Monarch Dorm — Late Night
The lights were dim, a few scattered desk lamps casting long shadows across the rehearsal space. Jiwon perched on the edge of the piano, fingers drumming an irregular beat against the keys. The room smelled faintly of sweat, energy drinks, and determination.
Zayn paced slowly, whiteboard markers in hand. "We need impact," he said, voice low, sharp. "Every step, every note, it has to hit like a strike. No fluff. No filler."
Kai leaned against the wall, earbuds dangling, smirking. "Impact? Oh, I got impact. Try surviving my rap verse here. It's basically a warning shot."
Min, seated cross-legged on the floor, closed his eyes and let the vibrations of the track they'd been experimenting with ripple through him. "It's… heavy. Hungry. It feels like it wants something," he murmured.
EO hummed a high, piercing tone, testing a harmony over the bassline. "It's got that… predatory edge. Dangerous, but not chaotic. Controlled chaos," he said carefully.
Jiwon finally lifted his gaze. "Exactly. This isn't just performance energy. This is… us stepping into something darker. Something we can't just dance around. It needs to bite."
New Track — Working Title: "HUNTER'S MARK"
(Intro – Dark Synth & Pulse)A low synth thrum, echoing like a heartbeat. Jagged electronic stabs cut through the silence.
(Verse 1 – Jiwon / REX)Step by step, the night obeys,Silent moves, a predator's gaze.Crown of shadows, gloves of steel,Every strike, a wound you feel.
(Pre-Chorus – Zayn & Min)Eyes locked, the world dissolves,Lines we draw, the truth revolves.Flesh and fear, a delicate dance,One wrong move, no second chance.
(Chorus – All)Takedown, breaking through the dark,Hunting, leaving every mark.No mercy, no compromise,This is the fight you can't disguise.
(Bridge – Kai & EO)Heartbeat sync with fire and wire,Edge of chaos, climbing higher.Every motion, sharp and precise,We're the shadow, we're the vice.
(Outro – Jiwon + Layered Vocals)Hunter's crown, the night ignites,Through the storm, we claim our rights.Echoes burn, the hunt begins,No retreat, no way to win… or lose.
Choreography Brainstorming — Early Concepts
Opening: Jiwon steps forward, gloved hands tracing the air like claws, LED lights flickering like strobe lightning.
Verse 1: Zayn and Kai execute synchronized strikes across the floor — foot stomps, spins, diagonal lines — like hunters closing in on prey.
Pre-Chorus: Min and EO create layered, interlocking formations. Their arms and legs mimic traps and snares, controlled tension across the stage.
Chorus: All five members explode into angular, aggressive choreography. Floor panels flash red, pulse-mapped to bassline hits. Every movement sharp, precise, unrelenting.
Bridge: Kai raps mid-movement, weaving through the others. EO and Min counterbalance with high-energy flips and spins.
Closing: Jiwon rises into a final pose, arms outstretched, crown gleaming under the spotlight. Shadow projections ripple across the LED screens — claws, wings, abstract shapes of pursuit.
Mood and Energy in the Dorm
The boys were alive with adrenaline. The track pounded in the background, echoing through the room, matching their pulses. Zayn critiqued angles; Kai added rap layers; Min adjusted harmonies; EO experimented with falsetto screams over stabs of electronic distortion.
Jiwon stood in the center, observing. He didn't need to lead — not yet. His presence was enough to hold the chaos together. Every note, every step, every breath aligned with his control. But beneath that control? A dangerous thrill.
"This is good," he murmured. "Better than good. It hunts. Just like we do."
Kai laughed, tossing a water bottle in the air. "Finally, we get to sound like a demon actually meant business."
Zayn smirked. "And when we perform this… the world won't know what hit them."
Min's fingers traced the edge of the piano again. "It's… alive. Like it's waiting to see if we can handle it."
Jiwon's lips twitched, a small smile breaking through. "Then let's see who survives the first performance."
Monarch Dorm — Midnight
The rehearsal space was quiet now, the track still looping faintly from the studio monitors. Jiwon sank onto the edge of the couch, towel draped over his shoulders, listening to the hum of the city outside.
EO flopped next to him, phone in hand. "Hyung… the previews leaked."
Jiwon's eyes snapped up. "What kind of previews?"
EO handed him the phone. Fans, media, and entertainment outlets had already caught wind of snippets from "Hunter's Mark."
