The stillness of the hidden garden wrapped around them like an invisible veil. The soft glow of twilight cast haunting shadows, dancing between ivy-covered walls and scattered petals.
Stella blinked, stepping forward cautiously.
"How did you even know we were here?" she asked, her voice shaky, laced with unease.
No one replied.
Only silence answered back.
Beside her, Serafina's brows furrowed in confusion. Her fingers tightened instinctively around the silver bracelet on her wrist.
"This is our secret spot," she murmured. "How can someone else know about it? And why would they try to trap us here?"
A chilling breeze swept through the garden, curling around their ankles.
Then came the sound of footsteps—brushed, angry ones.
Nyx and Zephyr emerged from the thick mist, their faces tense.
"What were you two thinking?!" Nyx snapped, her eyes flashing. "You could've at least informed us! You don't just disappear like that."
Stella flinched. "We thought you called us," she explained. "We got a message—it told us to come here."
Nyx narrowed her eyes. "I didn't send any message."
"And when we tried calling you both, you were offline!" she added.
"Oh, my phone battery died," Stella said softly, feeling embarrassed. "I didn't even realize."
Zephyr stepped forward, her voice gentler than Nyx's, but still laced with concern.
"You could've called me or Aria," she said. "Why would you come here without telling anyone?"
"I–I'm sorry," Stella mumbled. "It all happened so fast. I didn't check my phone."
"I tried to call you," Zephyr told her quietly.
"Ah… I think my battery died too. I didn't see your call," Stella admitted, guilt creeping into her voice.
There was a pause.
Then Zephyr said, "Actually, it was Aria who messaged us. She told us to come here."
All heads turned toward Aria.
She stood leaning against a stone pillar, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
Nyx stepped closer. "Aria, how did you know something was going to happen here?"
Aria looked at her calmly. "I just knew," she said simply.
The group fell silent.
Then, without waiting for another question, Aria turned and walked away into the mist.
Just before vanishing, she muttered under her breath, "So you've returned."
No one could make sense of her words.
But from the shadows beyond the pillar, the mist began to twist unnaturally. A figure stepped out—tall and wrapped in a long, velvet-black coat. A veil covered her face, but her presence twisted the air like smoke meeting flame.
"I came for you," the woman said softly.
And just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared into the fog again, leaving only tension, whispers, and a silence that wasn't quite empty anymore.
Later some time,
Stella squealed into her pillow the next morning, rolling around in excitement beneath her blanket.
"Today's the day! The Eclipse concert! Live!" she whispered, cheeks flushed. "I'll see Alex! Maybe… maybe I'll tell him how I feel?"
She hugged her plushie tightly, already dressed in black and silver. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest.
The venue was electric.
Lights sparkled like stars overhead. Screams of excited fans echoed like thunder. Giant screens counted down the seconds. Eclipse was moments away from stepping onto the stage.
"Alex is wearing black again!" Stella gasped. "He knows I like that color—I swear he does!"
Serafina giggled. "He doesn't even know who you are yet."
"Not yet," Stella said proudly, eyes shining. "But after tonight—maybe."
Nyx rolled her eyes. "Here we go again."
Aria stood behind them, quiet as ever, scanning the crowd like a guard dog with secrets.
Zephyr, unusually quiet, kept glancing toward one of the side entrances.
He was there.
Zane.
Their eyes met for just a second.
She quickly looked away, her cheeks blooming red.
Eclipse paved the way with their wonderful performance, and the audience cheered until they left the stage.
Backstage later that evening, Zephyr found herself near the snack table when Zane approached.
"You came," he said, his voice low and casual. "For me?"
Zephyr stiffened. "I came with my friends."
One of the Eclipse members called him from across the tent.
"See you later, childhood friend," Zane whispered with a teasing grin before walking away.
Zephyr stood frozen, heart pounding in her ears. She clutched the front of her dress like it could calm her.
Inside Eclipse's private lounge, Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Who was that girl you were talking to?"
Zane shrugged, peeling off his jacket. "Just a childhood friend."
"Oh?" Jin grinned. "Didn't know you had a childhood crush."
"Just a friend," Zane replied.
On the other side of the room, Alex leaned against the wall, scrolling through messages. One in particular caught his eye—a blurry photo of fans in the crowd. Stella was there, mid-scream, holding a glittery sign that read "Your smile saved me."
He smiled to himself.
After the concert, the girls gathered near the food stalls, buzzing with energy and sugar.
"I saw Zane talking to you," Stella teased, nudging Zephyr's shoulder.
"I-It was nothing," Zephyr said quickly, avoiding eye contact.
"Ohh? Childhood friends, huh?" Nyx chimed in with a smirk. "Is that why you were blushing like a tomato?"
"Stop it," Zephyr mumbled, sipping her drink to hide her face.
"I bet they already kissed," Stella whispered to Seraphina dramatically.
"They haven't even gone on a date yet," Seraphina replied, giggling.
"Hey Zephyr," Stella said sweetly, inching closer like she was about to ask for a favor that could change her life.
Zephyr, still sipping her fruit shake and trying to ignore the teasing from Nyx, looked up. "Hmm?"
"Do you think—" Stella lowered her voice like it was a forbidden secret. "You could get me Alex's autograph?"
Zephyr blinked. "You want me to ask Alex?"
"I mean, you did talk to Zane," Stella nudged. "And Zane's in the group. Sooo you have connections now."
Zephyr flushed. "He's just a childhood friend, not a pass to all seven members!"
"But you talked to him backstage!" Stella insisted dramatically. "Please? Just his autograph. Or even a tissue he used. Or maybe—"
"Okay, okay!" Zephyr sighed, holding up a hand. "I'll see what I can do."
"Yay!" Stella squealed, spinning around with joy, nearly knocking over Seraphina's drink. "I'm going to frame it. I'll sleep with it. I'll probably even marry it!"
"Girl, chill," Nyx laughed, shaking her head. "It's just a signature."
"It's Alex's signature," Stella corrected like that made all the difference.
Behind them, Aria stood in silence. She didn't join the teasing. Her gaze was locked on the moon above, her thoughts far away.
She could feel it.
Something was coming.
As the laughter died down, the group began walking back. The night was cool, the crowd thinning, and somewhere behind the stalls, music still played faintly.
When they reached home, Stella was still buzzing with energy. She practically floated into her room, arms full of merchandise, phone filled with blurry pictures, and her cheeks hurting from smiling too much.
She flopped onto her bed, giggling into her pillow. "I was so close… So close to him."
Sophie, on the other hand, was thirsty.
She opened her sling bag and reached inside for her water bottle… but her hand brushed against something unusual—something papery.
Frowning, she pulled it out.
It was a neatly folded note. Pale lavender paper with elegant curves of ink.
She opened it slowly.
One line:
"Meet me at 10 p.m. in my bedroom. — my sunshine."
Her breath caught.
Sunshine.
The nickname only Zane used for her, back when they were younger, before everything became complicated.
Her heart skipped, tumbled, then began beating fast.
Zane? Why now? Why like this?
She looked at the clock on her phone. 9:15 p.m.
Was this real? Or one of his weird jokes?
Still…
A part of her smiled.
Let's see what you've got, Zane.
She held the note close, her cheeks warming. She didn't know what he wanted. But for the first time in a while, she felt something stir—a little flutter of hope… and maybe just a beginning.
"Hey reader! If you made it this far… leave a little comment, na? Even just a heart or a 'Nice!' will make my whole day. I'm lowkey stalking the comment section waiting for your thoughts!"