Monarch Dorm – Midnight
The city outside glittered like a constellation that had fallen to earth. Inside the dorm, however, the air was heavy, charged with something unseen. The glow from the streetlamps filtered through half-drawn curtains, brushing the hardwood floor with shards of light.
REX (Jiwon)Jiwon stood by the window, fists clenched at his sides, eyes tracing the familiar skyline. He could feel it—an invisible thread pulling at him, tugging on instincts he'd spent decades honing. His bloodline hummed beneath his skin, a low, insistent beat that made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
He remembered the rooftop. The way Yul's gaze had burned into him, unflinching, knowing. It wasn't fear. It wasn't hate. It was recognition. Something in Jiwon's chest tightened every time he closed his eyes, a mix of anticipation and dread, like standing on the edge of a cliff knowing the fall might be fatal—or liberating.
The charm at his wrist pulsed faintly, a tiny heartbeat of gold against his skin. He flexed his fingers, feeling the weight of the blade hidden at his hip. Not yet, he told himself. Not yet.
ZAYN (Jaemin)Across the room, Zayn's eyes never left Jiwon. He could sense the tension radiating from the leader, subtle but unmistakable. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, jaw tight.
Yul's energy wasn't just powerful—it was precise, deliberate, invasive. Zayn had always been able to sense disturbances, whether in choreography, in performance energy, or in people. This was beyond anything he had encountered. He could practically feel Yul observing them from a distance, like a predator studying prey without stepping into the clearing.
Zayn clenched his fists. Protecting Jiwon was instinct, yes, but he also understood that this was bigger than brute strength. Control, strategy, patience. That would be the key. And if anyone had to keep REX grounded, it would be him.
MIN (Minseok)Min hovered near the vanity, fingertips brushing the glass with trembling precision. He could feel it through the mirror—like a pulse vibrating just beneath the surface of reality. Every shadow seemed to thrum, every reflection whispered.
His senses were alive in ways he had never experienced before. The faintest shift in the air made his stomach lurch; the echo of Yul's presence prickled at his skin, a mix of warmth and static electricity. Min's eyes widened as he leaned closer to the reflection, feeling a connection he couldn't name, a pull as though the glass itself wanted him to step through it.
"I… I hear him," he whispered, voice small, reverent, afraid. "Not… words. But rhythm. Pulse. Like… like he's inside everything."
Jiwon approached slowly, placing a steadying hand on Min's shoulder. "You're awakening," he said quietly. "It's not fear. It's awareness. But you have to stay grounded. Understand it. Control it."
Min nodded, swallowing hard. "And if I can't?"
"Then I'll make sure you do," Jiwon said. His voice was calm, but his eyes betrayed a storm beneath.
KAI (Taekyung)Kai sprawled on the floor, messy hair falling across his forehead, pencils rolling across the hardwood. He laughed—sharp, almost manic—but the grin didn't reach his eyes. The legends he had studied, the mythologies he had adored since childhood, were no longer just stories.
"Golden-blood… Halban… hunter…" he muttered, tracing the words with a finger on the floor. Each syllable seemed to vibrate in the air. The roof, the rooftop encounter, the glowing eyes… it all made sense now. But it was more terrifying than exhilarating.
Kai's usual chaos and humor masked the unease coiling in his chest. His body buzzed with adrenaline, a strange mixture of thrill and fear. I should be able to joke, I should be able to laugh, he thought. But the pull was real. And I feel it too.
EO (Eojin)EO sat on the windowsill, laptop balanced on his knees, fingers flying across the keyboard, yet he wasn't reading feeds. He was feeling them. Each edited GIF, each slowed clip, each fan reaction sent ripples through him. But there was another layer, one the fans would never see.
He could sense the residue of Yul's energy lingering in the world around them. Faint, almost imperceptible—but he noticed. Shadows that didn't quite belong, reflections that moved when they shouldn't. The maknae's innocent appearance belied a calculating mind, and tonight, EO cataloged it all: every flicker, every shift, every heartbeat that wasn't his own.
"It matters," he whispered. "All of it matters. And they—he—he knows we notice."
The room settled into a quiet hum. The weight of unseen forces pressed against them, subtle yet undeniable. Each member of Monarch felt it differently, but the effect was the same: they were no longer performing in isolation.
Yul's presence wasn't just a threat. It was a gravitational pull, reshaping the air, the energy, the very way they moved—even when he wasn't in the room.
And Jiwon—leader, hunter, REX—knew that restraining curiosity, desire, and instinct would be as dangerous as any blade.
Somewhere outside, the city lights gleamed, oblivious. Inside, Monarch felt the first real tremors of the storm that had already begun.