Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 45: Final Four
<🎧 Song Recommendation: Runaway by Kanye West>
...
The high of the Masked Singer round was short-lived. Less than a week had passed since the Quarter-Finals, a brutal culling that had seen the end of the road for several fan favorites, and Max and Sophie were among those who had packed their bags.
This time around, however, the producers were finished with the games. There was no grace period or time to practice. Instead, the remaining contestants were thrust into immediate one-on-one sessions with the Judges; private performances that would decide their very stay in the house.
Just like Hollywood Week, they were to be graded on the spot, but the stakes were higher, and the results were a closely guarded secret, held back until the final day of the week.
Unlike the previous rounds in the Star Mansion, this session came with a twist: instruments were permitted. In fact, they were encouraged.
The contestants were informed that no accompanying background tracks or beats would be allowed. It was a raw test of musicality. For those who didn’t have instrumental skills, it was a massive disadvantage.
To Von, it didn’t really matter. His [Vocals] seemed high enough to survive, and the song he was assigned felt like a gift. To Fade Away by The Silent Ones.
It was a song he had performed back in the early days of the competition. For the fans and the critics raising questions about his impossible improvement, this was the ultimate baseline for comparison.
When Von sat before the judges with his guitar, the air in the room had changed. The delivery was night and day compared to his first attempt. The song still carried that heavy, emotional weight that had moved people before, but the technical execution was on a different level.
His pitch was locked, his breath control was seamless, and his tone carried a new, majestic resonance. It was both powerful and refreshing.
After the four-day-long marathon of private performances, the silence in the mansion was evident. The results weren’t presented immediately. Instead, the contestants were given a few days to simmer in their own anxiety before being called to the lobby for the final verdict.
***
"Okay, guys. Breathe!" Michael announced with a warm smile, using his hands in a calming gesture to try and ease the tension in the room.
Most of the contestants tried to maintain a stoic mask, but it was easier said than done. Everyone knew the massive gulf between being a Top 8 finisher and a Top 4 finalist. Even some top dogs looked pale.
The private nature of the performances meant nobody knew where they stood. After seeing Von’s trajectory, they all feared someone else would pull a secret weapon out of their sleeve.
"To all of you who will be eliminated today, you’ve made it so far. You deserve praise!" Michael continued with a raised tone. "You won’t be going home empty-handed. Your participation souvenirs and progress rewards await you, but for now..."
No one was listening to the fluff. Their eyes were glued to the massive LED screen.
"Here are the results that determine if you continue in the Star Mansion!"
The screen flashed, and the leaderboard flickered into existence.
[1. JULIAN WEST: 82%]
[2. AURA NOVA: 80.5%]
[3. VON VARLEY: 77.5%]
[4. CELINE SMITH: 75%]
...
[8. GREGORY WILLIAMS: 63.5%]
Silence fell over the lobby. Many who had hoped for an underdog miracle were left staring at the floor in disappointment. The favorites had claimed every single spot, though the order was a surprise to many.
"Right, there we have it," Michael broke the silence in a slightly gritty voice. "To all the eliminated contestants, I’m sorry, but your journey ends here. The morning is still ripe, and your buses are waiting to take you to the airport. You can leave for your final preparations."
The four eliminated contestants didn’t need to be told twice. They stood up and filtered out of the lobby. There were no tears this time; they had made it to the Top 8 of the biggest show in the world. They felt like they had given everything they had, the opposition was just better.
With the room now holding only the final four, Michael’s smile returned, wider this time.
"Congratulations to all of you! Now, there is only one round that separates you from the grand finale. For this, it will be a Duet with your assigned opponent. The screen will show the randomly generated fixtures."
He pointed to the display as it refreshed.
[SF 1: Von Varley & Celine Smith — Señorita (Gingerbread Man & Elena Martina)]
[SF 2: Julian West & Aura Nova — Shallow (Aria Diana & Sammy Lake)]
As Von stared at the names, he didn’t know whether to feel upset or celebrate. He had avoided the two most powerful singers in the competition, but he was paired with Celine...
"Beautiful songs," Michael continued. "Another thing to note. After the semi-finals, the finalists will be given a chance to return home. The finale will be shot live two weeks later."
The news of going home was a bombshell, but they were too focused on the duets to fully process it.
"But that’s it for now. The semi-finals will take place on Sunday in no particular order. You’ll have to cooperate with your opponent if you want to deliver a flawless performance. So, good luck, mi amigos!"
Michael took his leave. Silence reclaimed the lobby until Celine and Aura stood up and left Aura looked deeply displeased with her placing, while visible anger could be seen from Celine’s face.
"You finished first, man. I’m really impressed, congrats!"
Von walked over and took Julian’s hand for a handshake. Julian responded with a genuine smile, though there was a new intensity in his eyes.
"Thanks. I felt like I had improved, and I guess that played a major role. It almost came as a surprise to me."
"You sure did improve," Von nodded.
He wasn’t lying. Through [Inspect], Von had noticed Julian’s [Vocals] had leaped from B to match Aura’s B+. It was the first natural leap in stats Von had observed since the start.
Von, meanwhile, was still stuck at B-. It had been enough to clear Celine, who was also at B-, but he was now still the weakest link technically in the Top 3.
"Seriously, Von," Julian said, looking him in the eye. "I don’t know how you do it, but it’s like you’re getting better every single day. Be honest... have you been holding back this whole time? Tell me your secret!"
For some reason, Julian’s question almost made Von start talking. He felt an urge to be honest, but he suppressed it, offering a small smile as he tapped Julian on the chest.
"Like you said, it’s my secret. It wouldn’t be one if I told you."
Von gave him a quick wink before turning to find Celine, knowing he had to start the uphill battle of cooperating with her, and he wanted to leave before Julian could ask anything else.
