Once the six trainees had ordered their drinks and settled around a table, Eli finally got the chance to ask the question that had been itching at the back of his brain.
He looked straight at Yone.
"So… why us?" he asked. "Was there a reason, or did you just go off vibes?"
Yone leaned back slightly, thinking for a moment before shrugging.
"It's honestly not that complicated," he said. "The moment I heard the mission, I knew immediately that I wanted to team up with Jordan."
Jordan nearly choked on his double caramel butterscotch mocha latte frappuccino.
"Other than being a great dancer," Yone continued calmly, "he's classically trained in ballet and contemporary. But more than that—Jordan has this innate creativity. It's natural. Effortless. The kind you can't teach." He glanced at him. "Honestly? I want to learn from you."
Jordan turned red instantly, ducking his head as he aggressively sipped his drink to hide it.
And Yone wasn't wrong.
For this assignment, raw skill alone wasn't enough—it was about interpretation, imagination, and risk. And Jordan? Jordan lived in a whole different universe. He had entire worlds inside his head, strange and beautiful and endlessly inventive. Sure, he was weird as hell sometimes—but no one could ever dispute his creativity. If there was one person you needed for this challenge, it was him.
Yone had clocked that immediately.
"And as for Nikola—" Yone shifted his attention to the young German man, smirking. "Don't think for a second I didn't notice you're a b-boy."
The table went silent.
"…Wait, for real?" Eli blurted.
Nikola groaned, slumping back in his chair. "Fuck. That was supposed to be my secret weapon. I was saving it for later evaluations." He shot Yone a glare. "How the hell did you even know?"
"The internet is a vast and unforgiving place, my friend," Yone chuckled. "I've seen clips of you on TikYin and VidTube long before LEAVEN. I even follow you on Instaglam and Z. You're kinda well-known in the b-boy scene."
Nikola dragged a hand down his face.
"Ahhh… fuck."
Isaac reached over and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.
"Well," Monarch cut in, leaning forward, "I get Jordan and Nikola. But what about the rest of us?" He gestured to himself, Isaac, and Eli. "Why us?"
Yone didn't hesitate.
"I've been watching you guys during dance classes. You're fast learners. Adaptable." He smiled. "And you all have strong charisma—presence that naturally pulls attention. That matters more than people think."
"…Damn," Isaac said, genuinely impressed. "You really thought this through, huh?"
Yone laughed. "Nah. I just chose the most optimal route to succeed." He shrugged. "Teaming up with you guys was a no-brainer. I just had to move fast before someone else snagged you." His smile softened. "So… thanks for answering my call."
"No—we should be thanking you," Jordan said quickly. "If you hadn't acted so fast, this group might not have existed at all."
"I agree," Nikola nodded, then scowled. "But still—fuck you for exposing my secret weapon, you motherfucker."
That sent the whole table into laughter.
One glance at the six of them was enough to tell—they weren't just a group.
They were inevitable.
How they'd reach greatness was still a mystery…
but that they would?
Yeah. That part was already written.
****
When word finally spread that Yone had already locked in a team—with Jordan, Nikola, Eli, Monarch, and Isaac—the rest of the trainees absolutely lost their damn minds.
"That's unfair!"
"They're the freaking Ravengers!"
"Oh, we're so cooked."
"Damn it, I wanted to team up with Yone!"
"How the hell did they even form a group that fast?!"
Jealousy, despair, and full-on acceptance of defeat rippled through the room like a bad cold.
Meanwhile—back at the cafeteria café—Team Yone was already deep in creative heaven.
Song ideas were flying across the table like rejected resumes.
"Nah, too generic."
"Too mainstream."
"It's kinda one-dimensional, if you know what I'm saying."
"Hmmm… it doesn't sit right. There's something better out there."
Track after track got shot down. Nothing clicked. Nothing sparked. The vibe just… refused to align.
Until—
"Um…"
Jordan slowly raised his hand, hesitant but glowing like a little nerd with a secret weapon.
Before anyone could react, Eli immediately snapped, pointing at the table.
"Guys—if Jordan wants to say something, shut up."
Big brother energy. Absolute authority.
Jordan mouthed a quick thanks at Eli, then pulled out his phone.
"So… I have this friend at uni who's really obsessed with Euroversion," he said, a little shy. "And there's this one song that really stuck with me. Just—listen."
He placed his phone in the middle of the table and cranked the volume.
The moment the beat hit, the air shifted.
It was raw. Tribal. Ethnic. Pulsing with something ancient and magnetic. The rhythm crawled under their skin, demanding attention. Without even realizing it, heads started nodding. Feet tapped. Shoulders rolled.
Yone's choreographer brain went into full overdrive.
By the time the song ended, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair.
"I have too many ideas right now," he said, almost breathless. "Like, it's actually painful that we can't rehearse until Monday. We could do hip-hop, contemporary—hell, even ballroom with this." He looked around the table, eyes lit up. "This is it. I think this is the song."
"Yeah," Monarch nodded slowly. "This is way out of the norm. I mean… this is literally the first time I've ever heard the Albanian language."
"See?" Eli grinned, throwing an arm around Jordan's shoulders. "This is why we need Jordan. His brain doesn't work like us muggles do."
Nikola laughed, nodding along. "Honestly? I couldn't have picked a better track. I can already think of ways to b-boy to this—and it's a fucking folky song."
Yone clapped his hands once, decisive.
"Then it's unanimous. We're going with this."
Eli immediately raised his voice.
"Everyone say, 'Thank you, Jordan.'"
"Thank you, Jordan!"
The chorus of voices made Jordan blush instantly, ducking his head, flustered but glowing.
"You're welcome," he said, smiling bright enough to power the damn building.
And just like that—
The Ravengers weren't just stacked.
They were locked in.
****
PS-
Song is "Ktheju tokës" by Jonida Maliqi (https://youtu.be/-NAbYUoxIfg?si=_UEmVJALbBX-GBOy)