Glimmering Shadows

Chapter 13

"Will you both shut up Henry's calling!" Sebastian and Alexander immediately stopped talking, listening intently as Victoria answered the phone.

"What have you got for me?"

"His brothers making some kind of clock for them, apparently it's 'special', he doesn't know any other details."

"Disappointing." With that Henry hung up and the three sat in silence.

"Well he's a ray of sunshine." They all burst out into fits of laughter. 

"I need a fucking drink." Alexander sighed rubbing his temples.

"There's a club near here, Tori you in?"

After a slight hesitation Victoria nodded her head, "Yeah I'm in."

                                                                            ...

As they stepped into the pulsating atmosphere of the club, the pounding bass reverberating through their bodies, a sense of freedom washed over them like a welcome wave. For a moment, they allowed themselves to forget the dangers lurking in the shadows, lost in the intoxicating allure of the music and the swirling lights.

Sebastian led the way to the bar, his movements confident as he ordered a round of drinks for the group. Alexander and Victoria followed close behind, determined to let loose and enjoy the night.

With their glasses in hand, they made their way to the dance floor, the thumping beat enveloping them in its embrace. As they lost themselves in the music, the weight of their troubles lifted, if only for a moment, replaced by the euphoria of the moment.

The club's atmosphere thickened with the heat of the crowd, pulsating rhythms from the speakers guiding the bodies on the dance floor in a collective trance. Sebastian, Alexander, and Victoria, now somewhat liberated from the heavy cloak of their earlier endeavours, found themselves merging with the crowd, their movements a mixture of cathartic release and sheer abandon.

The lights, a kaleidoscope of colours, danced across Victoria's face, highlighting a rare smile that managed to break through the façade she had been holding up. She moved with a grace, the music a temporary balm to her wounds. Alexander and Sebastian flanked her, their protective presence unspoken yet palpable, offering her a semblance of safety in the eye of the storm.

With each song that blared through the speakers, they seemed to shed a layer of the tension that had built up over the past few days. Drinks flowed freely, a sweet yet burning trail of liquid courage that emboldened them to dance closer, laugh louder, and for a moment, forget the looming shadows of their double lives. Each sip seemed to wash away a worry, each toast a defiance against the darkness that awaited them outside.

The music, a relentless force, seemed to echo their own turbulent hearts, beat for beat. In the throng of strangers, they found an odd sense of belonging, a unity in the shared desire to escape, if only for a few hours.

In this world of sound, light, and fleeting connections, Sebastian, Alexander, and Victoria found an oasis in the desert. 

Victoria, her steps unsteady and her cheeks flushed from the alcohol and the warmth of the club, locks her gaze on Oliver from across the room. She pushes through the crowd, a determined albeit wobbly navigator, her sights set on him as if he were an anchor in the swirling sea of bodies.

"Ollie Wolly!" she exclaims with a giggle as she finally reaches him, her voice high-pitched and gleeful. The nickname, a playful twist on his name, hangs between them, adorned with the innocence of her tipsy mirth.

Oliver can't help but crack a smile, the seriousness that often shrouds his features giving way to amusement. He's taken aback by the sudden appearance of this spirited version of Victoria, her usual composure undone by the night's libations.