Strummer Blaze's flames roared toward them like angry orange waves, and Alfie threw up his hands—not to protect himself, but to reach out with his compassion energy. The orange glow spread from his fingertips, creating a shimmering shield that caught the fire and held it back.
"Please!" Alfie shouted over the crackling flames. "We're not here to hurt you! We're trying to bring the band back together!"
"The band?" Strummer Blaze laughed bitterly, his guitar still blazing. "The Rhythm Rebels are DEAD! Crash betrayed us all!"
"That's not what happened!" Crash Cymbal stepped forward, his drumsticks clutched tight. "I never wanted to leave! Someone told me you all voted me out!"
Strummer's flames flickered, uncertainty crossing her face. "What? We got a message saying YOU quit because you thought you were better than us!"
Dad scratched his head. "Hang on a tick—sounds like someone's been telling fibs to everyone."
That's when Alfie heard it — a snicker from the shadows behind the stage. His orange energy pulsed, and suddenly he could SEE what his compassion revealed: a figure hiding in the darkness, watching everything with gleaming, jealous eyes.
"There!" Alfie pointed. "Someone's been spying on us!"
The figure tried to run, but Strummer's flames shot out and blocked the exit. Into the firelight stumbled a minifigure Alfie hadn't seen before—a thin, sneaky-looking character with slicked-back hair and a cape made of tangled music sheets.
"Discord Dan!" Crash Cymbal gasped. "The band's old manager!"
Discord Dan's face twisted into a sneer. "Oh, wonderful. The little glowing brat ruined everything."
"YOU sent those messages?" Strummer's flames burned hotter. "YOU made us think we hated each other?"
"Of course I did!" Discord Dan cackled, not even bothering to pretend anymore. "Do you know how annoying it was, watching you lot make beautiful music together? All that HARMONY. All that FRIENDSHIP. It made me sick!"
Alfie felt something cold wash over him. This wasn't just someone being mean — Discord Dan actually fed on bad feelings. He could see it now, the way dark wisps curled around the villain like hungry snakes.
"The more you fought," Discord Dan continued, grinning wickedly, "the more powerful I became! Your anger, your hurt, your loneliness—delicious! And when the Rhythm Realm started falling apart? Even BETTER!"
"You're the reason the music died," Alfie said quietly, his orange energy glowing brighter. "You broke up best friends just because you were jealous."
"Jealous?" Discord Dan scoffed. "I'm not jealous! I just think happiness is overrated!"
Dad put his hands on his hips. "Mate, that's literally what jealousy sounds like."
Discord Dan's eye twitched.
"But here's what I don't understand," Alfie stepped closer, his compassion energy reaching toward the villain. For just a moment, he caught a glimpse of something underneath all that nastiness—a lonely minifigure who'd never been part of any band, any team, any friendship. "Why didn't you just... ask to join them?"
Discord Dan flinched like Alfie had thrown water on him. "Join them? I—that's not—you don't know anything, you stupid little—"
"He tried out once," Crash Cymbal said softly, remembering. "Years ago. He played the kazoo."
"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE KAZOO!" Discord Dan shrieked.
But it was too late. Alfie understood now. Discord Dan had wanted to belong, and when he couldn't, he'd decided to make sure nobody else could either.
"It doesn't have to be this way," Alfie said, reaching out his hand. "You could still—"
"ENOUGH!" Discord Dan threw something on the ground—a smoke bomb that exploded in a burst of sour notes and gray fog. When it cleared, he was gone.
But so was something else.
Strummer Blaze patted her belt, then went pale. "My pick. My Flame Pick—he stole it!"
"Without it," Crash explained, his face grave, "she can't play her solos. And without her solos..."
"We can't perform the Reunion Concert," Strummer finished. "We can't restore the Rhythm Realm."
Dad groaned. "Why is it never easy?"
Alfie stared at the spot where Discord Dan had disappeared, his orange energy still tingling with everything he'd sensed. The villain was hurting inside—but he was also dangerous. And now he had exactly what he needed to make sure the music stayed broken forever.
"We have to find him," Alfie said firmly. "Where would Discord Dan go?"
Strummer Blaze's flames dimmed to worried embers. "There's only one place dark enough for someone like him. The Silent Depths—where music goes to die."