The sun had almost fully set by the time the group started to reconvene outside the food court by the main gate.
Rylan was the first one spotted, mainly due to the giant stuffed bear he had resting on his shoulders. Eleanore trailed a few steps behind him, laughing uncontrollably while Casen followed, looking somewhere between traumatized and mildly betrayed.
Enzo leaned back against a bench, raising a brow as they approached. "…You all look like you lost a fight with gravity."
"Technically," Rylan puffed out a breath, "Gravity won, but I think we put up a good fight."
Lucian glanced up from his drink, eyes flicking between the three of them. "What happened to you?"
Eleanore collapsed onto a bench nearby, still snickering. "Three roller coasters, one spinning cup of death, and a very close encounter with projectile cotton candy."
Casen groaned, dropping on a bench across from Enzo with the exhaustion of a man who had aged several years. "Never again. I'm retiring from amusement parks. Forever."
"Until next time," Rylan teased, plopping down across from him.
Casen shot him a glare that was entirely ineffective, considering Rylan was too busy poking the bear in the face.
Lucian shook his head, the corner of his mouth tugging. "You're all children."
"Bold of you to say," Eleanore smirked, "When you nearly punched the animatronic clown last year."
Lucian's expression froze, staring at her for a moment. "That was self-defense."
Before anyone could answer, Elaine and Luca appeared from the crowd, only mildly confused by the sight.
Elaine blinked slowly. "…I leave for an hour, and you all form your own circus act?"
"Circus?" Rylan gasped dramatically, clutching the bear. "We prefer 'traveling performers.'"
Luca stood behind her, taking in the scene, a smirk forming across his lips. "Looks like you had fun."
"That's one word for it," Casen muttered, rubbing his face with both hands.
Elaine shook her head and sat down beside Enzo, who was sipping his drink with studied nonchalance. "You look like you've been hiding here the entire time."
Enzo shrugged lightly. "Observation is more productive than… whatever it is they got themselves into."
Lucian chuckled from beside him. "You just didn't want to be dragged onto a roller coaster."
Enzo's tone didn't waver as he glanced at Lucian. "Self-preservation instinct."
Rylan propped his chin on his hand, eyeing the two. "Speaking of instincts… who's up for something terrifying?"
Casen immediately lifted a hand, violently shaking his head. "Nope. Not it."
"I didn't even tell you what it was yet," Rylan laughed.
"It doesn't matter," Casen replied flatly. "Your tone says everything."
Eleanore leaned forward, grin wide. "Haunted house."
Enzo blinked once, then shook his head slightly. "Absolutely not."
"Oh, come on!" Eleanore waved her hands dramatically. "It's scare actors and bad lighting! What's the worst that could happen?"
"Death," Casen said instantly.
Rylan slung an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, you'll be fine, Cas. We'll protect you."
"You're the reason I'd need protection!" Casen wailed.
Lucian gave a small, amused exhale, glancing toward the looming, gothic facade of the haunted house attraction nearby. "Well, I can't believe I'm about to say this… but it could be fun."
Luca gave him a sideways glance. "You're serious?"
Lucian smirked. "Why not? It's good material."
Elaine chuckled. "For what? A survival guide?"
Rylan was already on his feet, holding a fist to the sky dramatically. "Haunted House Squad, assemble!"
Casen groaned, muttering curses under his breath as Eleanore grabbed his arm and began dragging him along. Enzo sat still for a long second, looking resigned, before Lucian patted his shoulder.
"Come on," Lucian murmured, voice low. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
Enzo narrowed his eyes faintly. "You're enjoying this."
"Only a little." Lucian chuckled, looping a hand under his arm to pull him to his feet before following the group to the attraction.
The moment they stepped through the doors, darkness swallowed them whole. Fake fog coiled around their legs, flickering lights buzzed overhead, and distant screams echoed through the dim halls.
Rylan and Eleanore were leading the group, whispering dramatically about ghosts and "cold spots." Casen walked in the middle, stiff as a board, eyes darting at every flickering light.
Enzo stayed close behind Lucian, close enough that when a sudden animatronic ghost popped out of a corner, he instinctively shoved Lucian in front of him like a shield.
Lucian burst out laughing, stumbling forward as Enzo muttered, "You're taller, you can absorb more impact."
"From what? Foam?" Lucian choked out between laughs.
"Exactly," Enzo said seriously.
Meanwhile, Eleanore screamed, suddenly making everyone jolt. But before Casen could even react, she turned and jump-scared him, lunging with her hands out.
Casen shrieked so loudly that half the scare actors paused mid-motion. He staggered back, nearly falling into Lucian, who caught him by his arm while also grabbing Enzo by the hood of his jacket as he turned to walk in the other direction.
Rylan immediately doubled over laughing and tripped over a loose floorboard in the process, sprawling across the ground.
Elaine, startled by the sudden scene, stumbled back and almost lost her balance, but Luca reached out instinctively, steadying her with his arm.
