The door shut behind him with a soft thud, cutting Chan off from the world outside.
He returned to his studio — his sanctuary — burying the heavy emotions beneath work, like he'd taught himself to do.
Han arrived soon after, plopping into the chair opposite Chan with a tired grin.
"So," Han started casually, spinning slightly in his seat, "how was the big scary meeting?"
Chan didn't even lift his eyes from the laptop screen.
"Nothing," he replied, voice carefully flat, neutral.
Han squinted at him, obviously reading more than Chan wanted to show.
But he didn't push.
Instead, he just shrugged and threw a few files onto the table. "Alright, alright, boss man. Let's work."
The hours slipped by in a blur of melodies, beats, and quiet, unspoken sadness.
They were finishing the group album, each member contributing their own solo track.
It was Chan's turn to reveal his.
He hesitated for a second longer than necessary before opening the document.
Lyrics — raw, cutting, glittering like broken glass — spilled onto the screen.
Han and Changbin leaned in, reading, their faces slowly shifting from playful to serious.
"Hyung," Han breathed, his eyes wide. "This is... heavy."
Changbin nodded firmly, tapping the table. "It's brilliant. It's gonna hit people hard, like... *really* hard. It's real. It's now."
The song was titled: **"Cold Promises"**.
> **Cold Promises**
> *Empty rooms, heavy air,*
> *Whispered lies in the chandelier's glare,*
> *Gold crowns, paper thrones,*
> *I was a kingdom you burned to bones.*
>
> *Fake smiles, cruel touch,*
> *Loved you more, you loved too much,*
> *Cold promises in the dark,*
> *Left me tracing invisible marks.*
>
> *You said forever in a borrowed tongue,*
> *Dancing on graves of the songs we sung,*
> *Broken vows behind glassy eyes,*
> *I bled for love, you lived for lies.*
They whistled low after reading it.
It wasn't just sad — it was devastating.
"You're gonna make half the country cry, hyung," Han said, clapping him on the back.
"And the other half text their exes at 2am," Changbin added with a smirk.
Chan just chuckled lightly, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"Good," he said simply.
After a few more hours of tinkering with the composition, Han and Changbin finally left, urging him to rest.
But Chan couldn't leave.
Not yet.
He stayed behind, working through the night, polishing every line, smoothing every note.
He wanted this song to be perfect — not just for the audience, but for himself.
It was the final piece of the weight he'd carried for too long.
If he finished it, maybe he could finally let it all go.
The assistant who usually helped him with recording had called in sick, so Chan decided to do it alone.
The studio was quiet except for the hum of the equipment.
Chan adjusted the mic, took a deep breath, and started the base recording.
His voice floated into the room — raw, open, shivering with pain but beautifully controlled.
He closed his eyes as he sang, letting himself *fall* completely into the song.
Every word was a blade.
Every note a scar reopening.
It wasn't about technical perfection — it was about the honesty spilling from him.
When he hit the final high note, his voice cracked just a little — but it was beautiful, not wrong.
It made it *human.*
Silence filled the room after he finished.
Chan, breathing heavily, opened his eyes — ready to replay the track and fix imperfections.
But he froze.
Behind the glass window of the recording booth, standing completely still — was Felix.
Felix.
Hair still light, falling into his eyes.
A black coat draped over his slim frame, hands clenching into fists at his sides.
Their eyes locked.
Chan's heart stopped.
He didn't know what to feel first — anger, sadness, rage, humiliation.
It all twisted inside him violently, like a hurricane trapped in a cage.
Felix's face was a battlefield — emotion after emotion flashing too quickly to name.
Shock.
Pain.
Something dangerously close to regret.
Chan stood frozen by the mic, chest heaving, the lingering echo of his song vibrating between them.
For a second, no one moved.
No one breathed.
And it felt like the entire world was holding its breath too.
YOU ARE READING
Between two worlds | Chanlix
FanfictionChan is a poor, ambitious singer with the big heart aiming to reach his goals but fails every single time. Until his friend will recommend him to go to some corporation and have a try. He will meet a cold-hearted, dominant CEO Lee Felix, who is rul...
