Template:Unreleased Archive Content
Tome 9 - Crescendo is the Tome that accompanies the Ninth Rift in Template:IconLink and released 20 October 2021.
Overview
The Characters chosen for this Tome are Template:IconLink and Ji-Woon Hak (The Template:IconLink).
Memories & Logs
Ji-Woon Hak: Dissonance for the Dead
Memory 435
Ji-Woon lives within the sounds of Rio de Janeiro. Water splashes into a basin; a skateboard’s wheels grind over asphalt; a rufous-bellied thrush chirps, and... the voice. The angelic, ethereal sound of a young Brazilian man singing floats from an open window. Ji-Woon knows the man. Lucas.
He’s good. Nowhere near my level, but a diamond, nonetheless.
His voice is the brush stroke Ji-Woon has been searching for. To think, Lucas practically fell into his lap, the Brazilian man having sung at a recording studio Ji-Woon visited.
With Lucas' voice, Ji-Woon can create art. Genuine, agonizing art. Silky, bloodcurdling terror.
Ji-Woon has already prepared a warehouse at an abandoned harbor for tomorrow’s act. Even the most mundane detail required his attention. In the past week he’s transitioned between concert rehearsals to disguising his celebrity visage, staking out his victim, assuming alternate identities, purchasing supplies, and stealing recording equipment—all while paying off his security detail to leave him be. The mundane details are what elevate the splendor of his artwork.
Lucas will be dead in a day. And it will be beautiful.
Memory 436
Ji-Woon freezes as he reaches his hotel room, the door opened a crack. He faintly hears someone rummaging inside. So be it. He knew a crazed fan would take things too far someday. How could they resist him? But he's ready. He'll defend himself, test the invader for operatic sounds, like an impromptu aria, as he surprises them with a blade in their gut.
He pats the knife concealed above his ankle. Ready. Pushes the door open, steps softly on plush carpet, hears the invader around the corner, sees... Yun-Jin? His manager.
Fury meets fury.
How dare you step foot in here!
Where the hell have you been?
She's paranoid about death threats they've been getting from a fan. When security couldn't locate Ji-Woon, she came snooping. It's laughable, the threats were nothing but a ploy, a boogeyman he created to throw Yun off his trail if she ever got too close. But he should have expected this. Yun's on top of everything—it's what he respects in her, what makes them a great team. He brings the million-dollar voice and she smashes through any problem in their way. Usually, it works in his favor.
In her hand she holds... no, damnit! His sampler. It contains his personal project, the screams of his murder victims layered into songs. It's an early draft lacking subtlety, the violence and horror a bit too blatant for the faint of heart. She's disgusted. Couldn't hear beyond the terrorized voices to understand the beauty inherent in human suffering. The hairs on Ji-Woon's neck stand on end. He sees the moment with clear eyes: they're dancing on a razor's edge, with Yun dangerously close to discovering who he truly is.
Memory 437
Yun holds the sampler as if it's dripping blood. The only solace in Ji-Woon's mind is that she doesn't understand what it really is. He knows her. If she thought the sounds were actual murders, she'd have tried to knee him in the crotch and run. But the anger still rattles through her, as she moves up to his face.
What is this twisted horror bullshit? What if this leaked? You're already attracting crazed, violent fans, how would it look if the media heard the demented sounds you're working on? Mightee One would drop you. Your career would be dead.
Ji-Woon knows what she really fears: her career would be dead. For as tall as she stands, as strong as she swings, she's nothing but a scared girl afraid of failure. He knows how to play her. Drops his head, breathes deeply, wipes the back of his hand over his eyes.
Yun... Ever since the death of No Spin... the fire... I'm riddled with horrid thoughts. I lost my friends and... I fear I'm losing my mind. I see awful things behind closed eyes. All that guides me through the dark fog is turning my pain into sound... pouring the throes of death from my heart to a song.
Yun's face softens. She sits. Commiserates with him. Inside, he's reliving the divine screams of his bandmates as they burned, his swelling heart as they screamed his name, but on his face he shows nothing but contortions of tragedy.
She excuses his error in judgment. Confiscates the sampler. Requests he stay on hotel grounds until the concert is over. It's for his own good. His safety. She tells him to get a drink from the mini-bar and cool down.
He quietly nods and complies, reminding himself to steal back the sampler in a few days. He lets her pretend she has what he's holding: control.
Memory 438
Despite the stifling humidity, Ji-Woon hides under a hoodie, large sunglasses concealing his face. Now's not the time to attract attention from rabid fans. He waits till Yun is in a meeting and strolls out of the hotel, a bag of necessities in hand. It's his show now.
He pulls earbuds from his pocket, allows the music to envelope him. The song: How I Became, recorded six months ago in Seoul. It stands as a metaphor for his childhood, written one drunken night while looking over old photographs.
He is seven years old. He sits at the back of the class. He's uncomfortable being seen and speaking. But today is different. In a few minutes he's presenting on his favorite thing. A young boy shows the class his hamster, but Ji-Woon doesn't care. He holds his flute, going over the notes to the song he wrote.
He shuffles to the front of the class, places his sweaty fingers on the instrument. Following a deep, unsteady breath, he gently blows out a wisp of air, creating a light, whimsical sound. He closes his eyes, moves his fingers precisely, playfully dancing over each note. He ignores the squeaks of the hamster. The flute's sound carries like chimes in the wind. With one final soul-piercing note, he smiles and opens his eyes. His classmates are huddled around the rodent, laughing with its every move. His teacher too.
