The smell of hairspray lingered in the air, mixing with the sharp tang of stage lights that burned hot above their heads. Behind the black curtain, five boys stood in silence, their hearts pounding louder than the bass that shook the floor.
Kael adjusted the mic pack on his waistband with steady hands—at least, he wanted them to be steady. As the leader, he couldn't afford to look nervous. Not when the others were watching him. He glanced to his left where Klan stood, his small frame trembling almost imperceptibly as he stared at the stage through the tiny gap in the curtain.
"Hey," Kael's deep voice cut through the heavy air. "Don't freeze up now. We've trained for this for years."
Klan looked up, his gray-blue eyes wide and uncertain, strands of ash-brown hair falling over his forehead. "I… I know," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the crowd outside. Except—was it a roar? Or just polite clapping? Kael's jaw tightened.
They all knew the truth. There wasn't much of a crowd out there. Debuting under a small company, with no big promotions, meant the seats beyond the blinding lights would be half-empty.
Still, Kael straightened his black jacket, the dark fabric shimmering under the dim backstage lights. "Listen up," he said, his voice dropping into that tone that made even Sion—the second Alpha in the group—pause and turn to him. "No matter what's out there, we perform like it's a stadium full of people. Got it?"
The others nodded, some with more conviction than others. Eren cracked his knuckles with a smirk, trying to act cool, while Tavi hummed nervously under his breath, his honey-blonde hair catching the light.
Klan swallowed hard. His hands were cold, fingers twisting the hem of his jacket. When Kael's hand brushed his for just a second—a quick, grounding touch—Klan's breath caught. He looked up again, and Kael gave him the smallest of smiles. Just for him.
The announcer's voice boomed from beyond the curtain:
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the new boy group from Aurora Entertainment—LUMINA!"
The lights exploded in a dazzling white flash. The music kicked in.
Kael took the first step onto the stage, his heart slamming against his ribs. Behind him, Klan followed, the heat of the lights wrapping around them like fire. The cheers—what little there were—echoed in the vast space, sounding almost hollow.
But when Kael glanced over his shoulder and saw Klan's wide-eyed determination as he took his starting position, something inside Kael shifted.
Even if the world didn't see them yet… he would.
And so it began—the first performance that would change everything.
Stage lights on. The dream begins.