Trending Clips:
A thirty-second vertical clip of Jiwon's hands slashing through the air, crown glinting under strobe lights. Caption: "Is this a new concept or are we witnessing a literal demon hunt?"
Zayn spinning mid-step, LED floor panels casting long, jagged shadows. "Precision like a blade. Main choreographer really came for our souls."
Min's pre-chorus leap frozen in slow motion, eyes closed, chest exposed to starlight projections. "The aesthetic! The energy! I can't breathe."
Kai's rap overlay echoing in distorted synth. "He's eating the stage. Someone call an exorcist."
EO hitting falsetto runs while the strobe lights flickered like warning sirens. "The Maknae can actually end me with that tone. End me."
Jiwon scrolled. Every clip was tagged with #Hunter'sMark, #REXxMonarch, and #DarkEnergy. The fan reactions were chaotic. Some were theorizing a new concept album, others were spinning narratives of hunters and demons.
Kai leaned over, grinning. "This is… perfect. Look at them losing their minds. They don't know if they're screaming because of the choreography, the music, or because they're terrified."
Zayn shook his head, more focused. "We didn't leak anything. Someone clipped it from the rehearsal stream. But… that reaction?" He smirked. "It's exactly the kind of tension we want. Controlled, dangerous."
Min murmured, "It's… darker than anything we've ever done. I can feel it… like a weight pressing in my chest."
EO nodded, his small fingers tapping the screen nervously. "Yeah… it's addictive. And it's spreading. Already hitting other countries."
Media Coverage — The Next Morning
Seoul Pulse: "Monarch's Hunter's Mark Teasers Shake the K-Pop World — Is This the Start of a Darker Era?"
X (formerly Twitter):
"REX and Monarch just turned the concept of 'performance' into a threat. Literal fire."
"Someone please tell me why I can feel the shadow from a 30-second clip."
"#Hunter'sMark already trending worldwide. How is this legal?"
Fan Edits: The clips were remixed into cinematic montages — flickering strobe lights, shadow claws, golden-crowned silhouettes, split-screen duels between Monarch members and imagined demon forms.
Back in the Dorm — Brunch Hours Later
The five sat scattered around the common room, breakfast half-eaten, phones buzzing incessantly with notifications.
Jiwon sipped his coffee, eyes flicking over the glowing reports and reactions. "They're reacting… exactly the way we planned," he said quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
Kai leaned back, grinning. "Planned? Hyung, we didn't plan for them to lose their minds. That's all natural chaos."
Min smiled faintly, still holding a half-eaten pastry. "Chaos is beautiful sometimes."
Zayn shook his head but smiled anyway. "Don't get sentimental. The fans love this, but we still have work to do. The song isn't finished. The choreography isn't locked."
EO, headphones around his neck, chimed in, "But they're already imagining the live stage. The lighting, the smoke, the beats — the anticipation is insane."
Jiwon finally leaned forward. "Then we give them more. Not just the song, but the experience. Every move, every sound… it has to feel like the hunt itself. Sharp, predatory, addictive."
Kai's grin widened. "So… basically, we make them tremble while clapping?"
"Exactly," Jiwon said, letting the corner of his mouth twitch. "And they'll thank us for it."
Evening — Planning the Live Stage
The boys gathered around the whiteboard, markers ready, laptops open. Zayn plotted the formations while EO and Min experimented with vocal overlays.
Opening Sequence: Pulse lights, floor panels mapped to bass drops. Shadows flicker across the stage, hinting at movement that isn't there.
Verse 1: Jiwon leads with precision strikes, mirrored by Zayn's angles and Kai's vocal aggression.
Pre-Chorus: Min and EO weave energy through the gaps, creating tension between the aggressive beats.
Chorus: All five explode into synchronized motions — strobe flashes, staccato movement, vocals layered to feel like an encroaching force.
Bridge: Kai's rap takes center stage; Jiwon and Zayn flank him, framing the attack with movement.
Outro: Final pose — Jiwon's crown illuminated, shadows spreading across the LED screens like claws reaching for the audience.
Min leaned back, eyes closed. "It feels… alive. Like it wants to consume everything it touches."
EO laughed softly. "Then it's perfect."
Jiwon nodded. "It's not just music. It's a warning. And a promise."
Outside, Seoul's night sky stretched endlessly, unaware that its streets would soon feel the echo of Monarch's hunt.