The roar of the crowd hit like a tidal wave.Light. Sound. Thousands of fans chanting one name in unison:
"Mon-arch! Mon-arch! Mon-arch!"
Jiwon stepped onto the stage first, the blinding glow of the LED screens painting his features in silver fire. His jaw was sharp, his eyes unreadable—every inch the untouchable leader.
Behind him, Kai bounded forward, grin wide and reckless, riding the energy like a comet. EO twirled into place, his body already fluid with the rhythm of the opening beat. Min followed, tense but focused, the stage lights reflecting in his dark eyes like stars. Zayn anchored the group at the rear, movements precise, lethal, controlled.
The first bass drop hit, and the floor panels flared crimson under their feet.
"TAKEDOWN" wasn't just a song. It was a declaration.
First Verse (Kai)
Kai gripped the mic, his voice slicing through the arena like a whip:
"I don't bow, I don't break, I rise through the smoke—Every scar on my skin is a war I wrote."
The crowd erupted, banners waving, lightsticks shimmering like galaxies. Cameras zoomed in on his grin, the dimple flashing sharp as a blade.
Zayn cut across the stage in sync with him, arms and legs carving through space like weapon strikes. Every move was deliberate. Every move was dangerous.
Pre-Chorus (EO & Min)
The music shifted, pulling softer for just a breath. EO stepped forward, voice soaring like glass spun into melody:
"Run through the dark, can't chain me down—"
Min's lower harmony cut under his, steady, grounding:
"Every shadow falls when we wear the crown."
They spun together, hands brushing briefly before springing apart, their movements reflecting each other like twin flames. The crowd screamed their names.
Chorus (All)
The beat slammed back, harder, faster.All five surged to center stage, forming a tight star-point formation.
"This is the takedown—Strike like thunder, burn the ground.No chains, no throne can bind us now—We rise, we fight, we TAKE YOU DOWN!"
On "down," they all dropped low in unison, palms slamming the stage floor. Sparks fired at the edges of the platform, timed perfectly with the beat.
The arena became a battlefield of light.
Bridge (Jiwon)
The music thinned again—low, pulsing, dangerous.
The spotlight found Jiwon.He stood alone at the front, sweat gleaming on his collarbones, blade-sharp focus in his eyes.
His voice was a growl, low and commanding:
"I was forged in fire, raised by war—Every wound I take just builds me more."
The audience fell into silence, captivated.
Behind him, the LED screens flared—flashes of shattered mirrors, black wings, and rising flames. Too close to the truth. Too real.
And then Jiwon lifted his hand, fingers curled like a fist pulling chains apart—
"Try to break me—watch me roar."
The explosion of light that followed was blinding.
Final Chorus & Ending
They came together for the last chorus with brutal precision. Kai leapt high, caught mid-air by Zayn and Min as EO spun underneath, hair whipping in the floodlights. Jiwon took center again, leading them into the final impact.
"We rise, we fight, we TAKE YOU DOWN!"
On the last beat, they froze in formation—five silhouettes standing tall against a wall of fire and stars.
The crowd's scream was deafening.
Monarch didn't just perform. They declared war.
Backstage, as the sound still rattled the walls, Jiwon bent over, hands braced on his knees, sweat dripping from his jaw. His chest heaved, but his eyes… his eyes were somewhere else.
He could still feel Yul watching.