Eliot sat on the edge of his bed, shoulders hunched, elbows resting on his knees.
His hair had fallen loose from earlier, soft curls brushing his glasses every time he tilted his head down.
He hadn't bothered fixing it.
The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the fan and the distant sounds of the house settling.
He looked… small. Thoughtful. Tired.
The door burst open without a knock.
Elara paced in like a storm.
"She's looking for us why?," she announced, walking back and forth across his room.
"And before you say anything—I don't like her."
Eliot blinked. "Mira?"
"Yes, Mira," Elara said, pointing dramatically.
"The intense stare, the mysterious missions, the 'I-only-need-you' nonsense. I don't trust her."
Eliot adjusted his glasses. "She just wanted to talk."
"That's what worries me," Elara shot back. "Why didn't you let Theo explain things? Why did you ignore Leon when he was clearly mad? And—"
She stopped pacing and stared at him "—why did you smile when Rex joked, like everything was fine?"
Eliot looked away, fingers twisting in his sleeve. "I didn't want it to turn into an argument. I just… wanted to know what she wanted."
Elara sighed and dropped onto his desk chair, spinning it once before stopping.
"You should've stayed," she said more softly. "You don't have to carry everything alone."
He shrugged slightly. "I didn't mean to upset anyone."
"That's the problem," Elara said, leaning forward.
"You're too kind. People see that. And some of them—" she narrowed her eyes "—use it."
Eliot swallowed. His voice came out quiet. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt."
Elara softened.
She stood, crossed the room, and flicked his forehead lightly. "And that's why you need to be careful. Being kind doesn't mean letting someone take advantage of your weakness."
He looked up at her then, eyes earnest behind his glasses. "You really think she might?"
"I think," Elara said firmly, "that you should listen to your friends when they worry about you. Especially Theo. And Leon. Even Rex, in his annoying way."
Eliot smiled faintly at that.
Elara smiled too, just a little. "Promise me something."
"What?"
"Next time someone pulls you away like that," she said, tapping his chest lightly, "you make sure it's because you chose it—not because they made you feel like you had to."
He nodded. "I promise."
She ruffled his hair, deliberately messing it up so it fell even more into his glasses. "Good. Now come downstairs before I start telling embarrassing childhood stories."
Eliot groaned softly—but he stood up anyway.
--
Theo's house was too quiet for how loud his thoughts were.
Cassian sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Theo's desk, laptop open, fingers moving fast. He looked relaxed in the way only someone doing something illegal very well could look relaxed.
"So," Cassian said, not looking up, "you want dirt on Mira."
Theo leaned against the wall, arms folded. "I want answers. She's connected to something—I just don't know what yet."
Cassian hummed. "Her dad's system is… interesting. Private servers. Layered security. The kind of setup people don't bother with unless they're hiding something."
Theo frowned. "Can you get in?"
Cassian's mouth twitched. "Already halfway there."
The door opened before Theo could respond.
Leon walked in first, quiet as ever, Rex right behind him, dropping his bag with a thud.
"Please tell me we're not late," Rex said.
"You're right on time," Cassian replied. "Actually—perfect timing."
Leon's eyes flicked to the screen. "What is that?"
Cassian tapped a key. "School security feed. Cafeteria camera."
Theo stiffened. "You hacked the school?"
Cassian finally looked up. "Borrowed access."
The video started playing.
Grainy. Slight delay. But clear enough.
They watched Eliot leave the cafeteria, shoulders tight, moving fast. The moment he disappeared through the doors, the camera kept rolling.
Mira didn't leave.
She stayed at the table.
"So she waited," Rex muttered.
A second later, someone slid into the seat across from her.
Brent.
Theo leaned forward. "That's her brother."
Leon's jaw tightened slightly. "What's he doing here?"
The audio was useless, but body language wasn't.
Brent leaned in close. Too close. Mira didn't smile. She nodded once, sharp, impatient. Brent tapped the table twice—deliberate, like punctuation.
Cassian slowed the footage. "Watch this."
Brent passed her his phone. Mira glanced at it, eyes narrowing. Then she looked up—straight at the camera.
Theo's stomach dropped. "Did she just—"
"Yes," Cassian said quietly. "She checked the camera angle."
Rex let out a low whistle. "That's not normal."
Brent stood, said something short, and walked away. Mira stayed another ten seconds. Counted them. Then she left too.
Silence filled the room.
Leon broke it. "They knew something was going to happen."
Theo swallowed. "Or something already had."
Cassian closed the video and turned the laptop slightly so they could see lines of scrolling data. "And that's not even the weird part."
Theo looked at the screen. "What else did you find?"
Cassian's expression shifted—less smug, more serious.
"Mira's dad," he said. "Whatever he does for a living? It's not what's on paper."
Rex frowned. "Define 'not.'"
Cassian paused. "Let's just say his system isn't protecting money."
Leon's voice was low. "Then what's it protecting?"
Cassian met Theo's eyes.
"Information," he said. "The kind people don't want found."
Theo thought of Eliot. Of the timing. Of the look on Mira's face when she glanced at the camera.
"Yeah," Theo said quietly. "Something's wrong."
And whatever it was—
They were already in it.
Eliot stopped at the front door, hands in his pockets. Something felt… off.
Not just the usual nervousness—this was sharper, like the house itself was holding its breath.
He knocked.
Theo opened the door, smiling as always, but Eliot noticed the tension behind his eyes.
Inside, the living room was packed.
Cassian at the desk, Rex sprawled on the couch, Leon leaning against the wall like a shadow, and Lunara sitting on the armrest of a chair, one leg swung over casually, beanie pulled low over her eyes, coat still zipped tight.
She didn't smile. Not at all.
"Finally," she said, voice low, almost a growl. "Thought you'd chicken out."
Eliot froze.
Her eyes—sharp, wolf-like, constantly scanning—met his for a fraction of a second.
There was danger there, yes—but also… challenge.
Theo tried to intervene. "Uh, Lunara—"
"Don't." She cut him off with a flick of her hand.
Her gaze swung to Leon. "And you… still playing the silent shadow, huh?"
Leon didn't flinch.
Didn't rise to the bait.
Just observed her like a predator observing another predator.
Eliot's chest tightened.
He could feel the tension radiating from both of them.
Lunara had always been a friend-enemy—someone you couldn't predict, who could bite just as easily as they could save you.
She stood suddenly, brushing her coat, taking a half-step toward Eliot. "You don't know what you're walking into, kid."
Eliot swallowed hard. "I—I want to help."
Her smirk was fleeting.
"Help? Or get eaten alive?" She crouched slightly, like she was ready to pounce—or run.
"Your call."
Leon's voice, calm but firm, broke the edge of the room. "We all want the same thing. Stick close. Watch each other."
Eliot looked between them. Leon, steady, quiet, like a rock in the chaos.
Lunara, sharp, restless, dangerous—but somehow… protective in her own way.
Lunara exhaled sharply, almost annoyed. "Fine. But don't slow me down."
Eliot nodded.
He didn't know if that was a warning—or a promise.
Theo leaned forward, exhaling. "Okay… back to work. Cassian, the footage?"
Cassian tapped the laptop, pulling up the cafeteria feed.
The room dimmed with the glow of the screen, and all eyes turned to Eliot leaving, Mira waiting… Brent appearing… and the subtle, dangerous silence in between.
Lunara leaned close to Eliot, whispering, teeth just barely hidden in her grin: "Watch her. Watch him. Nothing is normal. Nothing."
Eliot shivered slightly, but he didn't step back.