The stage was massive compared to the tiny boy standing in the spotlight. He barely reached the microphone, his small hands gripping the stand as he looked out at the sea of faces before him. The judges stared, their expressions somewhere between curiosity and amusement.
Simon leaned forward, scanning his notes. “And what will you be singing today?” he asked, his voice carrying the usual mix of skepticism and mild boredom.
The boy smiled. “Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.”
A chuckle rippled through the audience. Simon smirked, shaking his head slightly. “Interesting choice.”
Then the music started.
The moment he opened his mouth, the room changed. A deep, soulful voice, rich and steady, rolled through the air like thunder. It wasn’t the voice of a child—it wasn’t even the voice of most adults. It was raw, powerful, and full of a depth that sent chills down every spine in the room.
Simon’s smirk vanished. His eyes widened, hands frozen mid-motion. The audience gasped, heads snapping toward the stage as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
The boy never wavered. He sang like he had done this a hundred times before, like he belonged there. The deep timbre of his voice carried through the theater, each lyric hitting with unexpected force. By the time he reached the chorus, the entire crowd was on their feet.
Judges whispered among themselves, eyes darting back and forth in disbelief. Simon, the hardest to impress, sat back in his chair, a slow smile creeping onto his face. This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t a gimmick. This was something extraordinary.
When the final note rang out, the room exploded. Cheers, whistles, and deafening applause filled the space, drowning out everything else. The boy blinked, his grin growing as he took it all in.
Simon leaned toward the mic, shaking his head. “Well… I didn’t see that coming.”
Neither did anyone else.