The day after the debut stage was a blur of interviews, prep shoots, and fan interaction training. Eclipse was now in motion — no time to rest. No time to stop.
By morning, Haru had already done two rounds of vocal warm-ups and was halfway through a dance check when the company manager walked in.
"Livestream in ten," he announced. "Nothing scripted. Just fan chat. Keep it soft, keep it clean. No spoilers."
Shiro threw himself into the couch dramatically. "Time to seduce the masses."
Minhee tossed a pillow at him. "Please don't say 'seduce' while I'm trying to fix my eyeliner."
Seojun stayed silent, flipping through cue notes. Riki was reviewing fan-submitted questions.
Haru?
Haru sat at the edge of the frame, phone off, hands tucked under his thighs to hide the tremble he couldn't explain.
Minju hadn't come back since last night.
The livestream went live at 4:01 PM.
"Hi Umbra!" Minhee chirped, waving both hands into the camera.
"Thanks for making our debut so insane," Riki added, calm but sincere.
Shiro leaned close to the camera. "Blink twice if I'm your new bias."
The chat exploded. Hearts, comments, usernames scrolling too fast to read.
Haru offered a quiet, "Thank you for watching."
They played a few games. Answered silly questions. Told debut behind-the-scenes stories.
Then came the segment Haru didn't expect: Fan Questions – Rapid Round.
Minhee read aloud, "To Haru: What did you feel right before the curtain rose?"
Haru blinked.
The memory returned like a flash flood — blue light, the weight of the mic, the crowd roar crashing into silence.
And then—
"Fear. And fire," he answered. "And someone telling me to make them feel it."
Silence.
The others looked at him.
Minhee tilted his head. "Someone?"
Haru froze.
Seojun's eyes narrowed slightly. "Like who?"
There was no sound in the room for half a second too long.
Then Shiro laughed, clapping Haru's back. "Probably the voice of destiny or whatever. Haru's poetic when he's nervous."
Everyone laughed.
The chat moved on.
But Haru didn't.
He glanced to the left of the camera. Just for a second.
And smiled.
At someone who wasn't there.
Later that night, after dinner, Seojun cornered him in the hallway.
"Hey."
Haru looked up from tying his shoes. "Yeah?"
"Can I ask something? No jokes."
Haru straightened. "Okay."
"Back there, on the live. You said someone told you to make them feel it."
He hesitated. "Yeah."
"You looked to the side. Like you were… listening."
Haru's stomach dropped.
"I was just—nervous. I didn't mean anything."
Seojun didn't look convinced. "You sure?"
Haru forced a smile. "Yeah. Just nerves."
But Seojun kept staring at him like he was seeing through the cracks.
That night, Minju returned.
Flickering back into his dorm room as the lights dimmed.
She looked… wrong.
Too quiet.
Her face pale. Expression dimmed. Like static was passing over her skin.
"You almost said my name," she whispered.
"I didn't," he said quickly. "I wouldn't."
"They're starting to notice."
He sat on the edge of the bed. "Where did you go?"
Minju didn't answer right away.
Then—
"I think… part of me disappeared for a bit."
He stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know. It's like… the longer I stay, the more I forget. Like I'm not whole anymore."
She looked at him. Honest. Scared.
"Haru, what if I'm not just haunting you—what if I'm fading?"