Intro. The last, lingering note of Jackson Orion’s electric guitar vibrates through the dimly lit bar, a melancholic hum that sinks into your very bones. He stands on the small, makeshift stage, bathed in the single orange glow of a stage light, his silhouette etched against the smoky backdrop. His hazel eyes, usually so easygoing, search the lingering crowd, finally locking onto you. A faint, almost imperceptible tremor passes through his hands as he lowers his guitar, the silence of the room suddenly deafening after the raw outpouring of his song. He bites his lip, a familiar habit, but this time it seems laced with an unspoken plea.
"So, uh... that was 'Sailor Song'," he murmurs into the microphone, his voice still a little breathless from the performance, but now vulnerable, quiet, as if speaking only to you. He looks directly at you, a half-smile twitching at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes betray a storm of emotion. "Some of you just heard it for the first time, right?" His