5 Chapter 5 - Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining

Talon's hands trembled as he gathered the splintered remains of his guitar. Each fragment was a painful reminder of his shattered dreams. The guitar had been more than an instrument; it was his companion on a journey that had just begun to show promise.

Now, lying in ruins.

He sat there for a moment, lost in the memories of every note and melody it had produced under his touch. The music they had created together had been his solace, his escape from the harshness of the world. Now, it was silenced, leaving behind a void that echoed with the remnants of his broken dreams.

With a heavy heart, he acknowledged the need for a new guitar, a new beginning.

"I guess I'm going to have to buy a new one," he whispered to himself. "This one is beyond repair."

At first, Talon had planned to give the money he had collected to Alice to pay part of the rent. However, he soon realized that he had to change his plan because he needed to buy a new guitar in order to continue busking.

This time, he was completely dependent on the guitar to make money and to fulfill the quest handed to him. Therefore, he had to find the most affordable guitar he could, a second-hand one from a second-hand shop, just enough for him to continue his mission.

"Who did it?" he asked in a low, pained voice.

He slammed his fist against the floor in frustration, needing to express his anger in some way. Quickly rising to his feet, he hurriedly left the room, determined to find a replacement guitar as soon as possible.

Alice was standing in front of Talon's room door with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. She had heard him punching the floor inside.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Alice... I was going to pay the rent today, but I have something urgent and had to postpone it," Talon answered.

"I knew it! I knew it all!" she said, an expression of certainty on her face.

Talon gave her a questioning look.

"I know that you have the money, but you wasted it gambling, right?!" she asked firmly.

"Where did you get that idea, Alice?" he replied, looking confused.

"Talon!" Alice replied with conviction. "I had assumed that you were a diligent and trustworthy individual, but it appears that I was mistaken!"

Talon attempted to process Alice's words, but it was obvious that she had been misunderstood. As usual, he was not keen on clarifying the situation for anyone.

"Alice, I do have the money, but I have a pressing matter to do. Still, I am promising to pay the rent," he reassured her.

"That's what you said this morning, too! Do you believe that I will keep accepting these empty promises!" she questioned in a tone of finality.

Alice stepped closer to Talon and tilted her head up to meet his gaze, her fists tightly clenched.

"Where are you off with all that money you make from busking? I know there's nothing left. I'm sure it's because you gambled it away, Talon. Gambling won't make you wealthy. You've got to work hard. You should break away from it right away," she said firmly.

Talon knew he didn't have the time to argue with her, so he decided to leave and do as he had planned.

"Alice, sorry, but I have something I need to do," he said as he passed her by.

"Talon, please listen to me!" Alice exclaimed angrily, her foot connecting with the door as it burst open to reveal the contents of Talon's room.

Talon whirled around on hearing the anger in her voice, and he quickly ran towards her.

Alice, however, was distracted by something else. Her eyes roved around the room, taking in the sight of the scattered and destroyed pieces of Talon's guitar. She stepped slowly, her gaze still locked on the floor.

Alice furrowed her brows. "Why did you break your guitar?" she asked, her voice full of concern as she looked at Talon.

Talon shook his head. "No, it wasn't me," he said. "When I got back from helping fix the CCTV, I noticed my room's door was broken and my guitar had been destroyed."

Alice was quiet for a moment, clicking her tongue in disbelief. "Are you saying someone broke in and destroyed your guitar?"

"Yes," Talon said firmly. "I think that's the most reasonable explanation because I would never do something like that. I still wanted to play it, and I know I could make money with it."

"So, what do you want to do now?" Alice asked.

"I need a new guitar," Talon replied slowly.

"Damn!" Alice cursed loudly, her expression one of extreme annoyance.

"This won't do. I won't allow anyone to cause such chaos in this place. Let us take a look at the CCTV footage to identify the culprit," she suggested.

Talon shook his head. "I don't think that'll be of help, Alice. The CCTV was in trouble when the incident occurred, wasn't it?"

Alice grumbled in frustration and kicked a nearby chair until it crumpled down.

"Whoever is responsible for this will face my wrath," she declared.

Alice felt a little guilty for her initial negative thought of him, for it had been revealed that he was in a hurry because his guitar was broken. However, she remembered her original purpose of wanting to talk to him, something which she was sure would make him happy and help him at the same time.

She was well aware of Talon's proficiency in playing the guitar and believed that he was quite good at it. She was not someone who had a vast knowledge of guitars, yet she was able to tell if someone was really good or not just by listening to them play.

"I have a possible solution to help him," she pondered.

Talon had no interest in playing detective and knew it would take up his time to find out who broke his guitar. Still, he had to get a new one.

"I need to go," he said in a rush.

Alice grabbed his wrist, preventing him from leaving. "Wait, Talon. I wanted to introduce you to my friend. She needs a guitarist. Why don't you come with me?"

Talon raised his eyebrows in response to Alice's words. Suddenly, a spark of hope appeared in his mind.

"Yes, what does she need a guitarist for?" he asked.

Alice went on, "My friend is a singer who usually performs with a single guitarist, but unfortunately, her partner is in the hospital, and she's got an upcoming wedding gig. I was wondering if you would be able to lend her a hand."

"Yes, I'll do it!" Without hesitation, Talon accepted the offer. He knew that performing at the wedding would provide him with a large audience to showcase his guitar playing.

"Good," Alice said, pulling Talon's arm, "now come with me."

Alice then departed with Talon, allowing him to take the wheel and drive to a high-end neighborhood. Once they arrived, they headed towards a sophisticated apartment building and proceeded to the elevator, ascending to a particular floor.

Alice stepped forward and knocked on the door in front of them. The door swung open, and there was a blonde woman with curly hair standing in the doorway. She was wearing a thin, sleeveless t-shirt and shorts, and her face seemed to indicate that she had just woken up. Even with no makeup, she looked stunning.

"Alice, what are you doing here so early in the morning?" the young woman asked her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity.