It started with a single upload.

No labels. No PR push. No teaser campaign.

Just a simple title: “Run With Me – Rooftop Tribute (for Rowan)” and a quiet post from the official Feral Eclipse account.

The thumbnail was humble — Gabriel with an arm around Rowan, both silhouetted against a cityscape bathed in golden haze. The caption read:
“For the boy who believed in us when no one else did.”

The internet exploded in under an hour.

Reddit threads blew up with titles like:
➡️ “Gabriel is father wolf of the year — no contest.”
➡️ “How a kid named Rowan helped launch Feral Eclipse (and got a rooftop concert as a thank you).”
➡️ “This is why we don’t deserve werewolves.”

Twitter — no, X — was a mess of fire emojis, crying emojis, and memes within minutes.

🌀 #RooftopWithRowan trended in 27 countries.
🌀 Someone looped the last 10 seconds of “Run With Me” over footage of a sunrise, and it went viral on TikTok.
🌀 Fan art poured in — soft sketches of Rowan dozing against Gabriel’s side, animations of the band playing above LA with hearts for lights.

By the next morning, every music blog from Rolling Stone to Loudwire had picked it up. A Pitchfork writer called it:

“The most sincere musical moment of the decade — a blend of raw gratitude, stripped-down power, and pack loyalty that hits deeper than any arena show ever could.”

Even NPR’s Tiny Desk reposted it with a caption that read:
➡️ “And this is why we love acoustic.”

Back at the Ritz, Mark watched it all unfold from the hotel’s media suite, sipping lukewarm coffee as view counters spiraled up in real time.

“I told you,” he muttered, grinning to himself.

Downstairs, Rowan and his father were quietly packing. The boy hadn’t stopped smiling since the rooftop. He kept touching the signed bass case like he thought it might disappear if he looked away.

Before they left, Rowan turned and threw his arms around Thane.

“Thank you for taking care of him,” he whispered.

Thane blinked, then crouched down with a small smile. “You mean Gabriel?”

Rowan nodded fiercely.

“He’s my wolf,” Thane said softly. “No one touches him.”

The boy looked up at Gabriel with stars in his eyes. “I’m gonna play like you someday.”

Gabriel crouched down beside him, icy blue eyes warm. “You already do. You just haven’t realized it yet.”

A fan caught that entire exchange on video from behind a nearby potted plant.

That, too, went viral.

And by nightfall, a billboard on Sunset Boulevard featured the still frame of that hug with glowing text across the bottom:

“This is what the future sounds like.”