Devil’s Music

In the ornate yet antique corridors of the White House in Washington State.

Matt Bessler, the President's Chief of Staff, walked down the hallway with a binder under his arm. As Matt reached the secretarial office outside the Oval Office, he nodded to the secretary seated at the desk, who then picked up the intercom.

"Chief of Staff Matt Bessler is here."

The secretary quickly ran to the door and said, "Please, come in."

As the secretary opened the door, Matt slightly bowed and entered the Oval Office where Harold Winston was seen from behind, listening to the soft sound of 'Fury' while turning his swivel chair towards the window. Matt approached the desk, glanced at the large speaker spewing exciting beats, and placed the documents on the desk.

"Here’s the report on young master Kevin and Kay. Also included is the status of Montana's album sales."

Harold Winston, without turning around, gestured and said, "Go on."

Still viewing Winston’s back, Matt began reading from the binder in a businesslike tone.

"Master Kevin returned to the U.S. two days ago. He currently resides in the Hughes Penthouse in Midtown Manhattan, living with Carlos Montana. A drummer from Mexico, Jose Alanis, is also staying with them."

Harold slightly bowed his head and then said, "That's good to hear. The president's son being abroad had put the CIA on high alert. Continue."

Matt resumed reading.

"Kay has not left Red Castle except for visiting a factory in North Dakota and dining at the home of the factory owners. Sources indicate that he’s holed up in a guesthouse on the premises, engaged in some research. Only Fantagio's manager and Kiska Miocic have access to him, so no further details are available."

Harold nodded at this, prompting Matt to continue.

"Next, the sales figures for Montana's album. As of yesterday, nine days after release, sales exceeded six million copies, counting only the U.S. and Europe. If Asia is included, the figure is expected to exceed ten million, though accurate data from Asia has yet to be reported."

After checking the back of the document, Matt said, "The boom in CD player manufacturing and repair services is a related development. Record production plants have managed their operations with the total albums produced over the past two years, covering with just Montana's album. Montana has officially announced not to release digital albums, which has also significantly boosted CD player sales."

Harold, still looking out the window, asked, "Has Montana switched companies?"

"Yes, to Kay’s company, Fantagio. There shouldn’t be any issues since master Kevin originally had a contract with Fantagio."

"That’s good to know. Thank you. Anything else to report?"

Matt double-checked the binder, then folded it and placed it on the desk.

"That's all for the major details. Please check the documents for any minor ones."

Harold nodded without turning around.

"Understood. Good work, you may go."

As Matt bowed and walked towards the door, Harold’s voice came from behind.

"Matt."

Matt stopped and turned around, only to see Harold still facing away, sighing before speaking.

"Before I was President of the United States, I was a father to a family, wasn't I?"

Matt, with a serious look, watched Harold's back, then his expression turned cool as he responded.

"Consider yourself the President of the United States before being a father to a family."

After a moment of silence, Harold spoke.

"I see. That’s your opinion. Alright, you may leave."

Matt, with a stern face, opened the door and exited as Harold, left alone, opened a drawer, took out a sealed cigarette, and lit it. He coughed a few times after a long absence from smoking and covered his eyes with his hand. Amidst the repetitive playing of 'Fury', a voice akin to that of his son’s pierced through the music.

Every child's story begins with the parents.

**

Night at Red Castle.

As Geon brushed off the snow that had settled on his coat's shoulder, Byung-jun entered, and Geon brightened up.

"Brother, you’ve arrived? It must have been tough today."

Byung-jun, taking off his coat and holding it in one hand, smiled.

"Yes, Shizuka has been busy, so I’ve been out of my mind too. What were you doing?"

"Playing with Kiska."

"Did you? Kiska, have you eaten?"

Kiska, sitting on the floor and looking up at Byung-jun, nodded. Byung-jun rubbed the chubby cheeks of the girl and carelessly threw his coat on the sofa.

"Director Lin will come tomorrow."

As Geon picked up Byung-jun's coat, he asked,

"Is it about Montana's contract?"

Byung-jun, loosening his tie

and throwing it on the sofa, replied,

"Yes, someone of Montana's stature requires the director to handle the contract personally."

Geon frowned and picked up the tie.

