They're in the studio again.
But this time, the energy is different.
Zane is the one standing.
Not pacing.
Not performing.
Just… thinking.
"I have a track," he says finally.
Sunny looks up immediately.
"For the next solo release?"
He nods.
Laura folds her hands neatly on top of the piano.
"And?"
"And I don't want to produce it alone."
Theo looks interested.
Axel raises an eyebrow slightly.
Zane meets their gaze one by one.
"I want Euphony Trio on it."
The room goes quiet.
Sunny beams instantly.
"That's so dramatic."
"It's strategic, another collaboration," Theo corrects.
"It's both," Zane replies.
Laura tilts her head.
"What do you have in mind?"
Zane walks over to the speakers and plays a demo.
It's not what they expect.
It's raw.
Layered percussion.
Stripped-back verses.
Almost experimental.
Less polished pop.
More atmospheric pulse.
Laura stiffens slightly.
"This is… unconventional."
"It's textured," Zane says.
"It's unstable," she counters.
Axel listens carefully.
He doesn't speak right away.
He feels the rhythm underneath it.
The gaps.
The room for instrumentation.
"We could build into this," he says.
Laura glances at him.
"You think so?"
He nods.
"It doesn't have to be clean."
That lands differently.
Zane looks between them.
"I don't want clean."
Laura exhales slowly.
"This is outside our structure."
"Yes," Zane says calmly.
Silence.
Theo watches closely.
Usually this is where Laura would decide.
But Axel speaks first.
"Let's do it."
The room shifts.
Sunny blinks.
Theo's eyes narrow slightly.
Laura looks at him.
He meets her gaze evenly.
"We can adapt."
It's not reckless.
Not impulsive.
It's steady.
Laura hesitates.
Old instinct says:
Preserve structure.
New instinct says:
Explore.
She inhales.
"Alright," she says softly.
Sunny grins.
"Commission accepted."
Zane relaxes slightly.
"Good."
They spend the next hour sketching ideas.
Laura experiments with layered dissonance instead of precise progression.
Axel leans into rhythm textures.
Sunny hums through possible harmonies.
Then Zane clears his throat.
"There's more."
They look up.
"For the video," he says. "I want you on that too."
Sunny sits up straighter.
"You want me to direct?"
"Yes."
She freezes.
"For real?"
"For real."
She blinks.
"I thought you'd hire some dramatic industry team."
"I could," he says. "But I want something personal."
Theo looks vaguely alarmed.
Zane ignores him.
"And," he adds, almost casually, "I've been taking photos."
Laura blinks.
"You?"
"Yes."
"Of what?" Axel asks.
"Outside," Zane shrugs. "Landscapes. Streets. Forests. Light."
Sunny's eyes widen.
"You do photography?"
He pulls out his phone and scrolls.
Shows them.
They lean in.
It's good.
Not flashy.
Not staged.
Natural.
Quiet.
Intentional.
Laura studies one longer than the others.
"You framed this well," she says softly.
He shrugs.
"It's a hobby."
Sunny beams.
"We're using these."
Zane smirks slightly.
"That was the idea."
"You have a hidden artistic layer and didn't tell me?" she accuses playfully.
"You never asked."
Theo rubs his temples.
"This is escalating."
Laura looks at the demo still looping quietly in the background.
"This project," she says thoughtfully, "will require us to step outside our default."
Axel nods.
"That's fine."
Zane watches them carefully.
"You're sure?"
Laura meets his gaze.
"Yes."
This time the challenge isn't about control.
It's about expansion.
Sunny claps once.
"Okay. We are absolutely making this chaotic and beautiful."
Zane grins.
"That's why I came to you."
And just like that—
the trio isn't reacting to him anymore.
They're choosing to collaborate again.