The Blue Isle was neither small nor large. It was medium and had a cozy feel about it. It looked like the type of bar that focused more on their regulars than new clientele. Leyla had parked her car a bit farther down the street as there was no available parking space near the bar.

Still, Leyla was grateful for the difficulty in parking. The quick walk allowed her to shed the bit of nervous energy she had. She stopped before the entrance of the bar where she was meeting Cole.

She took a deep breath to center herself. She knew that Cole was already inside. Her perception could make everything about him down to the nervosity that marred his face. Good to know that she wasn't the only one out of her element.

Feeling ready, she walked inside. She moved gracefully past various tables and people until she was almost within reach of the table where Cole was seated. While walking, she couldn't help but observe the place. Leyla could only say that the bar's décor was impressive.

There were artworks on the walls as well as pictures showcasing various customers following the years.

As for the bar counter, it was a huge thing that looked more like a boat hull. The podium was decorated with crystal bright pendant lights that were hanging from the ceiling. There was even a dance floor just below the podium.

Cole greeted her distracted self as she came near him.

"Hello, Leyla. You look beautiful." There was a raw sincerity within his tone and his gaze which disarmed her momentarily.

"Thank you, Cole, you clean up well." Leyla felt a bit awkward. Though, she logically knew that she was beautiful, being complemented with such sincerity made her bashful. Hence the awkwardness.

Still, she admitted that Cole looked like a different person compared to the first time they met. Granted, they met in a place that did not call for a well-groomed display.

Currently, He was wearing a beautiful long-sleeved black shirt with a slight V-neck. Which showcased his previously unnoticed pectoral muscles. He wore a beige pant trouser complimenting his slim and tall stature. He completed the outfit with pure white sneakers.

He had curly and slightly long hair going past his chin. A fact, which Leyla had not noticed previously because he was wearing a beanie in the library. Another detail, she had not noticed before was the color of his eyes. As he had been wearing glasses previously, she didn't see that he had pitch-black eyes. The pupils and irises were indiscernible from each other.

He had a gaze that seemed to consume the surrounding light as well as the attention of others. It made one feel as if they were falling into the deepest abyss without any hope for redemption.

Absentmindedly, Leyla had closed the distance between them. She was now, only a few centimeters away from him. She had barely noticed the blush that crept upon his face as he asked:

"Hum…Is there something on my face?"

"No, not at all. It's just your eyes, I've never seen such eyes before. They are beautiful." Leyla said honestly.

Cole coughed to hide his embarrassment and led her toward the chair opposite to his. Once she was seated, he stayed silent while she was debating what drink to order. She wanted something strong enough to make her feel more at ease, but not so strong that she'd become completely wasted.

After a few minutes of indecision, she nodded at Cole to indicate that she had chosen. Cole then signaled one of the waitresses.

They ordered their drinks and settled in uncomfortable silence. When two people with a clear lack of experience in dating went on a date together, the current situation could be expected.

After a few minutes, Cole finally broke the silence.

"To be honest, I am not good at this."

He scratched the back of his neck feeling a bit awkward. Leyla wasn't far from the truth when she guessed that he only had a single girlfriend. And it was ages ago already. They had broken up because of something that happened at the end of his teenage years.

'Break up' was not the correct term. More like they drifted away and didn't speak again. After that, he left his birth city and moved to Suecca, the capital of this State.

"Me neither." Leyla let out a quick smile. "Let's just talk comfortably. Is that ok?" She proposed.

"Yeah, I would prefer that. So... why psych?"

"Oh, medicine is somewhat of a familial professional field. I just picked the specialization that spoke to me the most. You told me you were a T.A?"

"I see... Yes, I am. I study Molecular biology with professor Klint. I also help dispense some of his classes when he is too busy."

From there, the conversation stayed in safe waters. They spoke about their collegial lives, their professional aspirations, and such. Coincidentally, none of them made mention of their family.

It was doubtlessly on purpose. It seemed to be a touchy subject for both of them.

Their conversation flowed smoothly after they decided to not put too much pressure on themselves. Also, the couple of light beers they kept drinking could have been a helpful hand.

Finally, the time for the concert came. Every patron of the bar turned their attention toward the stage. A man wearing a casual jacket, t-shirt, and jeans walked upon it.

He removed the trendy hat he was wearing on his sandy locks.

"Hello, people. As you know it's a Showcase Night. I always try my best to present you with new upcoming artists or undiscovered ones. Before surrendering the stage to our discovery of the month, I would like to thank you all for your patronage. Without you, my 'Blue Isle' would be a lonely thing in the vast sea."

He spoke with a hypeman's voice in the microphone.

"Cheers!!!"

The patrons responded to their host in kind. Most voices were heavily drunk or carrying a light buzz. In any case, everybody seemed to be having a good time.

Leyla was taken with the atmosphere. She felt a sense of warm gregariousness from this place. With her perception, she could naturally tell that everyone here was in a happy and pleasant mood.

"What do you think of the place?" Cole noticed her gaze and asked.

"It's a wonderful place. The people the ambiance, and the decor." Leyla smiled.

He smiled too and pointed with his chin toward the stage.

"My friend should be up." Leyla followed his gaze to the stage where the host had just bowed out.

The curtains on the stage parted, smoke billowed as the hidden part of the stage appeared. When the artificial smoke cleared, a band was in plain view.

The audience cheered encouragingly.

There was a bassist, a guitarist, a pianist, and a drummer. Last but not the least, a singer.

The singer was the one that caught Leyla's attention, and she believed the attention of the entire crowd as well.

For one, the singer was the only woman among the members of the band. The rest were handsome men. The bassist had long hair styled in a bun behind his head with few rebellious strands escaping their bonds. He owned sharp features and was quite attractive.

He would have stolen the show were it not for the presence of the gorgeous singer. Leyla could honestly say that she had never met someone so beautiful in her life. She had pure white hair, brows, and eyelashes. She also had a flawless figure showcased by the clothes she wore. She was a captivating picture on the stage with the micro before her.

With the light cascading from the crystal bright pendant light, she looked like an otherworldly apparition.

"Greetings everybody, my name is Vee and this is my band. We are the Shadow Garden."

Vee had an unexpectedly cool voice, it was particular and mesmerizing.

"We will play tonight, the first songs we wrote as a group. The first song is 'Lost in a sea of people' "

"I hope you like it."

The light of the stage dimmed, and the first few notes of the song fell upon the Blue Isle. A hauntingly beautiful voice spread from the stage and made the audience fall into a melancholic mood.

The song seemed to come from a time long past, a time of strife, a time when living was hard and painful. The range of emotion conveyed by her voice was simply shocking.

Leyla found herself surrendering to the strong feelings contained in the lyrics. Everybody in the audience seemed to have fallen under a spell.

Amidst the pain and the despair, Amidst the uncaring world, a light appeared. A light that illuminated the path toward better days.

This was the conclusion of the first song.

The public stayed silent for a while longer as if savoring the aftertaste before exploding into applause.

Leyla turned toward Cole with surprise.

"This girl, is your friend?" She pointed at the goddess on the podium.

"She is. We met in high school and stayed friends until now." He answered easily.

"She is so talented, how come I didn't hear of her sooner," Leyla muttered still riling from the song.

"Well, she is eccentric. She has many, and I mean many offers from various famous labels but she always rejects them. When I asked her why she said that she didn't sing to become famous or rich." Cole scratched the back of his neck as he explained.

"She is truly unique. I guess all true artists, have this bit of eccentricity."

"In any case, she is truly a great singer." Leyla praised wholeheartedly.

The hours drifted, melodies succeeding each other until the showcase came to its end.