The tension in the dimly lit study was suffocating. The six of them—Ayzel, Kai, Zaiden, Haelyn, Runa, and Levi—sat together for the first time in months, yet the distance between them felt wider than ever.

Ayzel sat with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable, while Kai leaned back in his chair, looking far too calm for the storm that was brewing. Haelyn sat stiffly beside him, hands folded in her lap, while Zaiden's sharp gaze flickered between them. Runa and Levi exchanged uncertain glances, both sensing the impending explosion.

It started with Zaiden.

"You did what?" His voice was sharp, edged with disbelief. He was staring directly at Kai and Haelyn, but Kai only shrugged, unbothered.

"We looked into the rival mafia on our own," Kai admitted. "We found some leads—"

"You found some leads?" Zaiden's voice rose, and his jaw tightened. "And you didn't think to tell us?"

"We didn't need to," Kai shot back, his nonchalant attitude making the air crackle with unspoken fury.

Zaiden's fists clenched. "That's not your call to make. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? How reckless—"

"Oh, give me a break," Kai interrupted. "You and Ayzel did the same thing with the traitor, didn't you? Didn't bother telling us, either."

Silence.

Zaiden's expression darkened, and beside him, Ayzel tensed. Kai had hit a nerve.

"You did, didn't you?" Haelyn's voice was quiet, but there was hurt laced in it. She looked at Ayzel, eyes searching. "You knew who it was and didn't tell us?"

Ayzel inhaled sharply. "We weren't sure," she said, voice strained. "And we didn't want to drag you all into it—"

"That's exactly what we thought," Haelyn cut her off, her words firmer than usual. She rarely ever raised her voice, but now, her disappointment was palpable. "We didn't want to involve you either."

Ayzel's stomach twisted. She understood Haelyn's reasoning—how could she not? But it still stung.

Zaiden, however, was far from calm. "That's not the same thing," he snapped, glaring at Kai. "You don't know what you're dealing with. Do you even have a plan?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "I don't need a plan. I have instincts."

"Instincts?" Zaiden let out a bitter laugh. "That's not going to keep you alive, Kai."

Kai's expression flickered for a second before hardening. "And what about you? You think sitting behind a desk, strategizing, and pretending you have everything under control is going to fix this?"

Zaiden stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. "At least I don't risk my life for a thrill," he shot back.

Kai's expression darkened. "Don't act like you know what I'm doing."

"I know enough," Zaiden bit out. "I know you're reckless, I know you're hiding something, and I know you're going to get yourself killed if you don't stop acting like you're invincible."

The room was tense, thick with anger.

Levi, sensing the fight was escalating too fast, stood up and stepped between them. "Okay, let's just take a breath," he said, holding his hands up. "You're both pissed, I get it, but this isn't helping."

Runa quickly followed. "He's right. This isn't the time to fight." She turned to Zaiden. "We need to trust each other, Zai." Then she looked at Kai. "And you need to stop making it harder for us to do that."

Neither of them moved, but after a long pause, Zaiden exhaled sharply and stepped back. Kai, though still visibly irritated, didn't push further.

But even as the tension settled slightly, Ayzel and Haelyn remained stiff.

Ayzel wanted to say something, to explain, but the look on Haelyn's face kept her quiet.

Disappointment.

And for the first time, it wasn't Ayzel being disappointed in Haelyn. It was the other way around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ayzel sat alone in her room, staring at the message on her phone.

"You should have stayed out of this. You're next."

Her hands trembled slightly as she reread the words, her heartbeat pounding against her ribs. She tried to swallow the panic rising in her throat, but it was too fast, too strong.

She reached for her phone and dialed Kai.

No answer.

Her breath hitched, fingers gripping the device tightly. She called again.

Still no answer.

A sharp, cold fear settled in her chest.

Kai always picked up. Always.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady her breathing. But it wasn't working. The walls felt too close, her vision was blurring, and her lungs refused to take in air properly.

She needed to calm down. She needed—

A soft knock on the door made her jerk upright.

"Ayzel?" Haelyn's voice was gentle but concerned. "Are you okay?"

Ayzel wanted to say yes. Wanted to tell her to go away. But her throat felt tight, and the words wouldn't come out.

The door creaked open, and Haelyn's eyes widened slightly when she saw her. "Ayzel..."

She stepped forward without hesitation and sat beside her, taking her shaking hands in her own.

"Breathe," Haelyn said softly. "In for four, hold for four, out for four."

Ayzel tried. It was shaky, but Haelyn's presence was grounding.

Another breath. And another. Slowly, her heartbeat steadied.

After a long moment, Ayzel exhaled shakily. "I—I got a message."

Haelyn frowned. "From who?"

Ayzel hesitated before showing her the phone screen. Haelyn's eyes darkened.

"We need to tell the others," she said immediately.

Ayzel shook her head. "Not now."

Haelyn studied her for a moment before nodding. "Okay. But you're not dealing with this alone."

Ayzel blinked. She had expected a fight, but instead, Haelyn just sat beside her, holding her hand.

For the first time in months, Ayzel let herself lean on someone else.

Flashback: Santorini

The night sky stretched endlessly above them, a canvas of stars shimmering over the Aegean Sea. The six of them lay side by side on the rooftop of their villa, wrapped in blankets, the warm summer breeze carrying the faint scent of salt and jasmine.

"I want to design something that lasts forever," Haelyn murmured, her eyes fixed on the constellations. "Something that people look at and feel something."

"That's poetic," Runa said with a grin. "I just want to have fun and travel the world."

Levi chuckled. "Sounds about right."

Ayzel turned to look at Kai. "What about you?"

Kai was quiet for a moment before smirking. "I don't know. Maybe I'll be a racer. Or a businessman. Or both."

Zaiden rolled his eyes. "That's a disaster waiting to happen."

Kai just laughed.

Ayzel smiled softly before glancing at Zaiden. "And you?"

Zaiden's gaze was distant, thoughtful. "I just want to protect the people I care about."

There was a quiet moment of understanding between them all.

Back then, they had no idea how much things would change.

Back then, they thought they had forever.