The flashing lights had become a blur, and the interviews were now a routine. Yet under the shimmering surface of fame, Lumina was struggling to breathe.
Kael leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, while the stylists adjusted his outfit for the live broadcast. His face was calm, professional—but his eyes scanned the room, searching. For him.
Klan hadn't shown up for rehearsals.
Eren was silent as he checked his mic pack, trying to stay out of whatever was brewing between Kael and the company. Sion chatted with a staff member, keeping things light. And Tavi? He was pacing by the hallway, phone in hand, face tense.
The dressing room door creaked open.
Klan entered—hood up, head low, not saying a word. His omega scent was faintly masked, but Kael caught it. He stood immediately, walking straight to him.
"Where were you?" Kael's voice was low, sharp enough to slice through the noise.
Klan glanced up. His eyes were tired. "I needed air."
"You ignored rehearsal. You ghosted me for three days, Klan."
Klan bit his bottom lip. "You said we needed space. So I gave you space."
Kael clenched his jaw. "Not from you. From this circus."
Their eyes met—full of exhaustion, longing, confusion. But no time for resolution. A staff member knocked loudly.
"Five minutes to showtime, boys!"
As the team moved out, Klan walked past Kael. Close enough to whisper, "We'll talk after."
---
The stage was blinding.
The camera moved across them as the MC introduced Lumina's first full-length album. The crowd screamed. The idols bowed. They smiled on cue.
Kael and Klan stood apart on stage. But the space between them burned like fire.
Behind the cameras, something was unraveling.
---
After the broadcast, back in the van, Kael sat beside Klan in silence. For a long moment, there was only the hum of traffic.
"I'm tired of hiding," Kael whispered.
Klan turned to him slowly. "Then stop."
Kael stared. "If we go public, we'll lose everything."
"Then let me lose it with you," Klan replied, eyes wet but voice steady.
And Kael—cold, proud Kael—took his hand under the shadowed glass of the van.
They didn't know it yet, but a storm was coming.
And Lumina was about to be caught in the eye of it.
---