Chapter 1 The Mystery Guitar
The Sound That Changed Her Destiny
"Some people inherit kingdoms. Others inherit dreams. Sara Lee inherited both—but only one made her heart beat faster."
---
House Lee Estate
Autumn 2009
The rain had fallen since dawn.
Dark clouds hung over the mountains surrounding the seven-hundred-year-old House Lee estate, turning the ancient stone courtyards silver beneath the endless drizzle.
The mansion felt quieter than usual.
Christopher Lee had traveled overseas for diplomatic meetings.
Besse remained in her private wing.
Takako was attending a charity event in Kyoto.
The servants moved silently through the halls.
Sara, now twelve years old, wandered the estate alone.
She often did.
The mansion was so enormous that she could spend an entire day exploring and still discover rooms she had never entered before.
She carried a small notebook in one hand, sketching interesting corners of the estate.
Music notes.
Old windows.
Portraits of ancestors.
She liked drawing the things that made her curious.
---
The Forgotten Archive
At the far end of the western wing stood a heavy wooden door almost hidden behind climbing ivy.
Dust covered the brass handle.
Above it hung a faded plaque.
House Lee Music Archive
Sara tilted her head.
"Music archive?"
She had lived here her entire life.
Yet no one had ever mentioned such a room.
Curious, she pushed the old door.
It groaned loudly.
Dust floated through the air as sunlight streamed through cracked windows.
Rows upon rows of shelves stretched across the room.
Ancient violins rested inside glass cabinets.
Traditional Chinese erhus.
Japanese shamisens.
Korean gayageums.
European pianos.
Old drums.
Trumpets.
Flutes.
Instruments collected by generations of House Lords over hundreds of years.
Sara's eyes widened.
"It feels like a museum..."
She slowly walked deeper inside.
Every instrument seemed to carry a story.
---
The Black Case
In the farthest corner sat an old black case covered in dust.
Unlike the elegant wooden instruments around it...
This one looked modern.
Sara knelt beside it.
A small brass tag was attached.
> Property of Edward Lee 1968
She frowned.
"Who's Edward Lee?"
She searched her memory.
Christopher had once mentioned an uncle who studied in England during the 1960s.
Apparently...
He loved Western music.
Sara gently unclipped the case.
Click.
The lid opened.
Inside rested a beautiful electric guitar.
Its deep black body reflected the afternoon light despite years of neglect.
Chrome hardware still shone beneath the dust.
The strings were old.
But intact.
Sara stared.
She had seen guitars in magazines.
On television.
Never this close.
Never one she could actually touch.
Almost nervously...
She reached out.
Her fingers brushed the polished wood.
A strange feeling spread through her chest.
As though the guitar had been waiting.
---
One Chord
Sara carefully lifted it from the case.
It was heavier than she expected.
She smiled.
"So this is an electric guitar..."
She had no idea how to play.
No lessons.
No experience.
Only curiosity.
She placed her fingers randomly across the strings.
Then...
She strummed.
Draaang...
The chord wasn't perfect.
It buzzed.
It echoed awkwardly through the silent archive.
Yet...
Something happened.
The vibration lingered in the room.
Sara froze.
Her heartbeat seemed to match the sound.
She stared at the guitar in disbelief.
Then laughed.
A real laugh.
One that no one had heard from her in weeks.
She strummed again.
And again.
Each sound was clumsy.
Each note imperfect.
Yet every vibration stirred something inside her.
Not sadness.
Not duty.
Freedom.
---
An Unexpected Visitor
The archive door creaked open.
Sara jumped.
Standing there was Nine.
The young heir of the Ji Family had come searching for her after hearing the strange sounds echoing through the hallway.
She blinked.
"What are you doing?"
Sara laughed nervously.
"I... found this."
Nine stepped closer.
Her eyes widened.
"An electric guitar?"
"I didn't know House Lee had one."
Sara grinned.
"Neither did I."
Nine crossed her arms.
"So..."
"Can you play?"
Sara looked at the guitar.
Then smiled sheepishly.
"Not even a little."
Nine burst into laughter.
"That explains the noise."
Sara playfully nudged her shoulder.
"Hey!"
The two girls laughed together until tears formed in their eyes.
---
Christopher's Story
That evening Christopher returned unexpectedly from his trip.
Sara carried the guitar carefully into his study.
Christopher looked surprised.
"You found it."
"You knew about this?"
He nodded.
"It belonged to my uncle."
"He studied abroad in England."
"He fell in love with rock music."
Sara's eyes sparkled.
"Rock music?"
Christopher smiled.
"He wanted House Lee to embrace both tradition and change."
"He believed music connected people better than politics ever could."
Sara looked down at the guitar.
"Why was it hidden away?"
Christopher sighed.
"When he died..."
"No one played it again."
---
The First Lesson
Christopher gently took the guitar.
"It's been years."
He adjusted the tuning as best he could.
Then he handed it back.
"Watch."
He slowly placed her fingers into a simple chord.
"No..."
"Like this."
Sara copied carefully.
"Relax your wrist."
She nodded.
Christopher smiled.
"Now..."
"Strum."
She took a deep breath.
Then gently swept her fingers across the strings.
The chord rang out.
Clear.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
The room fell silent.
Sara stared at her hands.
"I did it."
Christopher nodded proudly.
"Yes."
She laughed.
"I actually did it!"
Her smile filled the room.
Christopher had not seen her look so alive in years.
---
Takako Notices
When Takako returned from Japan two days later, she immediately heard unfamiliar sounds drifting through the mansion.
She followed them.
The melody led her to the archive.
She quietly opened the door.
Sara sat cross-legged on the floor surrounded by music books.
The guitar rested in her lap.
Her fingers stumbled over simple chords.
Every mistake made her giggle.
Every success made her smile even brighter.
Takako leaned against the doorway.
Christopher stood beside her.
Neither spoke.
Finally Takako whispered,
"I haven't seen her smile like that..."
Christopher finished the sentence softly.
"...since she was very small."
---
A Secret Wish
That night Sara couldn't sleep.
She returned alone to the archive.
Moonlight poured through the windows.
She sat with the guitar in complete silence.
Then quietly spoke to herself.
"When I play..."
"...I don't feel like an heir."
She strummed another chord.
"I don't feel lonely."
Another chord.
"I don't think about Mother's disappointment."
Another.
"I don't think about titles."
She smiled.
"I just..."
"...feel like Sara."
---
The Beginning
Before leaving the archive, she opened her notebook.
On the final page she wrote:
> Today I found an old guitar.
She paused.
Then continued.
> I think...
> It found me.
She gently closed the notebook.
Outside, the rain had stopped.
The moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting silver light over the ancient estate.
Far away, the bells of House Lee rang the midnight hour.
No one—not Christopher, not Takako, not the House Council, and certainly not Sara herself—could have imagined what had begun that day.
The dusty guitar resting in the forgotten archive would one day lead the future heir of House Lee to Korea.
It would bring together nine lifelong friends as ALPhaaXX.
It would fill stadiums with tens of thousands of voices singing songs born from one lonely girl's heart.
It would change the history of House Lee forever.
All because a twelve-year-old girl, wandering through an old archive on a rainy afternoon, reached out and played a single imperfect chord.
Sometimes, destiny does not announce itself with a crown.
Sometimes...
It begins with the quiet sound of a guitar string. 🎸
