Voice in the Silence

It happened on the very last day of the New Year holidays. While the rest of the country sighed at the thought of returning to work, Alena was counting down every single minute. Soon, the live broadcast she had been anticipating for weeks would begin. Alena had first discovered The Merge four years ago. The beginning was, in truth, rather ordinary. She had just been celebrating her twentieth birthday in the dormitory. Late that evening, her roommates decided to watch a movie but accidentally stumbled upon a well-known American talent show. Her friends weren’t impressed and fell asleep after the first episode. But Alena, to her own astonishment, was captivated instantly. She had never been drawn to shows like that before—other people’s talents had never interested her. And she had never considered herself particularly gifted either. The next day, she kept watching. The show’s format initially struck her as unusual: each season featured dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists, and stand-up comedians. Its purpose was to show how genuine creativity could emerge where genres collided. Contestants faced weekly challenges—solo, duo, and group. Nothing could stop her. Within a month, she had watched all six seasons that had aired. She immersed herself in a world of extraordinary talent, following the lives and journeys of its participants. Yet no matter how hard she tried to imagine herself on the show, she couldn’t picture what her own talent might be. Perhaps it existed somewhere inside her, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. By the eighth season, Alena watched with the calm assurance of someone who felt she knew the game. She had graduated from university, landed a position as a data analyst at a major company, and… it was during this very season that she met Steven and Dave. Dave was already an experienced dancer, while Steven was just starting out but showed remarkable vocal talent. Before the show, neither of them had any real fame, and The Merge became a crucial step in their careers. The eighth season was the first to feature two openly gay contestants from the start. The producers handled it masterfully—the pair were often shown together, exchanged unmistakable lines, and ended up paired in challenges for reasons that were clearly intentional. It was a clever move, and the season breathed new life into a show that had recently been facing growing criticism. During events organized by The Merge, Dave and Steven were constantly seen lingering near each other, playfully mimicking a relationship they didn’t actually have. And when they crossed paths on stage outside of official events, they posted photos and videos that drove fans wild, sparking excited tweets. Unlike Twitter, Telegram was a calmer space. Alena herself had settled down over the past two years, but it turned out that it only took one occasion to stir things up again. The show was celebrating its tenth anniversary, and the producers decided to host a grand event. The most popular contestants were invited to prepare performances, and the evening was to conclude with a press conference. Of course, Steven and Dave were among the performers. Alena waited for only one thing—the moment they would step on stage together. And it exceeded every expectation: she was so captivated that she barely noticed the other performances coming to an end. In her mind, the images replayed endlessly—Dave slowing down mid-dance, their eyes meeting, and in that look was so much emotion, as if they had been in love for years. The press conference began, and naturally, they were seated next to each other. Even though all the chairs were evenly spaced, it seemed as if there was barely any room between them. Steven casually draped his hand over the back of Dave’s chair, and while the producers praised their own work, the pair occasionally whispered and giggled. The camera operators knew their job well—viewers could see Steven brushing a speck of dust from Dave’s shoulder, Dave picking up a fallen card for Steven, and Steven lightly pinching Dave in response to one of his jokes. And, as the cherry on top, the performers were asked how they managed to work together so seamlessly, continuing to perform together even now. Dave replied without hesitation: it couldn’t be any other way—with a guy like him, they would always be together. Steven smiled, and the rest of the room laughed along. Alena collapsed onto her bed the moment the broadcast ended. Iriska, interpreting her movement as an invitation, joyfully jumped onto her stomach. “Ow,” she exhaled, running her fingers through the cat’s thick fur. “Did you see that?” Iriska purred loudly in response, pressing her ear against Alena’s hand. Alena replayed the key moments of the meeting in her mind once more and realized she had been completely captivated.