Falling Into Oblivion

Chapter 31

The final night of the festival pulses with an electric energy that seeps into everything—the air, the ground, the people, even the sky seems to hum with anticipation. The bass from the main stage thuds through my chest as Soren and I weave through the crowd, our hands still intertwined from earlier. Everywhere I look, bodies are moving, arms in the air, glowing wristbands and glitter-covered faces shining under the neon lights. The night is alive, and it feels like anything could happen.

We reach the others near the front of the stage, Belle already dancing wildly with Kai, her movements wild and free, and Aiden and Amina are right beside them, laughing as they try to keep up with her rhythm. The sight of them hits me again, but tonight, I'm determined to shake it off. This is the last night, the final blowout, and I'm not going to let weird feelings ruin it.

"Lyra!" Belle shouts over the music, waving her hands in the air. "Come on, dance with us!"

I grin and let go of Soren's hand, stepping into the circle of my friends. The beat drops just as I join, and the crowd erupts into cheers as the lights flash in time with the pounding rhythm. Without thinking, I throw my arms up, letting the music take over. For a moment, the unease, the jealousy, everything fades, and all that exists is the night, the music, and the high of it all.

Kai spins me around, his goofy grin lighting up his face.

I laugh and spin again, my body moving to the rhythm without thought. Soren catches my waist, pulling me close as the song transitions into something heavier, the bass hitting harder. He's grinning down at me, his eyes sparkling in the strobe lights, and for a moment, I let myself fall into it. This, right here—this is what I wanted. The feeling of losing yourself, of being fully present, with nothing else on your mind but the music and the people around you.

But as I turn again, I catch sight of Aiden and Amina, still close, still laughing together, and that knot in my stomach tightens again. Aiden catches my eye and winks, his cheeky grin back in place. It throws me off for a second, but I force a smile back, determined not to let him get under my skin tonight.

As the song reaches its peak, fireworks explode over the stage, showering the crowd in bursts of bright color. The crowd roars in response, and I feel a surge of excitement run through me. I grab Belle's hand, and she twirls me around, her infectious energy making it impossible not to smile.

We're all dancing now, losing ourselves to the night. Time blurs, and I don't know how long we've been out here, but it doesn't matter. Everything feels heightened—every beat, every flash of light, every laugh shared between us. The world feels infinite, like we could keep going forever.

At some point, Kai disappears and returns with a handful of shots, passing them around with a wicked grin. "To the final night!" he yells, raising his shot glass. "Drink up, or I'm embarrassing you all in front of everyone, and you know I can!"

We clink our glasses together, and I down the shot, the burn of alcohol cutting through the haze of the night. I feel Soren's hand on my back, steadying me as I sway a little, laughing at nothing in particular. Everything feels so light, so free, like I could float away at any moment.

Aiden insisted on being free on the last day, which is why we're all confused on why Aiden is walking up the stairs to the stage. He drags us with him but doesn't answer our questions. He gets behind the DJ table. The music shifts, and a remix to a very familiar song blares through the speakers. Aiden grabs my arm and pulls me toward him, his grin widening. "Do you recognize the song?" I nod eagerly. It's a techno remix of the song I THINK by Tyler the Creator, which is both of our favorite artist and I always talk about how he has to make a techno remix out of that song, well, here it is. He actually did it...