Aria had been helping the team all day, quietly observing and sometimes offering suggestions — whether it was how to improve a step or a quick fix with the equipment. But the whole time, her eyes kept flicking to Riven.

He was... distant. Not just to her, but to everyone. He moved in and out of the studio with sharp precision, as though everything about the practice had to be flawless. There was no smile, no teasing — just sharp commands and piercing glares.

She caught his gaze once or twice, but each time he quickly looked away.

It was confusing.

"Is something wrong with him?" Aria thought, her fingers drumming nervously against the back of her notebook.

He wasn’t the type to be distant for no reason. Riven Cross was all about attention. He thrived on it. So why did he look so... annoyed?

Leo noticed the tension too.

When they were on a break, he casually walked over to Aria, a bottle of water in hand.

"Everything okay with you and Riven?" he asked, voice casual but with a hint of concern.

Aria looked at Leo, startled by his sudden question.

"Riven? Yeah, he's fine. Why?"

Leo smirked, taking a swig of water.

"He’s been a bit off today. Usually, he’s... not so harsh. Guess you’ve been distracting him."

Aria blinked.

"Distracting? How?"

Leo leaned in a little, his smile playful.

"You’ve been getting a lot of his attention lately. And, well, it’s not easy to get him out of his head."

Aria frowned, unsure of what he meant, but before she could respond, there was a sudden loud sound.

Riven slammed his fist on the nearby wall, startling everyone.

"Focus!" he shouted, his voice sharp and biting. "This isn’t a game! Get it together!"

The room fell into a tense silence, everyone standing still.

Aria flinched, looking at Leo — and then back to Riven, who was pacing, his jaw clenched, his eyes burning.

Leo, ever the peacemaker, quickly stood up.

"Hey, Riven, it’s all good. Let’s take five."

Riven didn’t respond. He just turned away, disappearing into the hallway.

"What’s going on with him?" Aria whispered, her voice soft, but filled with concern.

Leo sighed, his face unreadable for a moment.

"He’s just... complicated," he said quietly. "Don’t worry about it. Riven’s always like this when he gets in his head."

But Aria couldn’t stop thinking about it. Riven’s reaction. The way he looked at her earlier. The frustration that seemed to bubble just under the surface.

It wasn’t just about practice.

Something else was there.

Something she didn’t fully understand yet.

As the group continued their break, Aria found herself glancing toward the hallway again. Riven hadn’t come back.

And just for a second, just a fleeting moment, she wondered: