Early Morning — Equinox Dorm Studio
Yul sat cross-legged on the polished floor, fingers tracing the edge of the candlelight flickering before him. The room smelled faintly of wax and smoke, and the shadows danced along the walls like living things.
Juno paced behind him, jaw tight. "You shouldn't have let them see you like that. They're not just fans, Yul. That… hunter? He's dangerous."
Yul tilted his head, eyes golden in the low light. "I know." His voice was quiet, almost gentle. "But I wanted him to see. To feel."
Dara leaned against the mirrored wall, arms crossed. "Feel? He's a predator. And you're… you. You're giving him an invitation to step closer."
"I'm aware," Yul said softly. "It's the only way to understand him. To understand what he will become."
Rien, seated at the piano, fingers idly touching the keys, murmured, "He's different. Not just the way you think. The pull… it's affecting everyone. Even their youngest."
Nox, sprawled on a velvet chaise, twirling a tarot card absentmindedly, blinked up. "It's like… sparks. But dark sparks. And I can't tell if it's scary or beautiful."
Yul's gaze shifted toward the city lights streaming through the window. "It's both."
Midday — Rooftop Practice Deck
The group gathered outside for a small light rehearsal, the wind tugging at Yul's coat. The city stretched below, endless and indifferent.
Juno stopped mid-step. "You're enjoying this too much."
Yul's lips curved faintly. "I'm not enjoying it. I'm observing. Feeling."
Dara frowned. "Feeling's dangerous. You're dancing on a knife's edge with him."
"I know," Yul replied. "And he knows. That's why he stayed. That's why he came closer."
Rien struck a key on the portable keyboard. The note lingered in the air, vibrating with unspoken tension. "He's not like other humans. You could sense that the first time, and he hasn't even spoken yet."
Nox tilted their head. "I like him," they said simply. "Even if he's scary. He makes the air taste different. Makes me want to… move."
Yul's golden eyes softened, fleetingly. "He's not mine to claim. Not yet. But the pull… it's mutual. And that makes everything fragile."
Evening — Candlelight Vigil
The members of Equinox sat quietly around Yul, each lost in their own thoughts.
Juno finally said, "We've seen a lot of dangerous things in our time. But this… him… it's something else. Something ancient."
Yul nodded. "Yes. And ancient things don't stay contained. They grow. They hunt. They test."
Dara leaned forward, voice low. "And you're… letting him see it. You're letting him test it."
"Because if he cannot feel it," Yul whispered, "then he cannot truly understand what he protects. Or what he will lose."
The candles flickered across his face, shadows dancing in the corners of his sharp features. Calm. Unreadable. Dangerous.
Nox, still holding the tarot deck, whispered, "I think… he's going to break all the rules."
Yul's lips curved faintly. "Maybe. But sometimes, breaking rules is the only way to survive."
And in the quiet of the room, Equinox felt the echoes of the rooftop pull still lingering — a thread tying them to Monarch, to the hunter, to the danger waiting just beyond the skyline.