The sky over Brooklyn was slate gray. The perfect backdrop, Rex thought, as they descended into their makeshift basement studio. There were no fancy producers, no polished engineers. Just four teenagers, a tight budget, and a dream bigger than the walls could hold.
Rex stood over his modest setup: a secondhand laptop, a cheap digital audio interface, borrowed microphones, and a DAW he found on a sketchy forum.
It wasn't much. But it was enough.
"Alright," he said, clapping his hands. "Today's the day. The Four Horsemen—our first release."
Kai twirled his drumsticks like a magician. "Time to put some thunder in the cloud."
Ash tuned his guitar slowly, his usual cocky grin more focused than ever. "You think this'll actually go viral?"
Silas leaned back in the torn-out car seat they used as a couch. "It's metal. If it hits right, it'll spread. Doesn't need to be polished. It needs to be real."
Rex nodded. "Exactly. We're not chasing perfection. We're chasing power."
Suddenly, the System screen flickered before Rex's eyes—translucent, unseen by the others:
> 🎙 Recording Session Initiated
🎯 Objective: Record "The Four Horsemen" at >80% performance quality
💡 Tip: Focus band morale. Assign solo sections based on synergy bonuses.
🎁 Reward: +3 Fanbase Multiplier on Upload
Rex smirked slightly. No pressure.
"Let's break it down," he said. "We'll track in layers. Kai goes first, so we have a solid rhythmic spine. Then bass, rhythm guitars, leads, vocals."
Kai adjusted his seat and slid the headphones on. "Count me in."
Rex hit the spacebar. The metronome clicked. And then, the storm began.
Take 1 — too stiff. Kai overthought his fills.
Take 2 — better groove, but he clipped the cymbals on the bridge.
Take 3 — they had it. Tight, raw, energetic.
"Drums locked," Rex said, saving the file with relief. "Nice work."
Kai exhaled. "I'm already sweating like a damn sauna."
"You're the furnace," Ash said. "We just ride the heat."
Silas was up next. He nodded, plugged in, and cracked his fingers.
His bass tone was thunderous, fuzzed with just enough crunch. It filled the low end like magma.
But halfway through the first verse, he winced.
"Wait. Buzzing. My A string's not holding tune."
Rex glanced over. "You want to stop?"
Silas looked at his instrument like it had betrayed him. "Nah. Give me sixty seconds."
He detuned, stretched the string, tuned again, and went for another take. This time it held.
Take 2 was golden.
When it was Ash's turn, the energy in the room shifted. The air seemed to grow sharper, more electric. He didn't speak, just stepped up to his rig like a sniper taking position.
Rex leaned close. "You feeling it?"
Ash nodded. "This solo—it's like riding a dragon through a thunderstorm. I've got it."
The first take had minor mistakes. The second had more heart. But it was the third take that made Rex's hair stand on end.
Ash's fingers flew across the fretboard, pulling notes from the void. Each bend screamed, every slide roared.
The System flashed:
> 🎸 Lead Guitar Solo: 92% performance
💥 Bonus Triggered: "Solo of Legend" – +5% listener retention on upload
Rex grinned. Now we're cooking.
Finally, it was his turn.
He grabbed his guitar and stood in front of the mic. His heart pounded—not just from performance anxiety, but from what this moment meant.
This wasn't just a song.
This was a resurrection.
He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and sang like a man possessed.
His voice wasn't flawless. But it was honest. It cracked in the right places, soared in others. He layered harmonies where it counted. Screamed when the rage demanded it.
When he opened his eyes, the others were quiet.
"Holy sh—" Silas said.
Kai blinked. "You've been hiding that voice?"
Ash gave a low whistle. "Rex, you're not just a frontman. You're a beast."
Rex gave a tired smile. "Let's just say I got inspired by the gods of heavy music."
The System flickered again.
> 🎤 Vocal Tracking Complete: 89%
🎯 Song Quality: 87%
✅ Upload Ready
💾 Would you like to export and master?
Rex clicked Yes.
An hour later, they sat crowded around the laptop. The final version of The Four Horsemen boomed through the tinny studio monitors—compressed, but full of fire.
Silas leaned forward. "I still can't believe we made this."
Kai looked at the screen like it held their future. "You gonna upload it now?"
Rex hesitated.
He saw the option on the System's overlay:
> 📤 Upload to YouTube under alias: "Obsidian Saints"
⚙ Tags Auto-Generated: "metal," "thrash," "original," "underground," "indie"
📊 Initial Projection: 300–500 views in 24 hours (organic)
He clicked Upload.
The bar crawled to 100%.
A final ping sounded, and the System whispered:
> ⚡ Video live.
🌍 The world will now listen.
He turned to the others, heart racing.
"It's up."
They stared at each other.
No confetti. No grand fireworks.
Just four teenage boys and a single link.
But somehow, it felt like they'd lit the first match of a wildfire.
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