Version) — Sam Fischer - This City (karaoke

Leo closed his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he saw his first apartment from three years ago—a shoebox in East Hollywood with peeling paint and a view of a dumpster. He remembered the fierce, burning hope he had packed in his suitcase. He was going to make it. Everyone said he had the voice for it.

The instrumental track hummed through the heavy wooden speakers of the empty dive bar. There were no drums yet, just that steady, cyclic guitar strum that felt like tires rolling over the same worn stretch of highway at 3:00 AM. Sam Fischer - This City (Karaoke Version)

Leo stood on the small, carpeted riser that served as a stage, gripping a wired microphone. The digital monitor in front of him glowed with yellow text against a black background: . Leo closed his eyes

He hadn't come to sing. He had come to hide from the gridlock, the towering glass monoliths, and the crushing weight of a city that promised everything but gave nothing for free. The cursor blinked, waiting for the opening line. He was going to make it

The text on the screen shifted to white, indicating the start of the verse.