Ironstorm Festival was sprawling, a chaotic, beautiful mess of stages, tents, and throngs of people decked out in leather, band tees, and patches. War in the Hell stood at the edge of the main stage, the adrenaline of their earlier performance still buzzing through their veins. It was their biggest show yet, and it had gone off without a hitch. The crowd's roars still echoed in their ears.

Nalani took a deep breath, the tang of dust and sweat mixing with the scent of food trucks nearby. She exchanged a proud glance with her bandmates—Jeremy, grinning as wide as ever, Josh with a smirk of triumph, and Edward's face flushed with excitement.

"Can we talk about how insane that was?" Josh said, breaking the silence. "I think I saw a guy out there with 'War in the Hell' painted on his chest. I've officially peaked."

Edward snorted, wiping his face with a towel. "Only you would consider that the pinnacle of success."

"Hey, I'm just saying, we're finally at the point where people are willing to embarrass themselves for us. That's real love, my friends," Josh replied, throwing an arm around Jeremy.

Nalani rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "You're an idiot, Josh."

"I'm your idiot, and that's what matters," Josh shot back, winking at her.

Before anyone could respond, a commotion at the entrance to the artist tent caught their attention. A group of roadies was wheeling in equipment, making way for Spiritbox, who were scheduled to play later that afternoon. The band walked in, their presence commanding immediate respect and awe from everyone in the room.

"Oh my god, it's them," Edward whispered, leaning toward Jeremy. "They're even cooler in person."

Nalani's heart skipped a beat. She watched as Courtney LaPlante, the lead vocalist, made her way over, giving a friendly wave to the bands lounging around.

"Hey, good set out there," Courtney said, stopping by War in the Hell's corner. Her voice was casual, but her compliment felt like a gift from the music gods.

"Thanks," Nalani replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "We're huge fans of your work."

Courtney smiled. "Appreciate that. Maybe we'll catch your next set when we're not getting ready to go on ourselves."

As they exchanged a few more pleasantries, Josh elbowed Edward. "Dude, don't freak out, but I think Poppy just walked in."

Edward followed Josh's gaze and confirmed it. Poppy, with her otherworldly aura and platinum blonde hair, stood by the refreshment table, scanning the room.

"Alright, Josh, here's your chance," Jeremy said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Go introduce yourself."

Josh's expression turned serious, like a knight readying himself for battle. "If I don't come back, tell my mom I love her," he said, puffing out his chest as he made his way over to Poppy.

"Josh, you don't have one."

"Anyways."

The remaining three watched in anticipation, barely containing their laughter.

Edward leaned in closer to Nalani. "Ten bucks says he chokes."

"You're on," she said, shaking his hand.

They watched as Josh approached Poppy, who turned to him with a raised eyebrow as he began speaking. To their surprise, she cracked a small smile, nodding along to whatever nonsense he was spewing.

"Wow," Jeremy said, mock astonished. "He's actually doing it."

"I can't believe it," Edward muttered. "This is historic."

Just as it seemed Josh was about to seal the deal with another of his overly dramatic hand gestures, Poppy laughed—a soft, musical sound that reached their ears—and gave him a polite pat on the arm before turning back to her conversation with Courtney. Josh returned, his smile as wide as ever.

"How'd it go, Casanova?" Jeremy asked, barely hiding his smirk.

Josh shrugged, trying to play it cool. "We exchanged words, and I think I left a lasting impression."

"Yeah," Nalani teased, "on her patience."

The four of them burst into laughter, the post-performance jitters finally easing.

They were still riding the high of their performance and Josh's "encounter" when another familiar group walked in. Bad Omens. The room seemed to change temperature as Noah, Nick, Jolly, and Nicholas entered. The band was greeted with waves and nods from other artists, but Nalani felt the atmosphere tighten as Noah's eyes briefly met hers. It was the same unreadable, icy stare that had become all too familiar.

"Great," Edward whispered. "It's Mr. Smiles himself."

"Be nice," Nalani said, though her voice lacked conviction.

Nick spotted them first, his face lighting up as he waved. "Hey, guys ! I heard you rocked it here ! How was your set?"

"Better than Josh's attempt at flirting," Jeremy said, earning a round of chuckles.

Josh held up his hands. "Hey, she laughed. That counts for something."

