"Alright," Zayn said, clapping his hands together. "No swords, no shadows, no trauma—just one happy track before we all explode."
Kai laughed. "That's the spirit."
They were in the recording booth, scattered around with empty coffee cups and scribbled lyric sheets.
The beat was light. Bouncy. Synth-heavy with floating piano chords and a chime-drop chorus.
It sounded like sunrise.
"STARDIVE" — (Lyrics Excerpt)
(Verse 1 – Kai)Fell from the sky with a starlight grin,Didn't ask why, just let you in.You crash like a comet in my chest,But I've never felt more blessed.
(Pre-Chorus – EO & Min)No maps, no guide, we ride the light,Laughing in the dark before it bites.
(Chorus – All)Stardive, into you I go,No gravity, no fear to show.Even if we break the night,We'll fall like stars and shine too bright.
(Bridge – Jiwon)If I burn, I burn in color,With my brothers, not another.Hearts on fire, eyes wide—This is how we learn to fly.
(Outro – All)Dive with me, no goodbyes—Just stardust, just starlives.
"STARDIVE" was bright, clean, and safe.Exactly what their fandom needed.
Or so they thought.
Comeback Stage Performance
"MONARCH RETURNS WITH NEW ERA!"
The stage was a galactic dream.
Massive LED panels formed a shifting sky of purples, silvers, and soft golds — constellations mapped in shimmering light, shooting stars trailing behind each beat of the music. The center of the stage rippled like water as mist curled low along the edges.
The performance opened in total darkness.
Then:One single spotlight.It landed on Jiwon, center stage — standing still, chin lifted, head crowned with light.
The crowd screamed.
A soft piano note echoed. Then another. Then chimes, falling like glass rain.
Opening Moment
Kai stepped out from the left wing, body loose and bouncing to the beat, flashing his signature dimpled grin.He opened with the first line:
"Fell from the sky with a starlight grin..."
His voice was clean, golden, effortlessly bright — the kind of tone that made you believe every word was genuine.
The cameras panned across the stage.
EO twirled into place behind him, catching the beat with a graceful pop of his shoulder, then spinning out to meet Min, who entered from the right like a shadow waking up into the light.
Their formation was tight — five points of a star converging at center as the pre-chorus hit.
Zayn led the movement into the chorus. His footwork was razor sharp, angles cut through air like glass —his arms sweeping as if tracing real constellations.
Then the drop.
The floor panels lit up in time with their steps. Every beat sent starlight cascading under their feet — tracking motion, enhancing flow. It wasn't just dance. It was gravity defied.
When the camera zoomed in on EO's jump turn, the LED galaxy twirled with him.
The choreography during the chorus was built around connection — hand-off movements, catching and pulling each other into momentum, like a meteor chain set in motion.
They weren't just performing.They were orbiting each other.
Jiwon's Solo Bridge – Center
Suddenly, the stage fell dark again — except for one tight spotlight over Jiwon.
He stood alone, back half-turned, mic lifted to his lips.
"If I burn, I burn in color…"
The way he delivered the line — half-whisper, half-vow — silenced the audience.
"With my brothers, not another..."
Behind him, the LED screens flickered, just for a second — a flash of something unexpected:
Not stars.Not light.
But a black wing, fanned wide. Gone before it could be processed.
"Hearts on fire… eyes wide—""This is how we learn to fly."
On "fly," he leapt backward into the formation — caught mid-air by Zayn and Kai, like a shooting star pulled back into orbit.
The lights exploded around them.
The five of them hit the final chorus with synchronized spins — blazers flying, mics raised, smiles bright and unforced.
Each member had a second to shine:
EO's falsetto melted into the crowd's cheers.
Min hit a clean double pirouette before pointing up to the digital sky.
Zayn moved with leader's precision, anchoring everyone in the pocket.
Kai winked straight into the steadicam — the crowd lost it.
And Jiwon?
His smile never cracked —but his eyes held something heavier than joy.
A flicker of shadow.A silent message.
Ending Pose.
They landed in a final constellation formation — arms wide, one hand on the next member's shoulder, backs turned slightly inward.
The last lyric rang out, soft and powerful:
"Dive with me, no goodbyes—just stardust, just starlives."
As the lights faded, the LED screen overhead bloomed into a silent supernova.
The crowd roared.
Monarch bowed.
Fan Reactions (Online):
"I'm literally shaking. Did they just… heal me??"
"This wasn't just a comeback. It was an emotional reset."
"Did anyone else see that wing flash during Jiwon's solo?? Or was that... a stage glitch?"
"STARDIVE IS LIGHT. PURE LIGHT. I'm crying."
Backstage — The Cooldown.
The boys were drenched in sweat, laughing, breathless.
EO sat down and actually cried — happy tears, overwhelmed by the crowd's response.Kai filmed a chaotic selfie video screaming "WE DID IT!!!"
Min leaned against the wall, dizzy with something more than exhaustion.
Zayn clapped him on the shoulder. "You okay?"
Min nodded. "Yeah. I think I just felt… too much."
Jiwon stood at the far end of the hallway, staring at the mirror near the makeup table.
For one second — one heartbeat —his reflection didn't match him.
It smiled before he did.