[Avoid excessive brightness or reverb effects.] [Intro: Ethereal pads with soft percussion] (Spoken) "This is the journey we all will take..." [Verse 1: Gentle acoustic guitar, melancholic tone] We built a world from fragile glass, Watched it shatter, watched it pass. Every word, a sharp-edged stone, Now I’m left to walk alone. [Pre-Chorus: Strings build with subtle drums] The fire burned, the ashes fell, A story only time can tell. Through the pain, through the rage, I’m stepping off this broken stage. [Chorus: Full band, soaring melody] Rites of passage, love’s cruel game, Rites of passage, through the flame. Every tear, a step to grow, Letting go, I’ll learn to flow. Rites of passage, we all must face, Rites of passage, searching grace. [Verse 2: Piano joins with deep bass undertones] The nights are long, the silence loud, Memories linger like a cloud. But every scar’s a map, a sign, Of where I’ve been, this heart of mine. [Pre-Chorus: Strings swell, adding vocal harmonies] The echoes fade, the shadows wane, What was lost is what I gain. Through the dark, I see the light, A phoenix rising from the night. [Chorus: Full band, soaring melody] Rites of passage, love’s cruel game, Rites of passage, through the flame. Every tear, a step to grow, Letting go, I’ll learn to flow. Rites of passage, we all must face, Rites of passage, searching grace. [Bridge: Stripped back, haunting vocals over sparse instrumentation] The hardest truths, the sharpest pain, Wash away like summer rain. What’s left behind, a stronger me, A soul reborn, wild and free. [Chorus: Full band, heightened intensity] Rites of passage, love’s cruel game, Rites of passage, through the flame. Every tear, a step to grow, Letting go, I’ll learn to flow. Rites of passage, we all must face, Rites of passage, searching grace. Outro: Rites of passage, love’s cruel game, Rites of passage, through the flame. Rites of passage, we all must face, Rites of passage, searching grace. (Whispered) "Through the rites, I’ve found my way..."
