Nova liked the way the world felt.
Everything was sharper, brighter, slower—like she could see through people with a single glance. Like she finally understood why Ariana struggled so much.
People were predictable.
Weak.
Afraid of their own shadows.
Nova walked through the hallway of the rehearsal studio with steady confidence, each step echoing off the walls. Heads turned. Eyes lingered. Someone whispered Ariana's name—but the expression was confused, like they weren't sure if it was actually her.
She smiled.
That confusion was delicious.
She pushed open the rehearsal room door, expecting it to be empty. Instead, someone was inside—leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.
He looked up.
And Nova felt something ignite.
He was tall, sharp-featured, with a jaw that could cut glass and eyes that flickered with mischief. A dancer. Ariana remembered his name faintly through the fog of consciousness pressing against Nova's control.
Leo.
Nova smirked.
Perfect.
He pushed himself off the wall, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her.
"You look… different," he said.
Nova tilted her head, pretending innocence. "Different bad? Or different good?"
He stepped closer. Not intimidated. Not shy.
Not like the others.
"Depends," he murmured. "What happened to the quiet Ariana I know?"
Nova's smile deepened. "Maybe she was just pretending."
Leo chuckled, but his eyes sharpened. He walked around her, not touching, but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him.
"And you're not pretending?"
"No," Nova said. "I don't pretend."
Leo stopped in front of her again, inches away. He was testing her—her confidence, her presence, her intentions.
Nova loved it.
Ariana, buried somewhere deep, screamed for distance.
Nova ignored her.
Leo held her gaze. "You feel… different. Like someone turned you inside out."
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked.
He shook his head slowly. "Not for me."
Nova felt Ariana push weakly inside the mind they shared, terrified.
Nova tightened her control effortlessly.
Leo stepped even closer. Their breaths mingled. His eyes drifted to her lips before returning to her gaze.
"You're dangerous today," he murmured.
Nova's heart… no, Ariana's heart… pounded once, hard.
Nova leaned in slightly.
"Then maybe," she whispered, "you should stay away."
"Maybe," he said, brushing a strand of her hair back, "I don't want to."
Nova's pulse quickened with something hot—power, tension, desire.
Ariana begged her to stop.
Nova didn't.
She leaned closer, intentionally slow, her voice soft enough to melt into his breath.
"You should be careful with me, Leo."
He smirked. "What if I don't want careful?"
The energy between them snapped tight like a wire pulled too far.
Nova's lips curved.
"Good," she whispered.
For the first time, Leo looked slightly unsteady. Not intimidated—interested. Drawn in.
Like he sensed the danger but wanted it anyway.
Before he could speak again, she walked past him, her shoulder brushing his chest deliberately.
Leo turned to watch her as she approached the mirror.
"Whoever you are today…" he said behind her, voice low, "I like her."
Nova caught his reflection in the mirror.
He wasn't talking to Ariana.
He wasn't even trying to.
He liked Nova.
And that was exactly what she wanted.
She touched her reflection, admiring the subtle change in her eyes—sharper, more alive. Ariana's panic fluttered faintly inside, but Nova barely noticed it.
Power tasted too good.
Leo walked up behind her, but didn't touch—he just stood close enough to show he wasn't scared.
"So," he said, "are you going to tell me what happened to you overnight?"
Nova glanced at him in the mirror. "Nothing happened."
"Right," he said, unconvinced. "And I'm a saint."
Nova chuckled softly. "If you knew the truth… you wouldn't believe it."
"Try me."
Nova shook her head. "You're not ready."
Leo raised a brow, stepping to the side so he could see her face directly.
"Try me," he repeated. "I like a little danger."
Ariana's voice broke through inside their shared mind—
Please… please don't pull him into this…
Nova smirked slightly.
"Maybe later," she told Leo. "When the danger gets bigger."
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Then he said something Ariana would never have expected:
"Whatever version of you this is… I hope she stays."
And Nova felt Ariana break a little.
Because Leo didn't know he was feeding the wrong side.
Nova tilted her head, letting a slow, seductive smile spread across her lips.
"She will."
Leo took a step back, running a hand through his hair as if trying to steady himself. "You're going to make rehearsals very interesting."
Nova turned away, grabbing her water bottle, acting as though none of this fazed her—though it thrilled her.
"I plan to," she replied.