Nicholas laughed, patting Josh on the back as he joined the group. "You've got guts, man. That's more than some people can say."

Jolly gave them a friendly nod, while Noah lingered behind, arms crossed, eyes darting between the group and the rest of the room. The casual warmth between the band members and Bad Omens was palpable—except for Noah, who stood apart like a storm cloud in an otherwise sunny sky.

Nalani's eyes met Noah's again, and she refused to look away, even as the weight of his stare made her pulse quicken. If he wanted to play cold and indifferent, she could match him.

"Looks like Noah's in a good mood, as usual," Edward muttered just loud enough for the group to hear, drawing a laugh from Nick.

Noah's jaw tightened at that, and he turned to Nick. "We're up in an hour. Try not to get too distracted."

The shift in energy was sudden. Nick raised an eyebrow but didn't argue, and Nalani felt a pang of irritation twist in her gut. It was one thing to be standoffish, but barking at his own bandmates? That was low.

"Relax, Noah," Nalani said, her tone sharper than she intended. "We're just talking."

Noah's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the room felt too small. "I didn't realize you were in charge of how I run my band," he said, each word wrapped in frost.

Jeremy stepped forward, trying to break the tension. "Hey, let's keep it chill. We're all here for the same reason."

Noah didn't respond, his eyes still locked on Nalani. She met his gaze, refusing to let him see that he was getting under her skin. Finally, he looked away, the muscles in his jaw relaxing just enough for the others to breathe again.

"Good luck with your set," Nalani said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.

Noah didn't respond, turning on his heel and heading for the door. The room felt lighter as soon as he was gone, but the sting of their interaction lingered.

Nick sighed, giving Nalani an apologetic look. "Don't mind him. He's... well, he's Noah."

"Yeah, we've noticed. He's also happens to be a little jerk," Edward said, breaking the tension with a laugh. The others joined in, and the air felt a little less heavy.

"Hey, for what it's worth," Jolly said, giving them a friendly nod, "your set was awesome. You guys are going places."

"Thanks," Nalani said, the warmth in his voice a balm to the tension left by Noah.

As Bad Omens left to prepare for their set, Jeremy glanced at Nalani, raising an eyebrow. "What was that back there?"

Nalani shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Nothing. He's just... a dickhead."

"Well, Noah better watch out," Josh said, winking. "I don't think he knows what he's up against."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of music and mingling. Spiritbox's set was electric, their energy infectious. Poppy's performance was surreal, blending haunting vocals with thrashing beats that had the crowd enraptured. War in the Hell found themselves among a growing circle of musicians, each conversation adding to the thrill of being at Ironstorm.

When Bad Omens took the stage, the air shifted. Noah commanded the spotlight with an effortless magnetism, his voice slicing through the noise like a blade. Nalani couldn't tear her eyes away, even as the frustration from their earlier encounter simmered under her skin. For all his arrogance, he was undeniably talented, and that only made it worse.

As the final notes of their set echoed into the evening, the crowd erupted in applause. Noah's eyes scanned the audience, landing briefly on War in the Hell before he turned away, disappearing backstage.

Jeremy elbowed Nalani gently. "Still think he's just 'cold and dismissive'?"

She rolled her eyes but couldn't deny the tension that twisted in her gut. "He can sing, I'll give him that. But he's still a jerk."

Edward smirked. "Yeah, but he's our jerk now, isn't he?"

The group burst into laughter, the tension from before dissipating in the electric atmosphere of the festival. But as the echoes of Bad Omens' set still hummed in the air, Nalani felt a strange mix of admiration and frustration churning inside her. Noah's talent was undeniable, but it was paired with an ego that rubbed her the wrong way.

The evening wore on, and the festival grounds transformed under the glow of stage lights and the hum of conversation. Bands and artists mingled, some with beers in hand, others still buzzing from their performances.

"Alright," Josh announced as he returned from the refreshment table with a tray full of drinks, "I have successfully acquired fuel for our continued survival. And by fuel, I mean cheap festival beer."

Jeremy grinned and raised a cup. "To surviving Ironstorm and not getting booed off stage."

"To not dying of heatstroke before the next set," Edward added, clinking his cup against Jeremy's.

