The studio lights blazed overhead, the crowd was electric, and the five members of EON were halfway through yet another talk show appearance.
The host grinned mischievously, cue cards in hand. "Now, EON," he said, voice dripping with anticipation, "the fans are dying to know—how are the love lives of our favorite boys going?"
Cassian chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "That's classified information."
The audience screamed.
Theo pointed accusingly. "You didn't deny it!"
Luca added dryly, "What's the point of being coy at this point?"
Jace leaned forward dramatically. "He's glowing! That's the look of a man in love."
Laughter exploded across the set. Cassian only smirked and shrugged. "No comment."
The teasing rolled on for several minutes—lighthearted, playful, and unrestrained—until the host, still smiling, turned to the quietest one in the group.
"And what about you, Noah?" he asked. "Any special someone we should know about?"
Noah didn't even hesitate. "I'm engaged," he said evenly.
For one full second, the studio froze. Then—pandemonium.
The host's jaw dropped.
The audience gasped.
Theo made a strangled noise.
Luca choked on air.
Jace shouted, "WHAT?!"
And somewhere backstage, their manager fainted.
Cassian turned to him, eyes wide. "You're what?!"
"I'm engaged," Noah repeated calmly, as though discussing the weather.
The host scrambled for composure. "O-oh—wow! Congratulations! May we ask… to who?"
Noah leaned back slightly, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. "A childhood friend."
Cassian, still in disbelief, blurted, "But you didn't have any friends!"
The audience erupted into laughter. Theo buried his face in his hands, Luca wheezed and Jace pounded the table in hysterics.
Noah rolled his eyes and smacked Cassian lightly on the arm. "Shut up."
The playful hit only made the crowd laugh louder, breaking the tension completely. The host tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, but it was too late—the internet had already found its next wildfire.
By the time the episode aired, "Noah Rolston is engaged" was trending across every platform.
#NoahEngaged
#EONShock
#MysteryFiancée
#ChildhoodFriend'
All hit the top of the charts within minutes.
Back at the penthouse, their manager was pacing like a man on the edge of a breakdown. "Engaged? Engaged?! Noah, what in the world were you thinking?"
Noah stood serenely, completely unbothered. "It's true."
Cassian stared at him. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious."
Theo groaned, rubbing his temples. "You can't just say that on live TV without context!"
The manager threw his hands up. "First, it was you, Cassian—breaking every rule in the book, getting all cozy with Clara. Which, in hindsight, fine, that somehow became the best PR move of the decade since people love your ship. But still! And now you, Noah, dropping a bombshell engagement announcement on national television?" He stopped and glared at the group. "Does anyone else here have any more surprise actions I should know about before my heart gives out?"
Jace raised his hand innocently. "I can make both my eyes look in opposite directions at the same time. Does that count?"
The manager blinked at him. "Jace, I swear—"
Noah ignored all of them, scrolling through his phone as if the world wasn't currently imploding around him.
Meanwhile, across the city, mayhem had a different face. At a cozy café filled with EON posters and chatter, one of Noah's fan clubs had gathered in an emergency "meeting." The group—young professionals, students, and longtime fans—buzzed with disbelief.
"Can you believe it?" one girl squealed. "Our Noah is engaged! I'm screaming externally and internally!"
Another sighed, clutching her cup. "I'm so happy for him… and yet my heart is shattered."
"I just need to know who," another groaned, scrolling frantically. "The internet's losing its mind! People are analyzing every childhood photo he's ever taken!"
Sitting quietly among them was Mirabelle, hands wrapped around a warm mug of tea. She had been a member of this club for months now—ever since she decided to simply be his fan in this new life. She attended their events, designed posters, and cheered for him with all her heart.
And now she was smiling, though the ache behind it felt painfully familiar.
"Hey, Belle," one of the girls nudged her. "You actually knew Noah when you were kids, right? You're the only one here who did!"
A dozen curious eyes turned to her.
Belle blinked. "Oh—well, yes, but we weren't that close."
"Then do you know who his fiancée might be?" another asked eagerly.
She hesitated, throat tightening. "No," she said softly. "I really have no idea."
The group collectively groaned in disappointment.
"Maybe it's Clara!" one fan offered. "She's always around EON, and they'd look perfect together."
Mirabelle shook her head quickly, forcing a smile. "No, she's with Cassian. It's definitely not her."
The conversation shifted again, theories flying fast, but Mirabelle barely heard them.
A childhood friend.
The phrase echoed in her mind, each word sharp as glass. Someone from before, he had said. Someone who wasn't her. Her smile faltered. She searched her memory, trying to think of anyone else from their childhood—but there was no one. No other girl had been close to Noah.
Why couldn't it have been me?
She had loved him for so long—through two lifetimes, through heartbreak, loss, and rebirth—and yet, somehow, he still had found his way to someone else.
Even when fate reset the board, he hadn't chosen her.
For a moment, the sadness almost swallowed her whole. Then she inhaled deeply, straightened her shoulders, and forced her brightest smile.
"Whoever she is," she said cheerfully, raising a glass of iced tea, "we should be happy for him. Noah deserves to be loved, right?"
The club erupted into cheers, raising their cups with excitement.
"To Noah's happiness!"
Mirabelle clinked her glass with the others, the sound ringing hollow in her ears. She smiled along with them, radiant and sincere on the surface—but inside, a quiet whisper lingered:
Even if he never chooses me… I'll still cheer for him.