The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and pine. The moon hung heavy in the sky, casting silver light over the silent courtyard where Bright and Win stood.
Win leaned against the stone railing, his posture deceptively relaxed. His eyes, however, remained sharp—always watching, always calculating.
Bright sat on the ledge beside him, swinging one leg idly. His usual smirk was absent tonight, replaced by something more thoughtful.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Bright exhaled, tipping his head back to stare at the stars. "How do you do it?"
Win didn't look at him. "Do what?"
Bright huffed. "All of this." He gestured vaguely toward the distant buildings where the others were still resting, recovering. "The attack. The fallout. Dew's whole…mate situation. And F4's future on top of that."
Win was quiet for a moment, his fingers drumming lightly against the stone.
Then he said, simply, "I don't have a choice."
Bright let out a dry chuckle. "Right. Because being the responsible one is written into your DNA."
Win finally turned his head, giving Bright a level stare. "Someone has to be."
Bright rolled his eyes, but there was no real annoyance in it. "Typical."
Silence settled between them again. It wasn't uncomfortable—Bright had always found Win easy to be around, even if the guy had a habit of bottling everything up.
But tonight… something felt different.
Bright studied Win's profile—the calm mask, the unreadable gaze, the tension buried so deep most people wouldn't notice. But Bright did.
"You're not okay, are you?" he asked, voice quieter now.
Win didn't answer right away.
Then, after a long pause, he admitted, "None of us are."
Bright sighed, leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees. "Yeah. But you're carrying the most."
Win didn't deny it.
Bright frowned, watching him. For years, he'd known Win as the level-headed one, the steady foundation of their group. No matter what happened, Win never wavered.
But tonight, something was off.
Without really thinking, Bright reached out—just a small touch, fingers brushing against Win's wrist.
The reaction was instant.
A sharp jolt—like static, but deeper, stronger—shot through Bright's fingertips.
Win flinched. His breath hitched, eyes widening ever so slightly before his expression locked back into place.
Bright froze.
He'd known. Of course, he'd known.
But Win…
He doesn't.
Bright swallowed, pulling his hand back like he'd been burned. "Huh."
Win's brows furrowed slightly. "What was that?"
Bright forced a smirk, masking the way his pulse had just barely spiked. "Dunno. Maybe you're just more stressed than you think."
Win gave him a suspicious look but didn't press.
Bright exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. Not now.
For now, Win wasn't ready to know.
But soon…
He would.
---
The First Meeting After the Attack
The Stormveil war room carried a different kind of tension tonight. Not one of strategy, but of aftermath.
Sky stood at the head of the table, his expression unreadable, but his presence alone demanded attention. Around him sat Win, Pond, Dew, Bright, Tee—and despite his injuries, Nani.
He wasn't supposed to be here. He should be resting. But Nani Hirunkit had never been the kind to sit back while decisions about his future were being made.
He met Sky's gaze head-on. "Start talking."
Sky didn't hesitate. "The attack on F4 wasn't just a hit. It was a coup."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Nani's fingers curled into a fist, his nails pressing into his palm. "You're saying someone tried to overthrow us?"
Sky nodded. "And they almost succeeded. Blackridge wasn't acting alone. Someone from the inside orchestrated this."
Pond exhaled sharply. Win's eyes narrowed, calculating. Dew leaned back, his body tense, while Bright's usual smirk was nowhere in sight.
Sky's next words landed like a weight on the room.
"Your fathers are safe."
Nani's shoulders relaxed just slightly. Win and Pond exchanged glances, relief flickering across their faces. Dew didn't react right away.
Sky continued, "They were taken out of the conflict before the worst of it. But before they left, they made me promise to protect the heirs." His gaze settled on Nani. "That means all of you."
Nani stared back at him, unreadable. "They just handed everything over to you?"
Sky didn't flinch. "They didn't have a choice."
Nani exhaled slowly, leaning back. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. F4 had never been under anyone's protection before—let alone a traditional pack like Stormveil.
Pond crossed his arms. "And now?"
Sky's voice was steady. "F4 is under Stormveil's protection. I've doubled security on your fathers and the rest of the leadership. Every Omega and Lady of the house has been moved to secured locations. We're not giving them another chance."
