Life outside the penthouse had always existed as something distant to Lina, something she could observe from behind glass walls without truly being part of it.
That illusion didn't last.
It started with something simple.
"Let's go out," Lucas said one afternoon, tossing his phone onto the couch. "We've been cooped up for too long."
Andrew raised a brow. "We've been working."
"Same thing," Lucas replied. "We need air."
Jeremy glanced toward Lina. "Only if you're okay with it."
All eyes shifted to her.
Lina paused for a moment, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her sleeve. She hadn't stepped outside like that since everything changed. Since the stage. Since the name Lina Storm became something people knew.
But she couldn't stay inside forever.
"I'll go," she said quietly.
Dave didn't miss the slight hesitation in her voice, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he simply nodded.
"Alright. We keep it low-key."
Low-key didn't exist for people like them.
The moment they stepped out into the city, the air felt different.
Alive.
Busy.
Loud.
At first, it was normal. People walking past, cars moving, conversations blending into one constant hum. Lina walked beside them, her hands tucked slightly into the sleeves of her hoodie, her blue hair catching attention even when she tried to keep her head down.
Then it happened.
A voice.
"Wait… is that her?"
Lina's steps slowed.
Another voice joined.
"No way… that's Lina Storm."
Her name.
Not the one she was born with.
The one the world gave her.
Within seconds, more eyes turned. Phones came out. Whispers turned into excitement.
"Oh my God, it's really her!"
"Can we get a picture?"
"Lina!"
The space around her shifted, shrinking, tightening.
Cameras flashed.
Voices overlapped.
People moved closer.
Too close.
Her breath hitched slightly, her body stiffening as the noise grew louder. Hands reached out, not touching her, but close enough to make her chest tighten.
For a moment, she froze.
The world blurred around her, the sound no longer clear but overwhelming, like everything was crashing into her at once.
Then—
A hand.
Firm.
Grounding.
Dave.
He stepped in front of her without hesitation, placing himself between Lina and the crowd.
"Back up," he said, his voice calm but firm.
Lucas and Andrew moved quickly, creating space, while Jeremy guided Lina gently backward.
"It's okay," Jeremy murmured softly. "We've got you."
But Lina wasn't hearing clearly.
Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, her breathing uneven as the flashes of cameras mixed with memories she didn't want to revisit.
Too many people.
Too much noise.
Too close.
Dave turned slightly, his hand still steady on her arm.
"Lina," he said, his voice lower now, softer. "Look at me."
Her eyes struggled to focus.
"Hey," he continued gently. "You're okay."
It took a second.
Then another.
But slowly, her breathing steadied.
The noise became distant again.
Not gone.
But manageable.
"We're leaving," Matthew said firmly.
And just like that, they moved.
The crowd protested lightly, voices calling out, cameras still flashing, but the boys didn't stop until Lina was safely inside the car.
The door shut.
Silence.
Heavy.
Lina leaned back against the seat, her eyes closed as she tried to steady herself.
No one spoke for a moment.
"Are you okay?" Andrew asked carefully.
She nodded once, though it wasn't entirely convincing.
"I didn't think it would be like that," she admitted softly.
Her voice wasn't shaken.
Just… honest.
Dave watched her closely from beside her.
"It's not always that intense," he said. "But yeah… it can get like that."
She let out a quiet breath.
"They were all looking at me."
No accusation.
No fear.
Just a statement she was still processing.
"Comes with the job," Lucas muttered, though his tone was softer than usual.
Lina didn't respond.
She turned her head slightly, looking out the window as the city passed by, her reflection staring back at her.
For the first time, the weight of being seen felt real.
Later that evening, the penthouse was quieter than usual.
The boys gave Lina space, not in a distant way, but in a way that allowed her to breathe without pressure.
Dave found her on the balcony.
She stood there, her arms resting lightly on the railing, her gaze fixed on the city below.
"It gets easier," he said as he stepped beside her.
She didn't look at him.
"Does it?" she asked.
A pause.
"You get used to it," he corrected.
Lina let out a small breath, almost like a quiet laugh, but without humor.
"I don't think I want to get used to it."
Dave glanced at her.
That answer didn't surprise him.
"They weren't trying to hurt you," he said.
"I know."
She finally looked at him.
"But it still felt like too much."
There it was.
Not fear.
Not weakness.
Just truth.
Dave nodded slightly.
"That's normal."
She studied him for a moment, like she was trying to understand how he handled it.
"How do you do it?" she asked.
"Do what?"
"Stay… okay."
Dave leaned back slightly, his gaze shifting toward the city.
"You don't," he said honestly. "You just learn how to stand in it."
Lina looked away again.
Silence settled between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
It was… shared.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"I didn't like that I froze."
"You didn't freeze," Dave said immediately. "You got overwhelmed. That's different."
She didn't argue.
But she didn't fully accept it either.
"I don't want to be weak," she said quietly.
Dave's expression softened.
"You're not."
She didn't respond.
Because part of her still believed she was.
Inside, her phone buzzed again.
Notifications.
Headlines.
Comments.
The world hadn't stopped.
One headline stood out.
"Lina Storm refuses to speak on Hale family accusations, what is she hiding?"
She stared at it for a second.
Then locked her phone.
No reaction.
No response.
Dave noticed.
"You're really not going to say anything?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"They'll get tired eventually."
"Or louder."
She looked at him.
"Then let them."
There was something steady in her eyes now.
Something that hadn't been there before.
Not defiance.
Not anger.
Just… control.
Dave held her gaze for a moment longer.
Then nodded.
He understood.
For now.
The night stretched on, the city lights flickering endlessly below them.
Inside, the world was still watching.
Still talking.
Still waiting.
But Lina…
Lina was learning something far more important.
How to stand in the noise—
Without losing herself.