Monarch's Penthouse – Night
The elevator doors slid open with a low chime, and the five members of Monarch stepped out into their penthouse at the very top of the tower named after them. The city's skyline glittered below through the floor-to-ceiling windows, a view of Seoul that millions would give anything to see — but tonight it felt less like a throne and more like a prison.
No one spoke at first. The silence was heavy, pressed down by the memory of what had just happened on stage.
Zayn tossed his jacket onto the couch with more force than he meant to, the fabric landing in a heap. His usually sharp, playful eyes were clouded, flickering toward Jiwon as if searching for answers he wasn't sure he wanted. Min moved toward the window, his reflection wavering against the glass like a ghost; his hands trembled slightly, though he tried to hide it in the folds of his hoodie. Tae and Ren lingered near the kitchen counter, their posture stiff, like statues holding in words that burned on their tongues.
Finally, Ren broke the silence."Hyung…" His voice was low, careful. "That wasn't just… stage nerves, was it?"
Jiwon didn't answer immediately. He sat down on the edge of the couch, elbows braced against his knees, hands clasped so tightly his knuckles whitened. His mind replayed every detail — the flicker in Yul's eyes, the unnatural way his voice seemed to darken, the energy in the air that screamed of something otherworldly.
"No," Jiwon said at last, his voice steady but grim. "That was Vatu."
The name hit the room like a blade.
Zayn cursed under his breath, pacing. "So it's true then. He's here. And he's not just whispering in shadows — he's… he's inside Yul."
Tae slammed his palm against the counter, his calm veneer shattering for once. "And the fans—do you know what it looked like from out there? They thought it was part of the show. They cheered. They screamed his name like he was some kind of god!"
Jiwon's jaw clenched. He had seen it too: thousands of lights waving, thousands of voices chanting Yul's name in blind devotion, not realizing they were seconds away from being weaponized.
"That's why we can't afford to falter," Jiwon said, his voice firm now, commanding. "Vatu feeds on chaos. If we show cracks, if we let fear consume us, he wins before we even face him."
He stood, shoulders squared, gaze sweeping over his brothers. "You've all trained for the stage your whole lives. Now… you'll train for something else. I'll show you what my family taught me. What it means to fight demons — even if the one we're fighting wears a crown of light."
The weight of his words settled over them, but instead of despair, it lit a spark. Min's trembling steadied. Tae's eyes hardened with determination. Ren straightened his back, fire in his chest. Zayn exhaled slowly, the corners of his lips twitching upward in something between a smirk and a vow.
They were Monarch. And they would not break.
Equinox's Penthouse – The Same Night
The quiet inside Equinox's penthouse was deceptive. The performance was over, the cheers of the crowd just a memory, but the echo of Yul's own voice still rattled inside his skull like a curse.
He sat alone in his room, door locked, blinds drawn tight against the city lights. The silence was suffocating — and yet, he wasn't truly alone.
"You see how they adore you," came the voice, rich and venom-sweet.
Yul flinched, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes. "Shut up."
A low chuckle. The shadows near the wall stretched, thickened, and then parted like a curtain. Vatu stepped forward, his presence filling the room with a cold that sank deep into Yul's bones. His eyes glowed faintly — not fire, not light, but something older, darker, the color of hunger itself.
"You wore my song like a crown tonight," Vatu purred, circling him. "And they worshiped you. Did you feel it? Their devotion? Their surrender? That was not them cheering for you, Yul. That was them kneeling to me."
"I didn't want that," Yul hissed, his voice cracking under the strain of defiance. "I never wanted—"
"You never wanted to be weak." Vatu's words cut sharper than any blade. "Do not lie to yourself. You've run for centuries, pretending you can be harmless, pretending you can forget what you are. But tonight… tonight you remembered. And so did they."
Yul's breath caught. Images flashed unbidden in his mind — battles from centuries past, his hands stained red, the sound of screams carried on the wind. He shook his head violently, nails digging into his scalp. "Stop—"
Vatu crouched before him now, his smile cold and patient. "No, little prince. Remember. Embrace. The stage is not just for light and song — it is a throne. And I will make you an emperor. Together, we will carve an empire out of their adoration."
Yul's throat tightened. The word "empire" reverberated inside him like an echo from a past he had tried to bury.
"Choose, Yul," Vatu whispered, leaning close enough that his breath was ice against his ear. "Either stay weak, chained to their petty love, chained to that hunter boy who would kill you the moment you falter… or take my hand, and rule."
The air around Yul shivered. His body trembled, caught between terror and temptation. His group — his brothers in Equinox — were just down the hall, their laughter faint through the walls, pretending not to worry. If he opened the door now, if he confessed, maybe they could pull him back. Maybe he wouldn't drown.
But Vatu's hand hovered before him, open, waiting. And Yul's fingers twitched.