When the Celestia Dome concert finally ended, exhaustion and triumph hung in the air. The final confetti had barely settled before reality set in—EON would be returning to their penthouse.
"Wait, we're leaving this palace?" Jace exclaimed, clutching a throw pillow from one of the Terania guest rooms as if it were a souvenir.
Theo packed his keyboard cables with tragic solemnity. "We have to say goodbye, Jace."
Cassian rolled his eyes. "You act like you're being exiled. It's just half an hour away."
Luca folded a blazer into his suitcase with quiet precision. "Still, admit it—nothing beats the Terania breakfast buffet."
Jace pointed dramatically toward the chandelier above them. "That chandelier and I shared a bond."
Their laughter filled the hall, a final burst of chaotic energy before departure.
While the others joked, Noah lingered behind. The warmth of the estate, the calm in its halls, and the faint scent of lavender drifting from the east wing—all of it tugged at him. He couldn't bring himself to leave just yet.
When Gideon and Elara appeared to bid them farewell, Noah approached quietly. "Gideon, Elara… would it be all right if I stayed longer? Just to sleep in every night."
Elara blinked in pleasant surprise before smiling. "Of course, dear. The staff will keep your room clean and ready."
Gideon nodded approvingly. "You've earned it. After a month like that, a little peace won't hurt. Make yourself at home, no matter how long you wish to stay.."
Noah inclined his head gratefully. "Thank you. I've grown… comfortable here."
Back at the car, Jace gawked. "You're what? You're staying behind?"
Theo looked scandalized. "We still have plans."
"I'll be there," Noah said, rolling his eyes. "I just—really like it here. The estate's quiet. Helps me think."
Cassian stared at him in disbelief. "The estate?"
Noah shot him a warning glare. "Go home, Cass."
That night, the estate was silent again. The others had gone, the lights were dim, and the city's noise felt like a distant dream.
Noah made his familiar walk down the corridor to the room that had come to feel like a sanctuary. He opened the door softly, and there she was—as always at this hour—fast asleep. Moonlight spilled across the sheets, glinting in her hair. She looked peaceful, unaware of the quiet storm she had been soothing in his heart all this time.
He changed into softer clothes, splashed cool water on his face, brushed his teeth, and slipped beneath the covers. The faint rustle of the sheets was the only sound in the room.
For a long moment, he simply lay there, listening to her breathing. Then, unable to help himself, he smiled.
"Sixty thousand people singing with us," he murmured softly. "The lights, the roar—it felt like the world was shining." His voice was low and tender, as though the sleeping girl beside him could somehow hear.
"It's everything I ever dreamed of," he continued quietly, "but none of it feels real until I'm back here."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers trembling slightly at the softness of her skin.
"You'd be proud," he whispered. "I'm proud too… because you always believed in me, even when I didn't notice."
She stirred faintly, a small sound escaping her lips—no words, just the contented sigh of someone deeply at rest. Noah froze, then smiled again, his chest full of something tender and uncontainable.
He leaned forward and pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, Belle," he breathed.
Drawing her gently into his arms, he let her warmth settle against him, steadying his heartbeat. The exhaustion of weeks of concerts began to fade, replaced by a calm so deep it felt sacred.
As his eyes drifted shut, his thoughts circled one last time around her presence—her peace, her stillness and the quiet gravity that always drew him in.
I'll have this forever, he thought drowsily, and with that final thought, he fell asleep.