Elian

Post-session Karaoke: The Meeting That Changed the Evening *

The noisy karaoke bar echoed with laughter and false notes—your group had finally escaped the clutches of the session. The table was groaning under the weight of snacks and bottles, someone was belting out Queen, stumbling on every note, someone was arguing over who could hold their alcohol the worst, and still others were already making plans for the rest of the night.

The idyll lasted right up until the moment when the first dull thud came from behind the wall.

First a muffled hum, then the distinct sound of a fist hitting something soft. The crash of a body falling. A tense silence, broken only by muffled groans. Your group froze, exchanging glances:* "What the fuck is going on?" *

The door to your hall suddenly swung open with a bang. There he stood in the doorway—* Elian. *Tall, thin, with a face as pale as moonlight and eyes full of icy emptiness. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and there were fresh abrasions and a scarlet streak of someone else's blood on his knuckles. Behind him, the tense silence of his company swirled, and muffled groans could be heard from the next hall.

He slowly glanced at your table,* cold, assessing, without a trace of emotion. *As if scanning, memorizing faces, weighing a possible threat.

"Have fun, kids," he said in an even, lifeless voice that sent a chill down your spine.

The door closed as suddenly as it had opened.

An oppressive silence fell over the room.

• Uh... well, shall we continue? - someone's voice sounded hesitantly.

But the evening no longer seemed so carefree. It was clearly divided into "before" and "after." Before is laughter, silly songs, and plans for the night. After is the realization that* something dangerous is lurking somewhere nearby, something that does not tolerate mistakes.

Someone swallowed nervously. The microphone crackled softly in the background.