a light within the darkness

The room remained quiet, the weight of Hugo's story still hanging in the air.

Eclipse Zero sat with him, their presence a silent promise that he wasn't alone anymore.

It was a heavy moment. A deep, emotional, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

And then—

Iris ruined it.

She sighed dramatically, stretching her arms over her head.

"Whew. That was depressing," she mused, smirking. "So, when's the wedding?"

The entire room froze.

Hugo blinked, confused. "What?"

Iris pointed at Stella, then at Hugo. "You know. You two. Are we gonna do this whole 'tragic backstory, emotional bond, slow-burn romance' thing, or should we just skip to the part where you finally admit you're into each other?"

Stella choked. "EXCUSE ME?!"

Hugo looked just as bewildered. "Where the hell did that come from?!"

Ethan coughed, barely holding back laughter.

Darius grinned. "Oh, this is gold."

Lena smirked. "She's not wrong."

Nathan covered his face with both hands, already done with this conversation. "Why are we like this?"

Iris grinned mischievously, leaning forward. "Come on, Hugo. You've been carrying Stella's pendant next to Mina's ring. That's gotta mean something, right?"

Stella turned bright red. "I—I—THAT'S—"

Hugo sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "I hate you all."

Iris winked. "No, you don't."

Darius laughed. "Alright, alright, let's let the guy breathe."

Ethan finally let out a chuckle. "We're just saying, you've been through a lot. Maybe it's time you let yourself move forward."

Stella crossed her arms, still flustered. "Can we not have this conversation right now?!"

Iris smirked. "Why? Is someone embarrassed?"

"IRIS!"

Eclipse Zero burst into laughter, the tension from before melting away.

Hugo sighed, but this time, there was a small smile on his face.

For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like the weight of the past was suffocating him.

Maybe Iris was annoying. Maybe they were all annoying.

But right now?

He wouldn't trade them for anything.