyrics?

Nevertheless, this song was still a masterpiece and considered a karaoke staple.

Although the younger generation, like Minji’s age and the other fangirls and boys in the audience, might not be that familiar with it, but at least once in their lives, they’ve probably heard it somewhere.

More so with Ivan. It was his emo sister’s favorite song to sing!

But who cares if some of the audience members don’t know the song? The performance right now mattered the most. If it’s good, then it’s good!

"Take me from the darkness,

Reach me out."

After those lines were sung by Yeo Haru and Binh, the chorus transitioned into the bridge.

During this part, Liam and Minho shared the rap section, their voices interweaving with the singing "dolls" as if arguing with them.

The two rapper’s voice were vastly different. Minho had a higher pitch than Liam. Meanwhile, Liam’s voice was deep like an ocean. Seoyun, who had only come to the live viewing because of Minji’s urging, found herself captivated by it.

’Take me too...’ Seoyun wanted to sing along.

As the bridge ended, the atmosphere shifted once more. The dance break begun.

The performers on the stage felt their palms sweating. This was the part where Yeo Haru would always lose control.

’Please, not this time too...’ Rayen prayed in his mind.

After the tension before their performance, Yeo Haru had returned to his previous listless demeanor. Even Binh was somewhat affected. Afterall, he just made someone cry.

But who would have even expected for Yeo Haru to cry?

Seemingly losing his mind, the marionettist tried to fling away the dolls scrambling towards him, his gestures so large and powerful that the dolls flew like weightless pieces of rags.

The dancing dolls were trying to control him! And it was Yeo Haru leading them.

Rayen and the others gulped as they watched Yeo Haru from the corner of their eyes.

Yeo Haru was also struggling.

What did they even mean when they said he was dancing so flamboyantly? What was the difference between his dancing and the others?

Suddenly, Liam lunged at him and grabbed him by the collar.

"Tone down your style," Liam whispered.

’My style?’

Realization dawned upon him as he covertly glanced around. Everyone else would move as if only one person was doing it. However, for him, there was an extra flair with the way he flicked his body, disrupting the cohesion with the entire team.

Liam flung him as he jumped nimbly, giving an illusion as if he was a weightless puppet.

In the air, Yeo Haru muttered, "Whoops, not today..."

The lights dimmed a little so that the audience wouldn’t be able to notice the magic taking place. Suddenly, he was lying on the ground where the prop he exchanged with was lying earlier. Then, he stood up to rejoin the group and danced perfectly in sync with them.

His teammates were surprised by the sudden change, but it was a pleasant one.

Meanwhile, everyone from the audience were puzzled.

"How are they doing it?"

The dolls were clearly real people, but upon landing on the ground, the white clothed dolls had all turned into fakes.

What’s this? A magic show?

But that wasn’t the end.

The marionettist climbed the balcony to escape the pursuing dolls, who now appeared hauntingly alive.

"Take me now!!!"

When the high note was belted out by Rayen, the dolls were all looking at their former controller above.

Red petals blossomed and rained upon the marionettes.

Then... Liam fell.

Everyone let out a gasp.

The music stopped as Rayen’s screams faded.

In the silence, the piano introduced the final, desolate lines of the song. Among the lifeless bodies scattered about, Liam, the former controller of the marionettes had become one of them.

Yeo Haru uttered the last lines while caressing Liam’s lifeless face.

"Feeling so hollow inside

There’s nothing left of me.

I know I’ve been lying to myself,

Still, I hope someone could give me life."

As his voice faded, the music faded along. The intensity the audience had felt had no time to even ease.

The performance had already ended.