FELIX CENTRIC (Sunlight Through the Shadows)

Chapter 4: The Silent Pact

The next morning, Felix awoke to the sound of soft murmurs coming from the living room. He blinked against the sunlight streaming through the curtains and glanced at his phone. It was still early—earlier than the others usually woke up. The murmur of voices was unusual for this time of day, especially considering how late they had all stayed up the night before.

Curiosity piqued, Felix slipped out of bed and padded quietly down the hallway, careful not to make too much noise. As he approached the living room, the voices became clearer, though the words were still indistinct. He paused at the edge of the hallway, peering into the room.

The sight that greeted him sent a shiver down his spine.

All seven of them—Chan, Minho, Hyunjin, Changbin, Han, Jeongin, and Seungmin—were sitting in a circle, their expressions eerily calm, as if they were in the middle of a serious discussion. There was an intensity in the air, thick and suffocating, that Felix couldn’t quite place. It felt like they were plotting something, but there was no malice in their faces—just a shared understanding that Felix couldn’t grasp.

Felix stepped back before they could notice him, pressing his back against the wall. His heart pounded in his chest. Something about the way they were sitting, the way they were all so in sync, sent a wave of unease through him.

He forced himself to calm down, convincing himself that he was overreacting. Maybe they were planning something for him—a surprise, maybe. His birthday wasn’t coming up, but maybe it was something else. A group activity? A new song? Anything to explain the strange atmosphere.

Taking a deep breath, Felix walked into the living room with a bright smile, pretending he hadn’t noticed anything unusual. “Morning, guys.”

The conversation stopped instantly, and seven pairs of eyes turned toward him in unison. For a moment, the silence was deafening. But then, as if a switch had been flipped, their expressions softened, and smiles spread across their faces.

“Morning, Lix!” Chan greeted, his voice as cheerful as ever. But there was something behind it, a hidden tension that Felix couldn’t ignore.

“Sleep well?” Minho asked, standing up from the circle and moving toward Felix with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Yeah, I did,” Felix replied, though his voice felt small compared to the weight of the room. “What are you all talking about?”

“Just planning some stuff,” Han said casually, waving it off. “Nothing important.”

Felix nodded, but the uneasy feeling remained. Something was different, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Hyunjin approached him next, resting an arm around Felix’s shoulders. “We were thinking we could all go out today. Spend some time together.”

Felix looked up at him, surprised. “All of us? Don’t we have practice?”

Chan shook his head. “I talked to the managers. We have the day off. Thought it’d be nice to get away from the dorm for a while.”

Felix’s unease began to melt away at the thought of a day off with the others. Maybe he really was overthinking everything. It wasn’t the first time they had planned something like this, after all. “That sounds great! Where are we going?”

Jeongin smiled from his seat, his eyes watching Felix closely. “You’ll see. We’ve got everything planned.”

There was a strange excitement in the air now, like the calm before a storm. Felix couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was different, but he pushed it aside. He trusted them. They were his family, after all.

The van ride was filled with light chatter and laughter. Felix sat between Hyunjin and Seungmin, who had been unusually quiet that morning, but Felix didn’t mind. The atmosphere had lightened, and the strange tension from earlier seemed to have dissipated, or at least, he convinced himself it had.

As they drove further out of the city, the scenery changed. Buildings gave way to rolling hills and trees, the roads becoming narrower as they left the bustling streets behind. Felix glanced out the window, watching the landscape shift from urban to rural. It wasn’t until they were well outside of the city that Felix realized they were heading somewhere unfamiliar.

“Where are we going?” he asked, turning to Chan, who was sitting in the passenger seat beside the driver.

Chan smiled over his shoulder. “Just a quiet spot. Somewhere we can relax.”

Felix nodded, leaning back in his seat. The fresh air and the idea of getting away from everything sounded appealing. But there was still a part of him that couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The way the others kept glancing at him, as if checking to make sure he was still there, made his skin prickle with unease.

They finally arrived at a small, secluded cabin nestled in the woods. Felix had never seen it before, and he wondered how the others had found the place. It was quaint, surrounded by tall trees and silence, with no one else around for miles.

“Wow,” Felix said as he stepped out of the van, taking in the peaceful surroundings. “This place is amazing.”

Hyunjin smiled, standing close behind him. “We thought you’d like it.”

As they all made their way inside, Felix couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease creep back in. The cabin was cozy, but it was the isolation that unnerved him. There was no one around, no neighbors, no passing cars. Just them.

Inside, the atmosphere was warm and comfortable. There was a large fireplace, soft couches, and big windows that let in the afternoon light. The others immediately settled in, as if they had been here before, moving around with ease.

“We’ll make lunch in a bit,” Changbin said, setting down some bags they had brought along.

Felix sat on the couch, his unease growing as he watched the others. They were all so calm, so collected. Almost too calm. It felt like they were waiting for something.

Chan sat beside him, placing a hand on Felix’s shoulder. “You alright, Lix? You’ve been quiet.”

Felix forced a smile. “Yeah, just a little tired, I guess.”

Chan’s hand lingered on Felix’s shoulder, his grip tightening ever so slightly. “We’re all here for you, you know that, right?”

Felix’s heart skipped a beat, but he nodded, trying to ignore the rising dread in his chest. “Of course, hyung.”

The others gathered around, sitting near Felix, watching him closely. They were smiling, but there was something in their eyes—something that made Felix’s stomach twist.

“We’ve been meaning to talk to you, Lix,” Minho said, his voice soft but serious.

Felix’s heart raced. “Talk to me about what?”

Jeongin leaned forward, his eyes locked on Felix. “About how much we care about you.”

“We all agreed,” Seungmin added, his voice steady. “We want to make sure you’re always with us, Felix.”

Felix felt trapped, surrounded by their gazes. His pulse quickened as he realized that the closeness, the attention, the affection—they weren’t what they seemed. There was something far darker underneath. Something he hadn’t seen until now.

Minho’s smile was too wide, too sharp. “We’re never going to let you go, Felix. Never.”

The room felt smaller, the air thick with an invisible tension. Felix’s breath caught in his throat as the full weight of their obsession became clear. It wasn’t just affection. It was control.

They weren’t just his brothers.

They were his captors.