Eliot swallowed, the glow of the laptop still painting everyone's faces in pale blue.
He turned slowly, eyes moving from Cassian to Leon to Lunara.
"So…" His voice was quiet, but steady. "What do we do now?"
For a beat, no one answered.
Lunara straightened from where she'd been leaning in, rolling her shoulders like a restless animal shaking off rain.
"What do we do?" she echoed, lips curling. "We stop assuming this is just school drama for starters. We move slow. We watch everything. And we don't trust smiles."
She glanced at Eliot sideways. "Especially not hers."
Theo pushed off the wall, worry written all over his face. "Lunara, don't scare him."
"I'm not," she shot back. "I'm being honest."
She stepped closer to Eliot again, but this time there was something different in her posture—still sharp, still dangerous, but angled slightly toward him, like a guard dog that had decided who was theirs.
"You," she said quietly, "don't go anywhere alone. Not with Mira, not with her brother, not with anyone connected to whatever this is. If someone pulls you aside again, you call one of us. Immediately."
Eliot nodded. "I will."
Theo frowned. "And if anything feels off—even a little—you tell me. Don't brush it off just because you don't want to cause trouble."
Leon spoke next, calm and grounded. "We keep our routines normal. That's how we don't tip anyone off. But we stay alert."
Cassian added, "And I dig. Carefully. No traces."
The room settled into a tense silence again.
Then—
Rex cleared his throat.
"…Okay, not to ruin the spy thriller vibe," he said, scratching the back of his neck, "but Mr. Miller literally told us today that the science club project is due this week. Like. We have to finish it."
Everyone turned to him.
Rex blinked.
"What? I forgot because—" he gestured vaguely at the laptop "—this."
Theo groaned. "Oh no. I completely forgot."
Leon tilted his head. "The presentation."
"Video presentation," Rex corrected. "Graded. Counts a lot."
Cassian leaned back. "Of course it does."
Theo rubbed his face. "We'll do it tomorrow."
Leon nodded once. "After school. Here."
Theo looked up. "Wait—what was ours about again?"
All eyes shifted to Eliot.
He straightened a little, surprised but not unprepared. "Uh—renewable energy systems. But… not just the usual solar panel stuff."
Rex perked up. "Oh?"
Eliot adjusted his glasses, words coming easier now. "I thought we could build a small prototype—nothing huge—but a hybrid model. Solar during the day, kinetic backup."
Theo blinked. "Kinetic?"
"Yeah," Eliot said, warming to it. "Like, energy generated from motion. We can use a small flywheel connected to a hand crank or vibration input. If power drops, the system switches automatically."
Cassian whistled. "That's actually smart."
Rex grinned. "And it looks cool on video."
Leon nodded approvingly. "Practical."
Theo stared at Eliot for a second, then smiled—soft, proud, and a little relieved. "That's… really good."
Lunara smirked.
"Look at you," she said. "Brains and nerves. Dangerous combo."
Eliot flushed slightly. "I already sketched it out. I can explain the transitions and the logic flow."
Theo clapped his hands once. "Okay. Tomorrow we build, film, and edit."
Rex saluted lazily. "Science club by day, conspiracy hunters by night."
Lunara laughed under her breath. "Try not to mix those up."
She leaned toward Eliot again, voice low. "But remember—project first. Eyes open always."
Eliot nodded, heart still racing—but steadier now.
Whatever was coming, he wasn't facing it alone.
And tomorrow?
Tomorrow, they'd pretend everything was normal.
Which somehow felt more dangerous than anything else.
--
The knock at the door was softer this time. Familiar.
Eliot's shoulders relaxed before he even moved.
"I'll get it," he said, already heading for the door.
When he opened it, Elara stood there with her jacket half-zipped and her keys dangling from one finger.
"Ready?" she asked, eyes flicking past him briefly, sharp and assessing.
Eliot nodded. "Yeah."
Behind him, the room felt… watchful.
Lunara was leaning against the wall again, arms crossed, beanie shadowing her eyes.
Leon stood nearby, silent as ever.
Theo looked like he wanted to say ten different things and didn't know where to start.
Eliot hesitated, then turned back toward Lunara.
"Hey," he said quietly. "Do you want to come with us?"
For a split second, something unreadable crossed her face.
Then she shook her head once. Firm.
"No," she replied. "Best if I stay here."
Her eyes slid toward the laptop, then back to him. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on things."
Eliot nodded, accepting it. "Okay."
Theo stepped forward. "Text me when you get home. Please."
"I will," Eliot promised.
Leon met his gaze and gave a single nod—steady, grounding.
Rex lifted a hand. "Don't forget tomorrow. Science genius."
Eliot smiled faintly. "I won't."
Elara cleared her throat. "Alright. Before this turns into a goodbye scene."
As Eliot stepped out, Lunara pushed off the wall.
"Hey," she called.
He paused and looked back.
"Be careful," she said—not teasing this time. Just real.
Eliot nodded. "You too."
The door closed behind him.
Outside, Elara glanced sideways as they walked. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "…I think so."
She unlocked the car. "Good. Because whatever that was back there?"
She started the engine.
"It's not over."
Eliot watched the house disappear behind them, a strange weight settling in his chest.
Somewhere inside, Lunara stayed behind in the quiet—
watching.
--
The next day arrived far too quickly.
The science lab buzzed with half-awake students, the smell of metal tables and old markers hanging in the air.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching dust motes midair.
Mr. Miller clapped his hands once. "Alright, science club. Before we start—project check."
Rex stiffened.
Mr. Miller adjusted his glasses and looked straight at them. "Your group. The renewable energy presentation. I expect progress."
Rex leaned back in his chair, folding his arms casually. "Oh, that one?"
"Yes," Mr. Miller said. "That one."
Rex tilted his head, face perfectly serious. "But… sir, you said Friday."
Theo's eyes widened. Leon slowly turned to look at Rex.
Mr. Miller paused. "I did?"
Rex nodded, confidently. "Yeah. Friday. You even said, 'No rush, I want quality.'"
There was a beat of silence.
Mr. Miller frowned, clearly replaying a memory that did not exist. "I… did say that, didn't I?"
Theo mouthed what at Rex.
Leon calmly reached into his bag and pulled out a folder anyway, placing it neatly on the table.
"We're still on schedule, sir."
Mr. Miller blinked, torn between confusion and relief. "Well—good. Excellent initiative."
Rex flashed an innocent smile.
Eliot, sitting between Theo and Leon, pressed his lips together—and then quietly laughed, shoulders shaking just a little.
Theo immediately jumped in, standing halfway out of his seat.
"Yes, Mr. Miller, our project explores the multifaceted integration of hybrid renewable systems, focusing on—"
Leon gently tugged Theo back down. "We'll explain it during the presentation."
Mr. Miller nodded. "Right. Right. Carry on."
As he turned to leave, his gaze snagged on Lunara.
She was leaning against the counter near the back, coat still on, beanie low, eyes scanning the room like she didn't belong to it—and didn't care.
Mr. Miller hesitated. "Excuse me… young lady?"
Lunara didn't move.
"How long have you been… coming here?" he asked. "If you're interested, you really should join one of the official groups."
She stared at him.
Not rude. Not aggressive.
Just… unblinking.
Sharp. Like she was measuring how much he noticed—and how much he didn't.
The silence stretched.
Mr. Miller shifted. "I—uh—just a suggestion."
Lunara said nothing.
Didn't nod. Didn't smile.
Just kept staring.
Mr. Miller cleared his throat, suddenly very aware of how uncomfortable he felt. "Right then. Well. Carry on."
He walked away faster than necessary.
Rex leaned over, whispering, "Is she allowed to do that?"
Leon replied quietly, "Apparently."
Eliot glanced back at Lunara.
For a brief second, her eyes met his.
She gave the faintest smirk—then went back to watching everything.