The practice room pulsed with energy. Music blared from the speakers as the seven members of Eclipse rehearsed their newest choreography.
Sweat clung to their brows, their movements sharp yet fluid. But amidst the rhythm and beats, Kai—Eclipse's leader—paused, staring out the high glass windows.
"The skies…" he murmured, his voice low and uneasy.
Jin stopped mid-step. "What is it?"
Kai's eyes narrowed. "The Red Moon. It's appeared. And the sky's turning dark, like dusk… but it's only noon." He turned toward the group, the frown on his face deepening. "I don't know what it is, but I just… I hope everyone's safe."
Jin placed a reassuring hand on Kai's shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."
Max grinned, flipping his towel over his shoulder. "Yeah. Why worry? Our girls are out there. They'll protect us. Always do."
But Jin shook his head. "They're strong, yeah. But they're still human. They can be hurt. Defeated. We depend on them too much… I just hope they're okay."
A heavy silence hung in the air before Alex's quiet chuckle cut through it.
Jin turned. "What are you doing, Alex?"
Alex didn't even glance up. "Watching videos."
Leo, always quick to tease, smirked. "You're blushing, though. Let me guess—your crush?"
Alex's ears reddened instantly. "It's not like that! Don't—don't tease me!"
"Ohh…" Max grinned, eyes lighting up. "You do have a crush! Come on, tell us—who is she?"
The rest of the boys joined in, crowding around him with playful nudges and loud laughter as Alex tried to hide his smile.
Their laughter slowly faded into silence….
Meanwhile, in the scene of the Mystery Girls…
Aqua's voice cracked through the silence, sharp and urgent. "I'm deadly serious—I need Stella back right now!"
Everyone turned to her, shocked by the raw desperation in her tone. Sophie remained speechless, heart racing.
Nova stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "I knew something like this would happen… so I planted a tracking beacon on Stella. We can locate her."
Nicholas, their communication AI, lit up. "Confirmed. Location signal active. Navigating route…"
Blaze stood still, her mind elsewhere. The Red Moon… it's connected. There's a reason he took Stella alone.
Suddenly, Sophie called out, pointing to the sky. "Look! The Red Moon—it's becoming deeper in color. And the sky… it's turning pitch black. It's noon, but it feels like night."
Aqua clutched her chest. "I feel so restless. This feeling… it's like something terrible is coming. "Nova, how long will it take?"
Nova glanced at her tracker. "Found it. She's at the forest's edge."
Without another word, the girls soared into the sky, racing toward the forest.
At the edge of the woods, the air felt different—heavy, haunted. A cave yawned before them.
Nova checked the tracker. "Nicholas says… she's inside."
Sophie raised her hand, signaling everyone. "Be on guard. We don't know what he's capable of. Let's assess the situation before rushing in."
Blaze stepped back. "You go. I'll stay out here and watch our backs."
The team split—Aqua and Sophie moving in together, Nova approaching from a different angle.
Their palms glowed with power, ready to attack. But as they neared the cave entrance, something strange happened.
The sky cleared.
The darkness vanished.
Sunlight pierced the clouds.
Inside the cave, they found her—Stella, lying motionless on the ground.
Unconscious… but alive.
As they ran to her, Stella stirred slightly, her lips parting in a soft murmur.
"…Alex…"
Aqua blinked. "Even now… she's thinking about him?"
Sophie knelt beside her, brushing hair from Stella's face. "We don't know what happened. We'll ask her once she's awake."
Nova placed two fingers on Stella's wrist. "She's stable. Just unconscious."
They carried her carefully to their hidden spot.
An hour passed.
Finally, Stella's eyes fluttered open.
Everyone gathered close, waiting.
"What happened?" Sophie asked gently.
Stella looked at them, her voice soft. "Alex… he saved me."
Everyone gasped.
"Alex?!" they all screamed at the same time.
To be continued….