Chapter 86 — Her Silence is Louder Than Heaven
10:32 PM — Milan
The concert had ended.
The encore glittered. The final bows were made.
And now—only silence.
Back in his hotel room, Jaeheon sat alone at the edge of the window, forehead resting against the glass. The night lights of Milan shimmered like broken stars. But his mind was thousands of miles away.
He hadn't checked his phone again.
Not since her message.
"The melody is incomplete."
"Because I need you to finish it."
He hadn't expected a reply.
He hadn't expected anything.
And still—when her message came, he'd read it a hundred times.
Elsewhere — Location Unknown
Anastasia didn't sleep.
She rarely did anyway, but tonight, she didn't even pretend. The notes of that melody haunted her in loops.
She'd watched the live performance twice already. The third time, she muted the audio and just watched him. His fingers. His expression. The way his breathing changed at specific moments. The trembling in his hand.
She noticed everything.
Her AI assistant hovered near her.
"Would you like me to scan for the unreleased sheet music?"
She shook her head once. "No. I already know what it says."
A pause. Then:
"You intend to respond?"
Her gaze didn't waver. "I already did."
11:47 PM — AUREUS Hotel Suite
The members were winding down. Minjae was half-asleep on the couch. Sungchan and Rin were playing a quiet board game with no real objective. Hyunjae was humming in the bathroom. The mood was mellow, comfortable.
Only Jaeheon hadn't spoken in the last twenty minutes.
Again—not unusual.
But this time, Rin noticed something different.
"You played like you were bleeding," Rin murmured, not looking up. "Was it worth it?"
Jaeheon didn't respond at first.
Then quietly: "She heard it."
Fan Forums — 3:12 AM KST
@seagoldsoft:
i don't think that was just music. that was a confession.
@burntstardust:
the way he played like he was praying. to her. not to us. not even to himself. just her.
@softaeureus:
🥲 if someone ever played piano like that for me, i'd pass away peacefully. no need for a boyfriend. just hand me that unreleased track and leave me to cry.
#HerSilenceIsLouder
#JaeheonLive
#AUREUSinMilan
Trending #2 Worldwide
One Hour Later — Back in Anastasia's Lab
She stood alone, lit by cool blue monitors.
Her voice low, speaking to her AI assistant.
"Do you have a profile on all unreleased AUREUS tracks?"
"Yes, Miss Volkov."
"Filter by composer. Kang Jaeheon only."
"Processing…"
She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were colder. Clearer.
Softer.
"He says he wrote over a hundred songs for someone."
The AI blinked. "Do you suspect he meant you?"
"No," she replied. Then—after a pause:
"I don't suspect. I know."
2:09 AM — Jaeheon's POV
He dreamt of her.
Not the way he saw her at the ball, not the shining gown or the golden hair.
But her silence.
The way she looked at him like she knew.
The version of her that never spoke but always understood. Who never gave him answers but always left him undone.
He woke up with his hand outstretched to nothing.