The city slept beneath Monarch Tower, unaware that its tallest spire hummed with life. Lights blazed in staggered sequences through the massive glass panes, reflecting off the skyline like a lighthouse warning of unseen storms. Inside, the air was heavy with late-night energy, leftover from hours of music, laughter, and clandestine rehearsals.
Jiwon stepped through the revolving doors, the click of his polished shoes echoing faintly across the marble floor. The elevators opened automatically, whisking him upward with a soft hum, past floors that held offices, practice studios, and private lounges—the nerve center of Monarch's empire.
When he entered their penthouse-level suite, the rest of Monarch was already gathered.
Zayn leaned against the railing of the living room balcony, arms crossed, eyebrows tight. "Where the hell have you been?" His voice was more curiosity than anger, but the edge was there.
Min was pacing near the massive LED wall that doubled as a rehearsal screen. "We tried contacting you. My vision… it's not gone. Something's coming."
Kai flopped onto the sofa, tossing a blanket over his lap. "Man, you look like you've seen a ghost—or a demon. Or both."
EO, seated cross-legged on the floor, glanced up from his phone. "Hyung… are you okay?"
Jiwon set his bag down quietly. He smiled faintly, a shadow of amusement, but it didn't reach his eyes. He moved toward the center of the room. "I'm fine," he said, voice steady, "but I need to tell you something. Something you shouldn't see yet."
The room went still. Zayn tilted his head. "You're hiding something. Again."
Jiwon met Zayn's gaze, careful. "I… had a visitor tonight." His words were slow, measured, almost fragile. "Someone from the past. Someone connected to Yul."
Min's eyes widened. "The one from my vision?"
"Yes," Jiwon said, nodding. He glanced at the city through the panoramic window, where the lights of Seoul stretched endlessly. "He came with lies. Lies about Yul… about us. About what we are."
Kai let out a low whistle. "Great. More drama. Just what I needed at 2 a.m."
Jiwon ignored him, walking toward the rehearsal space that ran the full length of the tower's living area. Mirrors lined one wall, and LED strips cast a soft, shifting glow across the hardwood floor. "I need to focus," he said. "We all need to focus. We're going to rehearse the new song—the one that's going to let all of this… the stress, the tension… out."
The team gathered, instruments at the ready, bodies limbering up. Zayn began mapping formations, arms tracing arcs in the air. Min moved with his usual fluidity, absorbing the energy in the room. EO hummed scales, tailing the melody with perfect pitch. Kai tapped drum patterns into the digital pads, grinning like a child before a storm.
Jiwon exhaled, fingers brushing the microphone stand. "This song… it's going to be raw. It's going to be fire. But it's also going to be us—unafraid, unbroken. And we start here, together."
They began, each movement precise yet liberated, their voices rising in layers. Jiwon's part came last—a soft, trembling note that carried secrets, whispered only in English with Korean phrases tucked between:
"Neowa hamkke, I've been hiding… 내 마음 속 깊이, I keep it close… But now, the world will hear me… 나는 너를 사랑해."
The words hung in the air, almost tangible, a confession wrapped in music. Even Min and EO paused mid-step, caught off-guard by the weight in Jiwon's voice.
Zayn caught Jiwon's glance, a flicker of understanding passing silently between them. He knew, even without words, the truth Jiwon had been carrying—the secret moments, the forbidden meetings with Yul, the dangerous pull of obsession and love.
Kai's beats shifted subtly, allowing Jiwon to stretch the notes, letting them resonate across the high ceilings, filling every corner of the tower. The song morphed into something alive—each lyric, each movement, each glance between the members carrying energy beyond music, beyond choreography.
By the end, Jiwon's voice lingered like smoke, soft yet burning. The mirrors reflected not just five idols—but five hunters, five survivors, five souls unafraid to own the darkness inside them.
And for a moment, the world outside Monarch Tower ceased to exist.