The air inside the Hidden Squad's safehouse was quiet—too quiet.
Stella lay on a soft mattress, still pale, her breaths shallow but steady. The girls surrounded her, their eyes filled with worry and confusion.
"Stella…" Serafina gently touched her shoulder. "Are you hallucinating? I mean… Alex? Are you sure?"
Stella opened her eyes slowly. Her voice was soft but firm.
"No. I'm not hallucinating. I'm damn sure. It was him."
The room froze.
"Alex?" Nyx echoed, her eyes wide. "That Alex?"
Zephyr stepped forward, her tone cautious but curious. "Can you tell us exactly what happened? What do you remember?"
Stella took a breath. Her voice trembled at first, but grew stronger as she spoke.
"I was locked in a cage. Not with chains, but...something like handcuff. I couldn't use my power. I don't know how. And around me—on the ground—there were… symbols. Scribbles. It looked like a ritual. Something was happening."
The girls exchanged looks, unease spreading among them.
"I couldn't escape. I tried. The energy—it was like something draining me. And then… this demon. He looked at me, straight in the eye, and said… 'I will take your life.' He held something sharp—red, glowing knife.
She paused, shivering. "And then… he appeared."
"Alex?" Zephyr whispered.
Stella nodded. "He came out of nowhere. Fought the demon in an instant.
I could feel it—the demon was strong. Too strong. I couldn't fight him. But Alex... he just—he was faster, stronger.
The moment Alex touched the ritual symbols… everything vanished. Just like that."
Her eyes glazed with memory. "Even inside the cave, I could feel the energy outside shift. It became calm, like blue light surrounded the place. Everything felt… safe.
But when I looked into Alex eyes, I could feel he was in pain... yah he protected me but before I could ask anything, he touched my forehead and said something I couldn't hear. I blacked out."
Everyone remained silent.
Serafina broke the quiet. "She's crazy about Alex, yeah. But Stella's not the kind of person who'd confuse someone else for him. If she says it was him... maybe it was him."
Zephyr nodded slowly, placing a bowl of warm food beside Stella. "Rest for now. You need strength."
The four girls—Serafina, Nyx, Zephyr, and Aria—stepped out of the room, letting Stella sleep.
Outside, Serafina looked thoughtful. "Something's not right. If Alex knows about these rituals… we need to find out how."
Zephyr's eyes sharpened. "I'll arrange a meeting. I'll talk to Zane. We'll get close to Eclipse."
Serafina smirked. "Tell them we're fans. No one can resist that."
Zephyr grinned and pulled out her phone.
Call to Zane
"Hey, can you help me out?" Zephyr asked casually.
Zane's teasing voice came through instantly. "Depends. What's in it for me, Sunshine?"
Zephyr rolled her eyes but smiled. "Just need a little favor. Some of my friends are big fans of Eclipse. Think we could have dinner at your place, with them?"
"Oh? Dinner with my girls and my boys? Sounds cozy. You're lucky I like you."
"So, that's a yes?"
"I'll make it happen. You barely ask me for anything, so of course I will. We'll make it a dinner party. Day after tomorrow. They can even stay the night. Games, food, stories—your usual chaos."
"You're the best," she said, a little embarrassed.
"I know. And you owe me, Sunshine," he chuckled.
She laughed and cut the call.
Back at Hidden Squad
Zephyr stepped back into the room. "It's done. Dinner at Zane's place. Day after tomorrow."
Everyone nodded. Aria stood quietly, arms crossed.
"I've got something to do," she said softly. "I'll be out for a while."
"Where are you going?" Serafina asked.
Aria didn't answer clearly. She just said she remembered some work.
Nyx and Zephyr left the place to investigate.
Serefina checked Stella when she was sleeping. She noticed her neck but there was nothing. But she remembered seeing red mark symbol on her neck but it faded before she could tell anyone....She was confused
After some time,
Zyko (demon) informed about the failure of their plan to his boss. He said "Don't worry. Not a failure, you can wait and see". He smirked....