Pushing My Friend to Perform

In the heart of the city of Velora, where neon lights flickered like distant stars and the rain

painted the streets with silver streaks, lived a man named Elias. Not the kind of

person who sought attention—quiet, clever, with a laugh that came only at the

right moments. Everyone in his circle knew him as the calm one, the friend who listened,

the one who noticed everything. His best friend, Rowan, was the exact opposite.

Loud, flamboyant, and with a flair for dramatics that could fill an entire

theater. But Rowan had a secret: a talent so extraordinary, he’d never shown

anyone outside of a few trusted friends. He could play the piano like the world depended on it,