"Why do you always do this? There’s a hanger right there. Instead of throwing it on the sofa, you could just hang it. Why do you always have to be like this?"

"It's more comfortable this way. Don’t nag like a wife. Men should be a bit messy. Isn't that right, Kiska?"

Not understanding what was said, Kiska blinked her large eyes, and Byung-jun, finding her cute, lightly pinched her cheek and chuckled before standing up.

"Ah, I need to shower and go to bed early. I have to finalize the contract with Montana early tomorrow morning and prepare for Shizuka’s afternoon schedule. You two should head to bed early too."

After Byung-jun entered the shower room, Geon, seeing Kiska's sleepy face, picked her up and headed to the bed. After laying the girl down, he picked a fairy tale book from the shelf and sat next to the bed.

"Shall we read a book about wolves tonight?"

Kiska, with sleepy eyes, tossed and turned as if to say read anything, prompting Geon to start reading with a smile.

"This is a book about a boy from an Indian village who goes to a wise chief and hears stories. The chief said there are two wolves living in everyone’s heart. One wolf is named Joy, Hope, and Pleasure, and the other is named Despair, Gloom, and Melancholy. These two wolves fight and bite each other all the time."

As Geon turned the page, he paused briefly. Reading a few words from the picture book, he spoke softly and quietly.

"The chief said, 'The one you feed will win.'"

Looking down at Kiska, who had quietly fallen asleep, Geon reread the book from the beginning. Although it was a short book, he read it three times, then turned off the mood light and quietly left the room. He picked up the music score of 'Fury' lying on the dark living room table and headed to his room. Turning off the room light and turning on the lamp, Geon lay on the bed, staring at the music score of 'Fury' with a red note bordered in purple.

'If I had recorded that music filled only with red notes, how many wolves living in people’s hearts would I have fed?'

Geon chuckled lightly.

'Who am I to think so deeply, haha.'

He ran his hand over the notes and fell back into thought.

'I still haven’t figured out how to draw the border. If I discover that method, I might reach a little higher than now.'

Geon sat up, placed the music score on the desk, and sat down. He started transcribing Fury from the beginning. He meticulously copied the entire score, but the notes he drew were all in red. Crumpling the newly drawn score, Geon tore at his hair in frustration.

'What’s going on? The notes haven’t changed, and even the sharps and flats are exactly the same, so why are all the notes I drew in red? What did I do in my sleep that day? I can’t remember!'

Leaning over, he banged his head on the desk and scratched furiously. After a while, he slumped forward, his forehead on the desk, and fell asleep. The clock on the wall of Geon’s room began to slow down, and eventually, the second hand stopped, and all the colors in the room faded to black and white. A dark and gloomy swirl formed on the ceiling, and a giant black hand suddenly emerged, grabbing the sleeping Geon and pulling him into a black space.

After a long time, Geon, realizing he had fallen asleep with his head on the desk, opened his eyes to find himself not at his desk but in a meadow in the woods. Confused, Geon looked around, noticing that despite being in the woods, there were no sounds of birds or insects, and the trees and flowers had an eerie and unusual appearance. Even though it was daytime, the woods gave off an ominous vibe. Touching the petals of a purple and red wildflower, Geon wondered aloud.

"What kind of flower is this? Where am I?"

As Geon walked through the woods, his eyes caught sight of a huge castle built on a cliff. Like the castle of the legendary Dracula, it had several sharp and pointed roofs, surrounded by bats flying around even in broad daylight, and the castle precariously perched on the cliff had a very ominous black exterior.

"It looks cool... Could this be a dream?"

Geon pinched his cheek, feeling no pain, and nodded.

"It’s a dream. It’s been a while."

Relieved that it was just a dream, Geon approached the castle. A blonde beauty standing in front

of the castle spotted him and approached. As the woman came closer, Geon's eyes widened in astonishment.

'She's incredibly beautiful. But... where have I seen her before?'

As the woman reached him, she immediately grabbed his hand. Startled by her sudden action, Geon gaped as the woman smiled and said,

"Welcome. I’ve always watched you with gratitude for being there for Kiska."

Stunned, Geon replied,

"Kiska? You know Kiska?"

The beautiful woman nodded and smiled gently.

>

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