Zane leaned back on his couch, a satisfied grin on his face as he fired a message into the idol group's private chat.
Zane:
"Yo boys, party at my place tomorrow! No excuses. Be there."
A few seconds later, Alex was the first to reply.
Alex:
"Party? Did we win an award or something? Or is this just one of your random moods again?"
Max:
"Let me guess... you bought a new gaming console and want us to be your test subjects?"
Jin:
"Please tell me this isn't about your dog's birthday again."
Zane sent a laughing emoji and replied,
"Just come, alright? You'll see. Trust me, it'll be fun."
Meanwhile, at the university, Nyx and Zephyr were sitting together near the library garden, away from the crowd.
Nyx looked a bit thoughtful. "Stella told me something about rituals, but... we couldn't find anything, Zeph. Nothing that proves it happened. No signs, no energy trails... nothing."
Zephyr sighed. "Yeah, I checked too. It's like whatever happened just disappeared."
"But if there was a ritual," Nyx leaned in, "then there must have been something left behind. Unless someone... cleaned it up."
Zephyr's eyes narrowed. "You think someone else was there?"
"Maybe," Nyx said seriously. "We should investigate more."
Zephyr nodded. "By the way... is Stella doing okay now?"
"Serafina said she was doing fine. And she even came to class today," Zephyr replied.
"What?" Nyx raised her eyebrow. "She should've taken rest. We'll check on her during lunch."
Later, in the university cafeteria, Stella waved as she joined Serafina, Zephyr, and Nyx at their usual table.
Zephyr looked concerned. "Stella, why did you come today? You should be resting."
"I'm really okay," Stella said with a soft smile. "Thanks for worrying about me."
Serafina playfully scolded her, "Don't thank us, silly. We're your friends. It's our duty."
They all smiled and started eating. Just then, Nyx's phone vibrated. She glanced at it, her expression shifting slightly.
"I have something to do," she said while standing up. "You guys go ahead. I'll be back."
They watched her walk off.
Serafina leaned in with a smirk. "Oho... you guys think she's got a secret boyfriend?"
Zephyr chuckled. "No way. She's not the type."
But Stella just smiled mysteriously. "Hmm, let's not be so sure. Let's see."
Serafina nudged Stella. "Look at you, smiling ear to ear. Is it because we're meeting Alex tomorrow?"
Stella tried to hide her excitement but failed. "Okay, okay, maybe a little! But you don't understand... I have to make a good impression."
Zephyr raised a brow. "Girl, don't start daydreaming in front of him. You'll faint or something."
"But what should I say to him?" Stella asked, clutching her juice box like it held answers. "In that interview, he said his type is someone cute. Don't you guys think I'm cute?"
"Yeah," Serafina teased, "in a puppy-wants-snack kind of way."
They all burst out laughing, Stella covering her face. "Ugh, I'm doomed."
Outside the university, Nyx walked briskly to a quiet alley behind the science block. A shadowy figure stood there, half-hidden.
"You told me to come here in secret. What's going on?" she asked, her voice steady but curious.
The figure didn't answer immediately.
Nyx narrowed her eyes. "Tell me. What's the matter?"
The figure stepped forward, the light barely brushing their shoes—but their face remained hidden.
To be continued…