He walks to the group. Students pass the hamster around as it squeaks incessantly. It finds itself directed into Ji-Woon's palm. He takes it in both hands. With one steady movement, he squeezes. A squeal. A slight crunch. No more sound. The children scream. Ji-Woon feels nothing.
..To be revealed in subsequent levels..
Yun-Jin Lee: Chorus of Lies
Memory 443
Fatigued from the long flight, Yun-Jin yawns as she turns on her laptop. She landed in Rio De Janeiro just two hours ago, but her work cannot wait. Looking through her mailbox, she spots a dozen unread emails from an unknown user addressing her by name. Few know her as Yun-Jin. Most only know her as Magnum Opus. She clicks on an email.
A graphic, detailed description of someone's plan to murder her and the Trickster. Signed, the Trickster's number one fan. Death threat. An abnormally specific one with a picture of her in the hotel lobby.
Before the death of NO SPIN, she ignored such threats. But now… her manicured hand shake as she reaches for her phone.
The threat is too serious to be taken lightly. She calls her security crew for an emergency meeting. Outings are restricted to recording sessions and concert rehearsals only. A bodyguard is assigned to the Trickster and herself.
Everyone complies with the new rules except for the Trickster, who argues against staying on the hotel premises. No surprises there. Her relationship with the Trickster has been on the rocks for months now. He challenges every decision she makes, his ego pushing her patience to its limit. Because of their frequent creative disagreements, their next album is behind schedule, forcing her to produce three new songs while overseeing his tour.
Her security expert confirms that the phones are ready. At her request, a tracking GPS application was installed on all company phones. No one else knows about this. If the Trickster keeps testing her patience, this app will come in handy. It's for his own good. And hers.
Memory 444
Yun-Jin pours herself a cup of coffee at the recording studio, stifling another yawn. Her temples are throbbing. The jet lag is hitting her hard. Plus the constant threat of a crazed fan prevents her from getting any sleep at night.
On her way back to the booth, she notices that the studio next to theirs is occupied. She peeks inside. A young man is laughing in the recording booth. He has an easy-going smile that could sell thousands of magazines. She recognizes the man at the mix table: Allano Muse, a semi-famous producer from San Diego.
What is he doing in Rio? Some bits of fresh gossip could help reenergize her. She taps on the door's window.
The door creaks open.
He remembers her of course. Who could forget the Magnum Opus?
She invites herself in as he plays the track he is working on. A slow, predictable build for the baseline. Formulaic. Too safe to be of any interest. Then, an ethereal voice fills the room. Yun-Jin almost spills her coffee. The artist's voice is crystalline. His range is powerful yet nuanced.
Who is that?
Allano tells Lucas, the young artist, to drop down his pitch a notch. Bad call. The track should be building up to push Lucas' range instead of confining it to a boring, generic sound. She walks up to Lucas and hands him her business card.
Contact me when you're ready to become a serious artist.
A pang of regret hits her on her way out. She said those exact words to the Trickster, many years ago. Back then, she looked forward to working with him.
Those days are long gone.
Memory 445
At the hotel bar, Yun-Jin takes a sip of her cold Caipirinha, the sugarcane liquor smoothening the sour burst of lime.
Why did she give that young artist, Lucas, her business card? It's not like she can produce him. Another pang of nostalgia. Another sip of Caipirinha. She misses it. Hunting new talents. The raw creative chaos of designing a bold sound. The adrenaline rush of the first album. Things are different now. Her time is split between handling the Trickster's growing ego, and following a generic, endless production cycle.
Is this the cost of success? Producing music that makes her cringe? Not to mention handling arguments about bodyguards and curfews while being threatened by a crazed, psychotic fan.
Her life is so different from what she imagined as a little girl. Back then, music was the only good thing she had. She created tracks in her bedroom, imagining a stage of bright lights where she was safe, loud, and free. That is what Pop music is to her: a vital dose of unapologetic release. But now, thanks to her success, she lives in a golden cage.
Down goes the Caipirinha.
The bartender gives her a glance and she nods. Keep them coming.
She calls Mightee One executives for a virtual meeting and gives them the news. Once she finishes the three tracks in Rio, she is done with the Trickster. She will move on to producing the launch of trainees.
A Mightee One executive cuts her off. They have more urgent business to discuss. Damaging rumors are trending online. A disturbed, delusional fan claims to have murdered someone at a Trickster concert. Yun-Jin closes her fists, her long manicured nails digging into her palms. Anything to keep her hands from shaking again.
She will handle this mediatic storm—for her brand's sake. But after Rio, she is done with the Trickster. Whether Mightee One is willing or not.
..To be revealed in subsequent levels..
The Observer: Web of the Abyss
..To be revealed in subsequent levels..
Glyphs
- Main article: Purple Glyphs
Purple Glyph
- Tome 9 - Crescendo introduced Purple Glyph challenges.
Upon selecting the Glyph Tracker challenge a Purple Glyph will spawn in the Trial Grounds and needs to be communed with to gain Challenge progression.- The Glyph Tracker Challenge is only available to Killers.
- Purple Glyph randomly moves throughout the Trial Grounds, leaving only a trail of ooze behind it, by which The Killer can track its location.