The room went tense the moment Zenith finished speaking.
Aiven felt his breath catch.
Raze squeezed his hand under the table — warm, firm, steady.
But Draven… Draven was glaring at Zenith like he was ready to fight the leader of ECLYPSE right there in Aiven's tiny kitchen.
"Oh, perfect," Draven muttered. "Company drama at 8 a.m. My favorite breakfast."
Zenith shot him a cold look.
"Draven, this is serious. You think everything is a joke."
Draven stood, crossing his arms.
"No, I think the company is a joke."
Zenith's jaw tightened.
A muscle in his neck twitched.
For a moment, Aiven swore he saw something else in Zenith's eyes — irritation… and something warmer buried under it.
Something directed at Draven.
Raze stepped forward.
"Zen, what exactly did Velric say?"
Zenith sighed. The weight of leadership sat heavily on his shoulders — something only he could understand.
"He wants you in the office today. Alone," Zenith said quietly.
"He wants to discuss… your future."
Raze scoffed.
"Meaning my punishment."
Aiven felt sick.
Draven noticed instantly and put a hand on Aiven's back.
"Hey. Don't panic. We'll fix this."
Aiven nodded shakily.
Zenith watched that tiny interaction — Draven comforting Aiven — and for a split second, something flashed in his eyes.
Jealousy?
Annoyance?
Concern?
It disappeared quickly, replaced by his usual calm expression.
"Aiven," Zenith said gently, surprising all of them. "This isn't your fault."
Aiven swallowed.
"It feels like it is…"
"It's not," Zenith repeated softly.
Draven raised an eyebrow.
"Well, well. The great Zenith being… nice? Should I record this?"
Zenith shot him a look sharp enough to slice glass.
But Draven only smirked.
Raze cleared his throat.
"I'll go talk to Velric."
Aiven's panic rose instantly.
"No—Raze, don't go alone. Please."
Raze placed both hands on Aiven's cheeks, his voice low.
"I'll be fine. I promise."
Zenith added, "I'll go with him."
Raze shook his head.
"No. If you go, it looks like the whole group is rebelling."
Zenith hated that he was right.
Aiven whispered, terrified, "Raze…"
Raze kissed Aiven's forehead softly.
"Trust me."
Aiven trembled.
"I do."
Raze left.
The door clicked shut.
The tiny apartment felt emptier immediately.
---
Aiven collapsed onto the couch.
His hands shook.
Draven sat beside him, rubbing circles on his back.
"Breathe, Ave. He'll come back."
Zenith stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, his leadership mask breaking for once.
Without Raze there, he looked… worried.
Genuinely.
Aiven looked up at him.
"Zenith… he won't get kicked out, right?"
Zenith didn't answer immediately — and the silence hurt more than any words.
Draven straightened, eyes narrowing.
"Wow. Great confidence. Very comforting."
Zenith snapped, "I don't know, Draven! Velric does whatever he wants!"
Draven stepped closer.
"You're the leader. Act like it."
Zenith's eyes darkened.
"Don't talk like you know what that means."
"I know what protecting people means," Draven said, voice suddenly low.
"And you're not doing it."
Zenith moved closer.
A little too close.
Tall.
Dominant.
Shadow falling over Draven.
"You think I'm not trying?" Zenith murmured.
"You think I don't care about them? About Raze? About the group?"
Draven's breath caught.
He didn't expect Zenith to be this intense up close.
"Then prove it," Draven whispered.
Something flickered in Zenith's eyes.
A spark.
A challenge.
And for the first time… attraction.
Not from Draven.
From Zenith.
His voice dropped into something deep, quiet, dangerous.
"Oh, I will."
Draven's heart skipped — but he hid it behind a smirk.
"You better."
Aiven watched the two of them, wide-eyed.
He had never seen Zenith look at anyone like that.
Not even fans.
Not even Raze.
Not anyone.
It hit him then:
Zenith was looking at Draven.
Really looking at him.
Like someone important.
Like someone he suddenly couldn't ignore.
Before anyone could say more —
Aiven's phone buzzed violently.
He looked down.
His blood froze.
A message from an unknown number:
"YOU RUINED RAZE'S CAREER.
WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE."
A photo followed.
Aiven's apartment building.
Taken from outside.
Aiven's heart dropped into ice.
Draven grabbed the phone.
"What the—? Are they watching right now?!"
Zenith's entire expression shifted — no longer calm, no longer irritated.
Cold.
Lethal.
Protective.
"Lock the doors," Zenith ordered, suddenly all leader again.
"No one leaves. No one opens the windows. Draven, stay with him."
Draven nodded instantly.
"You don't have to tell me twice."
Zenith looked toward the door Raze had exited through minutes ago.
His voice shook with anger.
"Whoever is doing this… they're crossing a line."
Aiven whispered,
"What… what do we do…?"
Zenith turned to him, eyes softer now.
"You stay here. Both of you. I'll go find security."
Draven stood up too quickly.
"I'm going with you."
Zenith stepped close.
Too close.
"No. You stay with Aiven."
His voice was deep.
Soft.
Commanding.
Draven froze.
Zenith glanced at him one last time — something unspoken passing between them.
Then Zenith left.
The apartment fell silent.
Aiven sank into Draven's arms.
Shaking.
Terrified.
Draven held him tight.
"I'm not letting anything happen to you."
But Draven's heart was racing too — not just from fear…
From the way Zenith said his name.