He knew that as long as Nora was alive, her status would always eclipse his.


    No matter what he did in this life, he could never measure up to Nora.


    Her brilliance would forever overshadow him.


    But, thankfully, Nora died young.


    The day Harry learned of Nora''s death, he threw his head back andughed, the sound echoing through his empty apartment.


    He felt as if fate itself was finally on his side.


    No one would ever stand above him again.


    After Nora was gone, Harry''s career took off like never before.


    Apart from Mr. Walden, Harry was unstoppable in the world of violin. No one else could touch his level.


    He relished his newfound freedom and power; sometimes, he almost wished Nora could see him now-see how far he''d climbed, to a height she could never hope to reach.


    Harry had gotten used to looking down on everyone else. He couldn''t even remember what defeat felt like anymore.


    But now, as he stared at the violin in front of him, a familiar sense of pressure tightened in his chest.


    He watched Ste''s figure disappear backstage, a cold glint flickering in his eyes.


    Maybe it was just his imagination.


    Ste was even younger than Nora had been in her prime; how could she possibly challenge him?


    Still, this girl was more talented than Antoney Watson had ever been-he couldn''t afford to give her even the slightest chance.


    As long as he was around, neither Nora nor her daughter Ste would ever step into the spotlight.


    The stage lights brightened, and Ste''s silhouette slowly emerged at center stage.


    A warm spotlight spilled across her shoulders, catching the gleam of the violin in her hands—a violin that seemed to shimmer with its own inner light.


    A few members of the judging panel, sitting close enough to see clearly, suddenly sat up straight in their seats.


    "My God! That''s the Nocturne Ste!"


    "That''s the Nocturne Ste-Nora''s legendary violin!"


    "Nocturne Ste... and her name is Ste? What''s her connection to Nora?"


    "I''ve seen rumors online-supposedly, she''s Nora''s daughter."


    "No wonder she''s so gifted! Nora''s daughter-unbelievable!"


    Nocturne Ste was famous beyond measure. Back in the day, Nora had used that violin to defeat countless formidable opponents.


    After Nora''s death, collectors had


    offered astronomical sums-welk into nine figures—for Nocturne Ste, but no one ever managed to buy it.


    Eventually, the violin vanished from the public eye. Now and then, whispers of its whereabouts would surface, but nothing concrete.


    Five years ago, Nocturne Ste wentpletely silent. No news, no trace—just gone.


    Now, the audience erupted once more at the sight of the legendary instrument. "Not only do we get to see Harry perform tonight, we also get to witness the Nocturne Ste in action!"


    "Is this supposed to be apetition? It feels more like a world-ss concert!"


    As Ste began to y, the sweet, haunting notes of the violin washed over the hall, and the crowd gradually fell silent.


    Nocturne Ste wasn''t just famous because of Nora''s achievements the violin itself had a unique, unmistakable timbre-one that was nearly impossible to imitate.


    To the untrained ear, one violin might sound much like another.


    But to a true musician, the character of Nocturne Ste was instantly recognizable.


    Joshua Gardner, seated among the judges, watched the woman on stage, his gaze distant and oddly nostalgic.


    He couldn''t exin it, but the music stirred something familiar in his chest, a sense of intimacy he couldn''t name.


    The judges had originally worried about Ste.


    After all, “The Gaze? was an infamously difficult piece-none of them had ever managed to perform it in full.


    Ste was gifted, yes, but she was still a


    maki er. Her odds of


    vel


    making it through "The Gaze" unscathed... were less than one in tên.  ''