The clock on Rex's wall blinked 10:04 AM. Sunlight leaked in through half-closed blinds, warming the hardwood floor of his cramped bedroom. Cables coiled across the room like lazy snakes — guitar leads, mic wires, power strips. At the center of the chaos stood Rex, cradling his sleek black ESP guitar like a weapon of destiny.
He strummed once, felt the buzz of power in his chest, and grinned.
One by one, the others arrived — Ash with his guitar case and a tired smirk, Kai spinning his sticks like always, and Silas lugging in his bass and amp.
Rex didn't waste time. "We've got one mission today — bring Seek and Destroy to life."
Ash raised a brow. "This song… it's still stuck in my head since last night. The riffs, the energy — it's nasty."
Kai dropped onto the drum stool. "I was air-drumming it in my sleep."
"Let's make it real," Rex said, plugging into his amp. "We'll start with rehearsal. No recording until we get tight."
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Hour One: The Riff Assault
They opened with the intro riff — slow, menacing, like the growl of an engine just starting. Rex and Ash struck in harmony, each chord palm-muted and aggressive, reverberating through the small room like distant thunder.
Kai came in gradually, light taps on the hi-hat, then kicked into a full beat — sharp snares, heavy toms. Silas anchored them all with a bass line that growled under the guitars, smooth but monstrous.
"Cut!" Rex barked after the chorus.
The sound cut like a knife.
"Kai, let that snare breathe before the transition. You're crowding the riff."
"Gotcha," Kai said, adjusting his grip.
Ash looked at Rex. "You want the solo fast and mean, or with more bend and drama?"
Rex thought. "Both. Start with a hook, then go wild."
Ash smirked. "My specialty."
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Hour Three: Locking In
They'd done the song five times, and each take got tighter. Kai was locked in with Silas now — drums and bass pulsing like one machine. Ash's leads were blistering, full of energy. Rex held the rhythm down with precision, his focus burning behind those long dark strands of hair.
Rex paused and stepped back. "Ash — try a harmony with yourself on the chorus lead."
"I can track that."
"And Silas," Rex added, "let's thicken the low end on the pre-chorus. Run your bass through the fuzz pedal."
"You want dirt? I'll give you mud."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "This track's going to shake bones when we're done."
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Hour Five: The Takes
The bedroom transformed into a makeshift studio. Blankets on the walls for sound dampening, mics on stands, cables rerouted, interfaces hot.
Kai tracked drums first. No acoustic kit, just an electric set running through drum software — not ideal, but they made it work. Rex sat at the laptop, guiding each take.
"Again from the verse. Less splash, more attack."
Kai grunted but obeyed, sweat dripping from his forehead as he adjusted the snare velocity.
Then came Silas — bass, direct input. His fingers worked fast, steady, and clean. He nailed his final take in two tries.
Ash was next. He stood for his lead takes, body swaying with the rhythm, eyes shut. His solos screamed through the pickups — raw, chaotic, but beautiful.
"Goddamn," Rex muttered under his breath as he recorded. "You're a freak of nature, Ash."
Ash just chuckled. "I like to show off."
Finally, Rex stepped up to the mic. The rest fell silent.
He clicked record.
"We're scanning the scene in the city tonight…"
His voice was heavy, dark, and snarling. It wasn't perfect — but that was the point. It was real. Gritty. Unapologetic. When he hit the chorus, he let loose like a man possessed.
He ripped through the full song in three takes and collapsed back into the chair, chest heaving, heart pounding.
Kai handed him a bottle of water. "That was brutal. You alright?"
Rex grinned. "More than alright."
---
Nightfall: The Final Bounce
They huddled around the screen, listening to the mixed version. Rex had spent hours polishing it — layering takes, EQing, balancing levels.
The last notes faded into silence.
No one moved.
Finally, Silas whispered, "We sound... real."
Kai let out a low whistle. "This could actually shake people. Like — this could do something."
Ash leaned forward, his voice quiet but firm. "This is the kind of track that could light a fuse. No one in this world's ever heard a sound like that."
Rex closed the project file. Saved it as:
ObsidianSaints_SeekAndDestroy_Final.wav
He didn't hit upload. Not yet.
"We drop it together," he said. "All platforms. We flood the system."
They all nodded. No one was thinking about sleep.
They were too busy dreaming of fire.
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