Empire of Nothing

The mansion was quieter than usual.

Nova stepped into the marble hallway, her shoes echoing too loudly, her duffel bag slung over one shoulder. She had expected to be immediately cornered. Interrogated. Judged.

But instead, she was met with... nothing.

No Ryder growling about where she'd been.No Darian glaring from the shadows.No Max cracking jokes.No Ethan calmly stating why she was wrong.

Just silence.

She headed toward the stairs — only to pause when she saw someone sitting at the kitchen island, back turned, mug in hand.

Ethan.

Reading, of course. Neat posture, sleeves rolled, the very picture of composed intelligence.

Nova considered backing out quietly.

Then he spoke without looking up. "Did you have fun?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Last night." He flipped a page. "At Zane's."

Her spine straightened. "Why do you care?"

"I don't. Just asking."

"That's the same thing."

He finally glanced up, setting the book aside. "You're surprisingly sharp for someone who eats instant noodles for dinner."

She narrowed her eyes. "You watch what I eat?"

He almost smiled. "Hard not to. You microwave them wrong."

Nova scowled, about to turn away — but something stopped her.

Ethan wasn't mocking her. Not the way the others did.

His voice wasn't cold. Not warm either. But… steady. Like a hand held out but not quite touching.

"You're not going to lecture me about sleepovers at boys' houses?" she asked.

"I could." He took another sip of coffee. "But what's the point?"

Now that made her pause.

He glanced at her again, eyes sharper than most people's knives. "You made it back alive. You didn't lie. You didn't sneak out. That's more than I can say for some people in this house."

"…Like Max?"

A twitch of amusement crossed his face. "I wasn't naming names."

Nova stepped further into the kitchen, unsure why she hadn't walked away yet. "You're acting weird."

"I'm always weird."

"No, you're… different today."

He set the cup down. "Maybe I'm just tired of pretending I don't see you."

Nova stiffened.

For a second, she didn't know what to say.

Then she shrugged. "That makes one of you."

Ethan nodded once, slow and thoughtful. "Maybe the others will catch up."

Nova left the room before he could say anything else.

But she didn't stop thinking about it the entire day.

That night, as she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling, she replayed the moment in her mind.

Not because of what he said.

But because for the first time…

One of them saw her.

And didn't look away.