12 hours post-performance.
The internet was on fire.
No, not fire—hellfire.
Trending on X:
#SUNFIRE 🔥🌞→ "REX and SOL invented rivals-to-lovers. Shakespeare could never."
#REXLovesDemon→ (a joke... or was it?)
"VEIL OF FLAME" M/V CONCEPTS LEAKED???
Dispatch Exclusive:REX & SOL seen leaving rooftop together after MMA stage — private meeting or power move?
Fan accounts flooded the feed with gifs and slowed-down videos of every glance, every step, every smirk.
"YUL SMIRKED. AT. HIM.""Jiwon looked like he wanted to stab him or kiss him. There's no in-between.""There is LITERAL FIRE BETWEEN THEM. Symbolism??? Witchcraft???"
Reaction videos went viral. Edits dropped by the hour. Fan artists worked overtime: glowing eyes, demon wings, halos and swords.
Headline from SeoulPulse:
"Monarch & Equinox Ignite Global Frenzy with Unforgettable MMA Collaboration. Chemistry or Chaos?"
Monarch Dorm, Late Afternoon
The dorm lights were low, curtains drawn against the press camped outside.
Jiwon sat alone at the dining table, scrolling through his phone, jaw locked.
He hadn't answered Yul's message. He hadn't slept.
But every time he closed his eyes, he saw that moment on the roof.
And worse—he felt seen.
The mark on his wrist was glowing again.
Zayn entered the room and kicked the door closed behind him.
"Turn it off," he said.
"What?"
Zayn gestured at the phone. "The noise. The fans. The edits. Whatever spiral you're sinking into."
Jiwon looked up. "You think I'm spiraling?"
"I think," Zayn said evenly, "that you're not telling us something."
The rest of Monarch filtered in one by one.
Min hovered at the edge of the room, clearly unsettled.
Kai flopped dramatically onto the couch. "I had a dream last night," he announced. "Yul was made of light. Like, actual light. And he kissed you, hyung, and then you exploded into black feathers. What does that mean?"
EO frowned. "Guys, this isn't funny."
Jiwon stood.
"I know what you all think," he said. "That something's off. You're right."
"Silence."
"I can't explain everything yet. But I need you to trust me."
Min finally stepped forward.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"I felt it too. During the collab. It wasn't just performance energy." He placed a hand over his chest. "It was… old. Dark. Hungry."
Zayn's voice sharpened. "And it came from him?"
Jiwon hesitated.
 "Yes."
EO looked scared. "Are we in danger?"
Jiwon looked each of them in the eye. "Not yet."
Later that night: Zayn and Jiwon (on the dorm rooftop):
"I've followed you into every storm since we were trainees. But if you're getting pulled into something dangerous—and you think he could hurt you—you need to let us protect you too. Don't shut us out."
Min and Kai (in the kitchen):
"I used to dream of wings when I was a kid. But lately? It's claws. And they feel like they're not mine."
Kai pours another energy drink. "Okay, so… we need protection charms. Like yesterday."
EO (on group chat):
EO: guys i'm literally seeing red lights in the hallwayMIN: That's not your LED strip???EO: HYUNG HELP
 Equinox Camp: Yul Watches the Fire Burn
Across town, Yul sat cross-legged in a blackout-curtained studio, candles flickering on the floor.
He was watching fan edits on his phone — slow fades, dramatic soundtracks, glowing eyes.
In one edit, Jiwon looked like a fallen angel.In another, Yul was the one bleeding starlight.
Juno entered and killed the lights. "What are you doing?"
"Feeding," Yul said simply.
"This is reckless."
Yul turned to him. "You don't understand. He didn't run. He didn't flinch. He felt it. And he came closer."
"And when he drives a blade through your heart?" Juno said angrily.
"I'll thank him," Yul whispered. "For finally making me feel alive again."
A Media Blowout
BREAKING:Dispatch releases photos of the rooftop encounter — not too close, but suggestive. Jiwon and Yul in shadow, facing each other. One frame shows Jiwon's hand near his hip (near his blade), another shows Yul smiling faintly.