[Light parade fanfare in the background — cheers and distant trumpets. Cyril trails a few steps behind Alaric, waving and smiling.] [Verse 1] The hero walks, the crowd ignites, He basks beneath the morning light. And I, his friend, his faithful guide— Walk just a step behind. They throw him roses in the street, Not one for me, but that’s all right. I hold the shield, I mend the line… Just out of frame, just out of sight. [Pre-Chorus] I don’t need the crown, the praise, the gold, A kind word now and then would feel just as bold. [Chorus] I’m the whisper after every roar, The quiet knock on every door. The hand beneath the falling star, The spell that holds the final scar. They see his flame and miss the spark That lit the torch inside the dark. But I don’t mind, I’ve learned to find My place — one step behind. [He waves at someone who cheers, only to realize they're calling Alaric's name instead. He laughs softly.] [Interlude - Mixed Vocals, like a crowd chanting] "Alaric! Alaric! Alaric!" [Verse 2] He speaks, they cheer — each word a gem. I draft the plans that carried them. His name gets carved in stone and sky, Mine fades before the ink can dry. I patch the holes the stories skip, The cuts that happen when swords slip. He’s hope and light and fate entwined, And I — one step behind. [Bridge] But sometimes I wonder… If I vanished one day, Would they notice the silence Where I used to stay? Would the stories be whole, Or slightly off-beat? Would the hero still win With no ground at his feet? [Chorus – Reprise] I’m the whisper after every roar, The truth that hums beneath folklore. The hand that steadies every line, The calm that holds when stars align. They cheer his name and call it fate, But never see the weight I take. Still, I don't mind… I smile and find Some pride — one step behind. [The parade moves on. Cyril lingers a beat too long before following, smiling faintly.] [Outro] One step behind... But still walking.