"That's why the attacks stopped," Dew muttered.
Sky nodded. "They expected F4 to be leaderless. Instead, we forced them into a stalemate."
Bright smirked. "Bet that pissed them off."
Pond wasn't as amused. "Which means they'll try again."
"They will," Sky agreed. "But this time, they'll be careful."
Win, always thinking ahead, tapped his fingers against the table. "So what's our next move?"
Sky's expression hardened. "We find out who is behind this." His voice was firm. Final. "Someone set this in motion. Someone who knew the inner workings of F4."
Nani exhaled sharply. "Then we don't wait for them to strike first."
Dew's lips curled into something almost predatory. "We hunt."
No one disagreed.
For the first time since the attack, they weren't just reacting.
They were preparing for war.
----
"The second condition," Sky said, breaking the silence, "is that all of you will train under Stormveil."
Silence.
Then—
"…Excuse me?" Nani's voice was flat.
Pond blinked. "Hold on. What?"
Dew, still recovering from his last near-death experience, simply exhaled through his nose. "Of course. Because almost dying wasn't enough."
Bright grinned. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Win just sighed.
Sky crossed his arms. "This isn't up for debate."
Nani scoffed. "Sky, let's be real here. Do you think we need training?" He gestured to himself, Pond, Dew, and Win. "We've been fighting our whole lives."
Sky's expression remained impassive. "Fighting in suits and boardrooms is different from surviving on instinct."
Pond frowned. "We have instincts."
"Yeah?" Bright leaned against the table, smirking. "And how'd that work out for you in the attack?"
Pond scowled.
Nani narrowed his eyes. "Are you seriously saying we're weak?"
"I'm saying," Sky replied, his tone dangerously calm, "that you've never fought without a safety net. You've always had numbers, wealth, and influence protecting you." His sharp gaze swept across them. "What happens when all of that is gone?"
For once, none of them had a response.
Sky didn't let the silence linger. "Your fathers agreed. You'll train with Stormveil warriors. No exceptions."
Win sighed, rubbing his temples. "At least tell me I won't have to run through the woods like a wild animal."
Bright patted his shoulder. "You definitely will."
Win groaned.
Pond crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. "Fine. But don't expect me to start howling at the moon or whatever it is you guys do."
Bright laughed. "Oh, we do way worse than that."
Before Pond could argue, the door swung open.
"Alright, idiots! Time to see if you can survive without embarrassing yourselves."
Phuwin strolled in, holding a thick folder labeled 'Stormveil Training Schedule' like it was a death sentence. He slapped it down on the table with a smug grin.
Pond's eyes narrowed. "…Why do you have that?"
Phuwin smirked. "Because I am your new instructor's assistant."
Silence.
Then—
"Absolutely not." Pond recoiled like he'd been physically attacked. "Sky, you cannot be serious."
Sky shrugged. "He volunteered."
Nani bit his lip to keep from laughing. "You volunteered?"
"I offered my intellectual expertise," Phuwin corrected. "Besides, I'm already trained under Stormveil. Unlike you rich boys, I can survive without a five-star hotel and a personal chef."
Pond gaped. "I—excuse me—I don't need luxury to survive!"
Phuwin raised an eyebrow. "Really? Didn't you once refuse to sleep in a tent because the ground was 'too disrespectful' to your back?"
Dew choked on his own breath.
Nani's shoulders shook with laughter.
Bright wheezed.
Win just sighed, like he had seen this disaster coming from a mile away.
Pond's face turned red. "That was ONE TIME. And it was ROCKY."
Phuwin smirked. "Mm-hmm. Sure, princess."
"CALL ME THAT AGAIN AND I WILL—"
Sky cleared his throat. "As much as I love the chaos, let's focus." He tapped the folder. "Your schedule starts tomorrow. No excuses."
Pond groaned. "This is actually happening…"
Bright slung an arm around Win. "Better start stretching."
Win just exhaled slowly, accepting his fate.
Dew muttered, "I already regret this."
Phuwin grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, you will."
Nani smirked. "Alright then. Let's see if we can survive your version of hell."
The challenge was set.
And Sky knew—this training was going to be legendary.