Nova liked the way the world felt.
Everything was sharper, brighter, slower—like she could see through people with a single glance. Like she finally understood why Ariana struggled so much.
People were predictable.
Weak.
Afraid of their own shadows.
Nova walked through the hallway of the rehearsal studio with steady confidence, each step echoing off the walls. Heads turned. Eyes lingered. Someone whispered Ariana's name—but the expression was confused, like they weren't sure if it was actually her.
She smiled.
That confusion was delicious.
She pushed open the rehearsal room door, expecting it to be empty. Instead, someone was inside—leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone.
He looked up.
And Nova felt something ignite.
He was tall, sharp-featured, with a jaw that could cut glass and eyes that flickered with mischief. A dancer. Ariana remembered his name faintly through the fog of consciousness pressing against Nova's control.
Leo.
Nova smirked.
Perfect.
He pushed himself off the wall, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her.
"You look… different," he said.
Nova tilted her head, pretending innocence. "Different bad? Or different good?"
He stepped closer. Not intimidated. Not shy.
Not like the others.
"Depends," he murmured. "What happened to the quiet Ariana I know?"
Nova's smile deepened. "Maybe she was just pretending."
Leo chuckled, but his eyes sharpened. He walked around her, not touching, but close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off him.
"And you're not pretending?"
"No," Nova said. "I don't pretend."
Leo stopped in front of her again, inches away. He was testing her—her confidence, her presence, her intentions.
Nova loved it.
Ariana, buried somewhere deep, screamed for distance.
Nova ignored her.
Leo held her gaze. "You feel… different. Like someone turned you inside out."
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked.
He shook his head slowly. "Not for me."
Nova felt Ariana push weakly inside the mind they shared, terrified.
Nova tightened her control effortlessly.
Leo stepped even closer. Their breaths mingled. His eyes drifted to her lips before returning to her gaze.
"You're dangerous today," he murmured.
Nova's heart… no, Ariana's heart… pounded once, hard.
Nova leaned in slightly.
"Then maybe," she whispered, "you should stay away."
"Maybe," he said, brushing a strand of her hair back, "I don't want to."
Nova's pulse quickened with something hot—power, tension, desire.
Ariana begged her to stop.
Nova didn't.
She leaned closer, intentionally slow, her voice soft enough to melt into his breath.
"You should be careful with me, Leo."
He smirked. "What if I don't want careful?"
The energy between them snapped tight like a wire pulled too far.
Nova's lips curved.
"Good," she whispered.
For the first time, Leo looked slightly unsteady. Not intimidated—interested. Drawn in.
Like he sensed the danger but wanted it anyway.
Before he could speak again, she walked past him, her shoulder brushing his chest deliberately.
Leo turned to watch her as she approached the mirror.
"Whoever you are today…" he said behind her, voice low, "I like her."
Nova caught his reflection in the mirror.
He wasn't talking to Ariana.
He wasn't even trying to.
He liked Nova.
And that was exactly what she wanted.
She touched her reflection, admiring the subtle change in her eyes—sharper, more alive. Ariana's panic fluttered faintly inside, but Nova barely noticed it.
Power tasted too good.
Leo walked up behind her, but didn't touch—he just stood close enough to show he wasn't scared.
"So," he said, "are you going to tell me what happened to you overnight?"
Nova glanced at him in the mirror. "Nothing happened."
"Right," he said, unconvinced. "And I'm a saint."
Nova chuckled softly. "If you knew the truth… you wouldn't believe it."
"Try me."
Nova shook her head. "You're not ready."
Leo raised a brow, stepping to the side so he could see her face directly.
"Try me," he repeated. "I like a little danger."
Ariana's voice broke through inside their shared mind—
Please… please don't pull him into this…
Nova smirked slightly.
"Maybe later," she told Leo. "When the danger gets bigger."
He stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable.
Then he said something Ariana would never have expected:
"Whatever version of you this is… I hope she stays."
And Nova felt Ariana break a little.
Because Leo didn't know he was feeding the wrong side.
Nova tilted her head, letting a slow, seductive smile spread across her lips.
"She will."
Leo took a step back, running a hand through his hair as if trying to steady himself. "You're going to make rehearsals very interesting."
Nova turned away, grabbing her water bottle, acting as though none of this fazed her—though it thrilled her.
"I plan to," she replied.