Ascend - Act I — The Hour We've Been Waiting For

[The Story — New Meridian, 2091. Cael Morrow rises from the Lower Grid to lead a revolution called The Ascending, seizes the Governing Council, and slowly becomes the very thing he overthrew. His oldest friend Lyra watches the drift. His enforcer Sable runs further than he authorized. And the people eventually sing his own words back at him as an indictment.] [Company — Full Ensemble, Act One Closer] [Intro] [Instrumental – full orchestra launches, no hesitation] [Verse 1] [Male Vocal] We didn't ask for this moment It asked for us We didn't choose this hour — It chose us [Verse 2] [Female Vocal] I've followed you through every version of this dream And maybe I was wrong to wonder Maybe this is what it means — [Pre-Chorus] [Male and Female Vocal] To stand at the edge of something And not look down [Chorus] [Ensemble] This is the hour we've been waiting for The walls are shaking — can you feel the floor? They told us never — told us not a chance But here we are — and here we stand [Bridge] [Female Vocal – darker, countermelody beneath main line] This is the beginning This is only the beginning There's still so much left to do There's still so much left to burn [Final Chorus] [Full Ensemble – peak energy, no restraint] THIS IS THE HOUR WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! [Outro] [Instrumental – triumphant blast, hard cut to silence]