faded echoes ¦ sk x ks

CHAPTER 14

A/N: Just a reminder—Ling is allergic to alcohol, but for the sake of this fanfiction, she's not allergic to it here. Heheh.

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Ling's Point of View

The pulsating rhythm of sensual music vibrates through my body as I step into the luxurious nightclub, its sleek modern design bathed in a glow of tantalizing light. The air is thick with energy, as laughter and conversations blend seamlessly with the beats reverberating from the stage. The club's upper floor overlooks the dance floor below, with a bar to the right and a DJ who commands the room from his elevated post.

The lights sway, the colors in hues of deep reds and purples, with touches of gold, spreading a spell over the crowd. It is one of those rare places where anonymity is not just tolerated but, in fact, is a religion. No one here will so much as notice me. No one here will know my secret.

I think I have almost forgotten the fierce tumult of feelings that have invaded my soul since I met Orm again. Five years. A reunion I was not ready for. And now, it seems like my entire world is tearing apart at the seams.

I used to be focused and driven. Now, Orm's presence inside me, like a silent storm in my chest, shifts my emotions with a strange ease. I am afraid of what she does to me, of what her touch could ignite. I am afraid of the way she still pulls at my heart as if the pain weren't inevitable. 

I scan the crowd, my eyes looking for the familiar faces of Junji and Yaya. The invitation came swiftly after Junji's message yesterday, a simple question to join them for a night out. Without hesitation, I agreed, needing this, needing to lose myself in the chaos of the night. I'd left the hospital early, gone home to my penthouse to shower and change, and now here I was, perfume mingling with the alcohol in my system.

Junji and Yaya don't know the truth about Orm and me. To them, we were childhood friends, neighbors even. I have never told them the full story—the love that bloomed so effortlessly between us, the quiet confessions on a cold New Year's Eve, the five months of courtship that followed. How our families embraced us with open arms, proud of our bond. Orm was my world once. She was the best part of my life.

Even now, I can feel the weight of her absence in my family's hearts. My mom, Milk—always asking about her. I won't blame them for still holding on. How could I? Orm is everything they loved, everything that was good about my life.

The vibration of my phone drags me out of my thoughts, and I look at the screen. It's a message from Junji. I do not react; instead, I slide the phone into my pocket and lift my eyes to the second floor. There, Yaya Urassaya, waving and cutting above the bass of the music with laughter.

I switch off my phone and head up, the dim lighting of the second floor casting everything in shadows. I almost immediately spot them—Junji and Yaya, sitting together in the far corner, their eyes lighting up as they greet me.

"You're hot!" Yaya exclaims, her tone teasing. I couldn't help but smile.

I join them, settling beside Junji. They’re both dressed simply—nothing too extravagant—while I’m in a light blue pair of jeans and a loose white long-sleeve polo, three buttons undone to reveal a glimpse of the black tank top beneath. My hair flows loosely over my shoulders, wild and carefree.