The night sky over Seoul split open without warning.
A jagged rift tore through the clouds above a deserted alley in Hongdae, spitting crimson lightning and a wave of heat that shattered nearby windows.
From the wound in the air tumbled a figure—tall, dark-haired, clothed in nothing but swirling shadows that solidified into a torn black coat as he hit the pavement in a violent thud. The impact cratered the asphalt, but the man rose slowly, unharmed, his bare feet untouched by the glass littering the ground.
His eyes, which were enchanting blue, glow faintly like distant stars. They swept across the empty street with dazed confusion. Pain lanced through his skull as fragments of memory flickered but he could not reach them no matter how hard he tried. He pressed a hand to his temple as a name rang through his head "Kael" in a shrill voice and then the world went black again as he collapsed against a dumpster, the rift above him sealing with a sound like a dying scream.
When he woke hours later, the sky was much brighter and a woman with a buzz cut hairstyle was staring at him open-mouthed from the mouth of the alley.
The woman clutched a stack of casting flyers, her gaze fixed on the stranger's unearthly beauty: sharp jawline, tousled midnight hair falling over those luminous eyes, lips parted in quiet bewilderment that somehow looked like an invitation.
Kael didn't know why she was trembling, or why her voice shook when she asked if he was okay. He only knew the hollow ache inside him needed filling, and when she offered him a cup of oddly sweet liquid, a shower, and a chance at an audition "because you look like you were born for the camera," something instinctive urged him to follow. By the end of that week, grainy phone footage of him walking into the agency lobby had already gone viral—captioned simply: Who is this god?
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Shrilllllll…
The sound of the telephone rang through the cramped working environment and each head flew to the direction it came from, their probing eyes urging the recipient to take the call.
" Hello, this is Alex Lee from the X media". He answered, his voice flat with the practiced boredom of someone who'd fielded a thousand tip calls that led nowhere.
The woman on the other end didn't waste time on pleasantries. "I have a tip". Her voice sounded hush like she deliberately lowered her voice to pass the information. " It's about Lumineers".
Alex sat up, his earlier unenthusiastism clearing off as his hands scrambled to get his jotter from his littered desk " Yes? I'm all ears"
Her voice lowers again " Anne is pushing for the disbandment of the group. And some of the members are on board too".
Alex's fingers froze on the jotter. Disbandment a few months after debut? That was huge news and mostly a career suicide for everyone involved—trainees who'd poured years into this, staff who'd bet on the comeback, investors who'd already sunk millions into promotions. Starlight Entertainment would bury this with NDAs and payoffs if it got out, but if the members were willing to talk…
"Which members? Anyone confirmed?" he pressed, already closing tabs and shoving his recorder into his messenger bag.
"Anne for sure…she's the leader. The others are just following her lead." A pause. "Look, I'll get something for this, right? This is huge news I'm selling out".
" Of course, of course ". He chuckled " If it's confirmed then I owe you one".
She sighed, relieved " Confirm it yourself. The members will be coming from NY tonight…45 minutes from now".
The line went dead before he could reply.
Alex was on his feet immediately.He yanked open his laptop, fingers flying across the keys—flight manifests weren't public, but paparazzi forums and fan trackers were already buzzing about "suspicious airport sightings" of Lumineers members in New York airport.
So he knew it was true. They were landing in Korea a few minutes from now.
Lian, his occasional colleague, who was also his boss, appeared at the edge of his cubicle, eyebrows raised. "You're bolting?"
"Airport run," Alex said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Possible pre-debut disbandment scoop. If I can catch Anne before their van arrives"
"You'll start a riot," Lian finished, but there was no real warning in his tone—just that familiar mix of concern and resignation. "Take the press van. And text me when you land the interview. Or when security throws you out."
Alex flashed a quick grin…more reflex than feeling and was already halfway to the elevator.
Forty minutes later he was weaving through the chaotic swirl of Incheon Terminal 2, mask pulled high, cap low, eyes scanning departure boards and gate clusters. The place was packed with holiday travelers, but he knew how to spot idols in disguise: the too-casual hoodies, the coordinated managers hovering like bodyguards, the way fans and reporters like him lingered around pretending not to be on the lookout.
His eyes lowered to the small watch on his raised wrist…five minutes more and they'll….
His head hit a solid rock that sent his stumbling backwards to the floor. His ass hit the cold tiled floor of the airport and the contents in his loose bag spilled outside onto the floor.
Shit.
Almost at the same time, he heard screams from the direction his eyes had been fixed on and judging from the crowd of people that had suddenly gathered there, he knew the Lumineers had arrived and he missed the front spot.
Angrily, he glanced up at the wall of a person that has bumped into him and the curse in his throat immediately died within him.
The man standing over him was tall, lean, dressed in a simple black hoodie pulled low over his face and loose dark jeans that somehow looked runway-ready. A plain black mask covered the lower half of his features, but nothing could hide those eyes: an impossible, luminous blue that caught the harsh airport fluorescents like cut glass. Midnight hair fell messily across his forehead, and even with half his face hidden, the sharp line of his jaw and the way he tilted his head made Alex's reporter brain file him instantly under trouble.
He knew that face…or rather, those eyes but his memories failed to pinpoint where…or how exactly he knew them. But before he could ask or get over his daze, another scream from a crowd erupted in the airport and they were running…in their direction.