FELIX CENTRIC (Sunlight Through the Shadows)

Chapter 3: The Web Tightens

It was past midnight when Felix stirred, waking up groggy and disoriented. He blinked, his surroundings slowly coming into focus. The movie had ended long ago, and the TV screen was now dim, reflecting the faint glow of the city lights outside the window. But the feeling of warmth surrounding him was undeniable. Felix realized that he was still on the couch, nestled between Jeongin and Minho, with Hyunjin sitting behind him, fingers idly stroking his hair. The others were nearby, in the same positions they had been when he drifted off.

He stretched, his muscles stiff from hours of sitting in one position. “Ah, did I fall asleep?”

Minho smiled, his voice low and gentle. “You were exhausted, Lix. It’s alright.”

Jeongin, still holding onto Felix’s wrist, gave a soft chuckle. “You’re like a kitten when you sleep, hyung.”

Felix laughed lightly, still groggy but feeling comforted by the warmth of his friends. “Why didn’t anyone wake me?”

“There was no need,” Hyunjin said, his voice soft as he continued to play with Felix’s hair. “You looked peaceful. We didn’t want to disturb you.”

Felix smiled, touched by the sentiment, but something felt a little off. The way they were all so close—closer than usual. But then again, they were his hyungs and dongsaengs, his brothers. He trusted them. They had always been like this, hadn’t they?

As Felix began to sit up, he noticed how their hands lingered on him just a second too long—Jeongin’s grip tightening slightly, Minho’s fingers tracing small circles on his arm, Hyunjin’s hand combing slowly through his hair. It was almost as if they didn’t want him to move.

For a brief moment, a flicker of discomfort crossed his mind, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Felix shook it off, chalking it up to his sleepiness.

“I should probably head to bed,” Felix said with a soft yawn, stretching again.

Chan, who had been watching quietly from the other couch, nodded. “Yeah, you’ve had a long day. Get some rest, mate.”

But as Felix stood, something strange happened. None of them moved. Normally, they would all scatter or get up to head to their own rooms, but tonight, it was different. Their gazes remained fixed on him, unblinking, as if waiting for something.

“Do you need anything, Felix?” Minho asked, his voice too calm, too measured.

Felix blinked, a bit confused by the question. “Uh, no, I’m good. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

As he turned to leave the room, a sudden movement caught his attention. Hyunjin stood, stepping in front of him before he could make it to the hallway. His tall figure loomed over Felix, but his expression was soft, almost tender.

“You sure you don’t need anything, Lix?” Hyunjin repeated, but there was an intensity in his eyes that Felix couldn’t quite place. It was as if the question held more weight than it should have.

Felix hesitated, his instincts telling him something was off. But then Hyunjin smiled, and Felix, as usual, let his guard down. It was Hyunjin, after all. They were family.

“I’m fine, Hyunjin. Promise,” Felix said with a reassuring smile, trying to brush off the strange feeling that had settled in the room.

Hyunjin stepped aside, but not before letting his hand graze Felix’s arm. The others watched silently as Felix made his way down the hallway toward his room.

The second Felix’s door closed behind him, the atmosphere in the living room shifted. It was as if the air grew heavier, darker. Minho glanced at Jeongin, who nodded slightly, a silent agreement passing between them. Chan, still leaning back on the couch, let out a long, slow breath, his fingers drumming quietly on his leg.

“It’s getting harder,” Jeongin murmured, his voice just above a whisper.

“We’ve managed so far,” Minho replied, his tone cold and calculating. “We just need to stay on the same page.”

Han, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke, his voice low and tense. “How long do you think we can keep it up without him noticing?”

Hyunjin shrugged, sinking back onto the couch. “He’s too trusting. He doesn’t see it.”

“But we can’t push him too far,” Chan interjected, his leader instincts kicking in. “Felix is smart. If we get too… intense, he’ll notice.”

There was a moment of silence as the reality of the situation settled over them. They had been so careful, so meticulous in their shared obsession. Felix was at the center of their world, and none of them could imagine life without him. But the intensity of their fixation was growing, and they all knew it. They could feel it—this need to be closer to Felix, to have more of him, to ensure that no one else could take him away.

Changbin, who had been leaning against the wall, broke the silence. “We need a plan. A way to make sure he doesn’t pull away.”

Minho smirked, his eyes flicking toward Felix’s closed door. “We already have one.”

Felix lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Something about tonight felt different. He wasn’t sure why, but there was a strange sense of unease creeping into his mind. It wasn’t the first time he had noticed it, either. Lately, the members had been more… clingy. Touchier. But Felix had always been affectionate with them, so he hadn’t thought much of it.

But tonight felt different. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they had all been watching him too closely, like they were waiting for him to do something. He laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head. It was probably just his imagination.

Still, as he drifted off to sleep, the shadows in his mind whispered warnings that he wasn’t quite ready to hear.