After that night, life slowly returned to normal.
At least, it looked like it did.
Henry and Lily went back to being them—arguing over small things, throwing sharp comments at each other like always. Chris tried to calm them down, as usual, while Twilight stood nearby, adding sarcastic remarks that somehow made everything lighter.
Anyone watching them would think nothing had changed.
That prom night?
The crowns?
The heartbreak?
Forgotten.
But inside, none of them had truly moved on.
Chris had started visiting a therapist again—the one Lily had recommended. No one else knew. Not Henry. Not Twilight. Only Lily knew the truth about Chris's nightmares, her anxiety, the way she still felt watched sometimes, even when she was surrounded by people.
Henry buried his feelings deep. He laughed more, played harder, trained longer. If pain showed on his face, he hid it behind confidence. The bracelet still stayed locked in his drawer, untouched.
Twilight followed the plan—Henry's plan.
He stayed patient.
Careful.
He pushed his feelings aside, convincing himself that fixing things mattered more than what he wanted.
And Lily—
Lily was busy fighting her own battles on the basketball court. Training harder than ever, pushing herself past limits, proving she deserved her place.
Each of them carried pressure.
Each of them fought quietly.
Strong on the outside.
Fractured within.
One Month Later
December arrived.
Cold air filled the city. Streets glowed with lights. Decorations appeared on shop windows. Christmas songs played everywhere, cheerful and loud.
Lily finally made it into Chris's basketball team.
Chris hugged her so hard she almost fell.
Henry climbed back to the top of the school's best player list, his name spoken with admiration again.
Twilight stayed in the background, quietly adjusting things, helping Henry without making it obvious.
It almost felt like things were aligning.
Almost.
Far away, on the edge of the city, the masked guy stood on a rooftop, overlooking everything. The sky was clear. The streets were calm.
Too calm.
No monsters roamed tonight.
The city looked… perfect.
And that made him uneasy.
A Night Out
That evening, the four of them decided to go out together.
"Let's go somewhere expensive," Lily said randomly.
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Since when do we afford expensive?"
Henry smirked. "Relax. I'll manage."
Twilight shrugged. "Fine. I want dessert."
They chose the most expensive restaurant in the city—a place with soft golden lights, glass walls, and quiet music. The kind of place that made people sit straighter and talk softer.
They took a corner table.
Laughter filled the air as food arrived.
Chris talked about practice.
Lily complained about training drills.
Henry joked about school drama.
But Twilight was distracted.
He kept glancing around.
Out the window.
At the ceiling.
Chris noticed.
Without warning, she kicked him lightly under the table.
"Ow—" Twilight looked up, annoyed, then realized it was her.
She tilted her head, silently asking, You okay?
He smiled faintly. "Yeah."
To cover it, he leaned forward. "So… Christmas plans? Anyone?"
The conversation shifted.
But each of them drifted into their own thoughts.
Elsewhere – Unease
Across the city, the masked guy moved through the streets, scanning shadows, rooftops, alleys.
No monsters.
Still, something felt wrong.
He stopped suddenly.
His gaze locked onto a glowing building in the distance.
The restaurant.
His body tensed.
Something's there, he thought.
The Moment Everything Broke
Back inside the restaurant, a waiter poured water into glasses.
Lily laughed at something Henry said.
Chris smiled.
Twilight reached for his drink.
Then—
BOOM.
The ground shook violently.
Glasses shattered.
Tables slid.
Chairs toppled.
The entire restaurant jolted like it had been struck from below.
People screamed.
Chris lost her balance, falling to the floor.
Lily grabbed the table.
Henry pulled her toward him.
Twilight hit the ground hard, his head ringing.
Lights flickered.
An emergency alarm blared.
"EARTHQUAKE!" someone shouted.
Panic exploded.
People ran toward exits, knocking into each other. Plates crashed. A chandelier swayed dangerously above.
Chris pushed herself up, heart pounding.
"This isn't normal!" Lily yelled.
Outside, sirens wailed.
The shaking stopped—but the fear didn't.
And far away, on a nearby rooftop, the masked guy stared at the restaurant, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
"This wasn't an accident," he muttered.
Because deep beneath the city—
Something had just woken up.