Nalani lifted hers, her eyes catching Nick's from across the crowd. He lifted his own drink in a silent toast, and she smiled. Their friendship had been growing since that first post-festival conversation weeks ago. They'd exchanged messages about music, shared stupid memes, and even had the occasional late-night conversation that touched on the deeper, messier parts of their lives. Nick was quickly becoming an ally in this overwhelming world of fame and competition.

As they shared stories and drinks, Josh spotted someone making their way toward their group and elbowed Jeremy, nearly making him spill his beer. "Heads up, here comes Poppy again. Round two?"

Jeremy laughed, but before Josh could respond with a witty comeback, Poppy walked past, this time heading straight for Courtney and Spiritbox.

"Looks like your soulmate has other plans," Edward teased.

Josh sighed theatrically. "It's okay, I'll win her over someday. You all just wait."

"Sure, man," Jeremy said, clapping him on the back. "We're all rooting for you."

Before they could continue their banter, Nick, Jolly, and Nicholas appeared, weaving through the crowd to join them. Nick had a wide smile, and Jolly's relaxed demeanor put everyone at ease.

"Looks like you guys are the stars of the night," Nick said, raising his drink to them.

Nalani's grin widened. "Thanks, that means a lot coming from you. You guys were incredible out there, as usual."

"Thanks," Jolly said, leaning against the nearest tent pole. "Noah's already gone into his post-show brood mode, so we figured we'd come over here where people actually talk."

As if on cue, Noah appeared at the edge of the crowd, his eyes scanning the gathering. He caught sight of Nick and Jolly, his expression unreadable, but when his gaze landed on Nalani, it hardened ever so slightly. He hesitated, then walked in their direction.

The group's chatter quieted as he approached, and Nalani's heartbeat quickened despite herself. The air felt thick with tension as Noah stopped just short of joining their circle.

Nick, always the peacemaker, gave Noah a casual nod. "Decided to join the party after all?"

Noah didn't respond right away. His eyes met Nalani's, a challenge flickering in them. "Just checking in," he said, his tone clipped.

Nalani crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, matching his intensity. "Well, aren't we lucky to be graced by your presence? I thought you only appeared when it was time to show off."

Josh let out a small, nervous chuckle, trying to defuse the sharpness in her words. "Hey, hey, we're all friends here... mostly."

Nicholas smirked behind his cup, muttering to Jolly, "This is better than any reality show I've seen."

Noah's jaw tensed, but his smirk was still there, though colder this time. "Better to show off than to blend in."

Jeremy stepped in with an exaggerated clap of his hands. "Okay, so who wants another drink? Because I think I'm going to need one if this escalates any further."

Nick shot Noah a look. "Really, man? We're here to have a good time."

Nalani wasn't done. "Trust me, I'm not trying to blend in. I'm just here to make sure people remember us for our music and not our ego."

Jolly raised an eyebrow and looked at Edward, who was barely stifling a laugh. "Five bucks says they'll be in the papers tomorrow," Edward whispered to him.

"Ten says we'll be accused of playing matchmaker," Jolly replied with a grin.

Nick, sensing things could spiral, interjected, "Alright, enough with the festival smack talk. Let's actually enjoy the night. Noah, don't you have your whole post-show sulking routine to get back to?"

Noah's eyes stayed locked on Nalani for another beat, a storm swirling in his expression. But he simply exhaled sharply, turned, and walked off into the crowd without another word.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Josh let out a low whistle. "You two really know how to liven up a party."

Jeremy snickered. "Honestly, I think that's the most words I've ever heard Noah say at a festival."

Edward shook his head, barely able to keep from laughing. "Enemies to lovers, anyone?"

Josh glanced over his shoulder to make sure Nalani wasn't listening, then grinned. "Oh, we're so shipping this. Imagine the album titles."

"Battle of the Bands—Heart Edition," Jeremy joked, raising his drink to the imaginary headline.

"Or When Screams Turn to Love Songs," Edward added with a dramatic wave of his hand.

They erupted into muffled laughter, doing their best not to catch Nalani's attention.

The rest of the evening was filled with music, laughter, and the hum of camaraderie that only a shared passion could bring. Even as they laughed, Nalani's eyes wandered across the crowd, catching glimpses of Noah as he moved through the throng. The tension between them simmered beneath the surface, a mystery she couldn't quite unravel.

But one thing was certain: Ironstorm had set the stage for something far more complicated than she'd anticipated.