The midnight eclipse

It was nighttime, and silence reigned in the Shinomiya mansion. It was not a peaceful silence, but a heavy and uncomfortable one, laden with the weight of unspoken words. Ren was in his room, lying in the dark, staring at a completely empty ceiling.

His parents' words echoed in his head over and over again. Waste of time... shame on the family... give up that nonsense... your life has just been decided... marriage...

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft sound; a digital clock on his bedside table changed, its numbers now showing 12:00.

It was midnight.

Ren opened his eyes. The coldness of his face broke for a moment, replaced by silent determination. He got out of bed with quick, precise movements. He did not put on his commoner clothes, but instead opened a hidden section of his wardrobe and took out an elaborate outfit: tailored black trousers, a dark shirt, and a long, elegant jacket with silver brocade. It was the uniform of his other life.

He couldn't escape through the door. His parents, or more likely all the staff, would hear him. So he moved toward the large window. With several bath towels, a couple of sheets, and some thick clothes he never wore, he improvised a rope. He tied it securely to the base of his heavy bed and threw it out the window.

It worked. With great agility, he descended the three floors to the garden. He had successfully escaped from his home.

But where was I going?

Ren ran through the dark streets, not like a fugitive, but like someone rushing to an urgent appointment. His destination was a tall, striking building in the center of Shibuya, a glass and neon skyscraper that glowed even at this hour. The headquarters of his agency.

He entered through a private entrance and took a staff elevator up to a special room in the attic. He opened the door, and chaos hit him.

" That doesn't go there! The symmetry is wrong! ", " Has anyone seen my lucky charm? I can't go out without it! ", " Hahaha! Check out this video of a cat trying to eat a lemon! ", " Just... five more minutes of meditation... "

Ren entered the preparation room with his usual cool composure. The other four members of ECLIPSE, each as handsome as he was, were already there.

Satoru Namida, with his purple hair and striking different-colored eyes, was frantically rearranging water bottles on a table. " Ren. You're three minutes late. " he said, without looking up. " Just in time for the fun. " said Kazemaru Fukuzake, the extrovert of the group, waving his hand. His electric blue hair seemed to glow under the lights. " We were just about to see who could hold their breath the longest! "

Next to the window, tuning an acoustic guitar, was Andrey Misaki. Tall, blond, and blue-eyed, his half-Russian heritage gave him the air of a model. He looked up and said in a monotone voice, " Welcome to the party, leader. I thought your mansion had swallowed you up. "

In one corner, the youngest member of the group, Junpei Kurusame, was nervously practicing some dance steps, muttering to himself. When he saw Ren, he stopped and bowed slightly. "G-good evening, Master Ren."

Ren just nodded in general greeting and headed to his own makeup station. " Is everyone ready? " he asked, his voice flat. " Almost!" Kazemaru shouted. But hey, you look a little down, Ren. ", " He's right. " Andrey chimed in, without stopping his tuning. " You have the same face as always, but today it looks more like... my parents just arranged a marriage for me. "

Ren tensed up. His gaze turned icy, but he said nothing. Andrey was always too observant.

Satoru approached and placed a clean towel over his shoulders. " Whatever's going on with you, Ren. " said Satoru, now in his role as the group's babysitter, " leave it here. The stage is waiting for you. You have thousands of fans out there screaming your name. You can't let them down. ", " I won't. " replied Ren.

Just then, a staff member burst through the door. "ECLIPSE! You're on! On stage in two minutes!"

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly. Chaos turned into professional concentration. Kazemaru stopped laughing, Junpei stopped shaking, Andrey hung up his guitar, and Satoru took one last look at his reflection.

Ren was the last to get up. He looked at the four boys who were more than just any group, they were his real family. " Let's go. " he ordered.

They walked down the dark hallway toward the exit. With each step, the roar of the crowd grew louder and louder, a wall of sound that vibrated in their chests. Ren stopped just before the curtain, closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, the confused boy who felt "arrhythmias" had disappeared.

Only the Ice Prince, the leader of ECLIPSE, remained.