"Careful," Luca murmured, his voice calm even as Rylan wheezed laughter on the floor.
Elaine blinked up at him, heart still racing, then shook her head, smiling. "I think I underestimated them."
"You're not alone," he replied, eyes glinting faintly in the dark.
Up ahead, Eleanore was now half-dragging Casen by the sleeve while Rylan tried to get his laughter under control. Enzo and Lucian brought up the rear, Enzo glaring at every scare actor as if they had personally insulted him.
When a fake bat dropped from the ceiling, Enzo's hand shot out on reflex, punching it right off the string it was attached to.
Lucian chuckled, voice low. "You know, for someone who doesn't believe in superstition, you're oddly prepared for ghosts."
Enzo muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "They started it."
Lucian covered his mouth, laughing while taking both of Enzo's wrists in his hand as they continued walking.
After a few more minutes, the group finally spilled out of the exit into the fading evening light in complete disarray.
Rylan was still laughing so hard that he was wiping tears from his eyes. "Casen… Casen, your face! You screamed like the world was ending!"
Casen shot him a defeated glare. "I was startled. That was a normal human response."
Eleanore bent over laughing again, clutching the massive bear protectively. "That actor didn't even move!"
"He breathed weird!" Casen protested.
Lucian laughed under his breath while Enzo stood beside him. After his wrists were released, he crossed his arms like he was reconsidering all his life choices.
Elaine shook her head, amusement softening her expression. Luca stood beside her, clearly entertained, though he hid it behind his usual calm demeanor, shielding his mouth with his hand.
"Okay," Rylan wheezed finally, catching his breath. "That was… that was the best decision I've made all week."
"I disagree," Enzo said flatly.
"You were hiding behind Lucian the entire time," Eleanore pointed out, smirking.
Enzo didn't even blink as he glanced at her. "He's a good buffer."
Lucian snorted, shaking his head lightly. "Glad to be of service."
Casen sighed heavily, brushing imaginary dust from his jacket. "Next time, I'm vetoing the itinerary."
Rylan clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "Next time, you're leading the way."
Casen's horrified stare made everyone burst into laughter yet again.
The group made their way back to the parking lot, still laughing and teasing each other while they got their cars loaded with the random stuff they'd acquired during the day.
Enzo leaned against Lucian's car, scrolling through his phone. Lucian leaned against the hood of his car beside him, shoulders shaking with quiet laughter every time Enzo muttered something under his breath.
Enzo glanced at him, and Lucian lifted his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing, only to fail and nearly fall. Enzo didn't even move to save him, just watched as he melted.
Elaine stood off to the side with Luca, watching the chaos unfold between everyone. "Looks like everyone survived," she said lightly.
"More or less," Luca replied, faint amusement lacing his tone.
There was a small pause before he leaned a little closer, murmuring something into her ear.
Elaine froze, caught off guard. Before she could even process the words, he was already stepping back. "Goodnight, Elaine."
"…Night," she managed, blinking as she stared at him for a moment.
He gave her a small nod, his usual composure intact, and walked toward the others as if nothing had happened.
By the time she slid into her own car, Eleanore had already buckled herself in, hugging the oversized bear like it was her new emotional support animal.
For a few minutes, the drive was quiet, then, predictably, Eleanore turned toward her. "Sooo… what did Luca whisper to you?"
Elaine didn't take her eyes off the road. "Nothing."
"Elaine."
"It was nothing," she repeated.
Eleanore gasped dramatically. "That was not a nothing face. That was a romantic drama trailer face. I'm just saying-"
"You're just saying nonsense," Elaine interrupted gently.
"Okay, fine," Eleanore relented… for about three seconds. "Then maybe he was thanking you for coming. Or maybe he was secretly confessing something! Or maybe-"
"Eleanore." Elaine's voice was soft but firm. "You really shouldn't make theories about real people. It's not fair to them."
Eleanore hesitated, caught off guard by the calm seriousness in her tone. "I mean… yeah, but it's just guessing. Fans do it all the time."
"That doesn't make it right," Elaine said quietly, keeping her eyes on the road. "You never know what someone's really going through, or what they've already been through. It's better to just… let people be people."
For a moment, Eleanore didn't say anything. The car filled with the soft hum of the engine and the rhythmic whoosh of the passing streetlights.
Then she sighed dramatically, breaking the quiet. "Okay, fine. I'll stop theorizing. But only because you sound all wise and serious when you say stuff like that."
Elaine smiled faintly. "Thank you."
"…Still," Eleanore added slyly, "There is something going on with Luca. You can just feel it. The way he doesn't perform anymore, or how quiet he gets when the others talk about the stage-"
"Eleanore," Elaine warned again.
Eleanore sighed, leaning her head back against the seat. "Yeah. I know. I just… it makes me sad, you know? He's an amazing performer."
"I know," Elaine murmured.
Eleanore eventually looked out the window, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I had a blast tonight," she said softly. "We should all hang out again sometime. Preferably without haunted houses."
Elaine smiled. "Agreed."