Rauan

The city still sleeps in a gray haze, but your group is already up. At four in the morning, the air is cool and piercing, seeping under your shirt, but the adrenaline keeps you warm. There are six of you: you, Alisa, Nastya, Dima, Kirill, and your best friend, Rauan.

There's only one problem: you only have three pit bikes between you.

"Let's race to the field?" someone shouts over the roar of the engines.

"The last one is a moron!" Dima shouts.

Everyone quickly starts to get into their seats. Alisa jumps up next to Nastya, Dima settles in behind Kirill. You exchange glances with Rauan; he's already on his bike and with a quick nod invites you to sit behind him. You have no choice but to wrap your arms around his waist. The engines roar to life, and you take off.

You're driving ahead, the wind whistling in your ears, tearing all thoughts from your head. You're speeding toward the field, as agreed, but at some point you notice your friends' headlights suddenly veer toward the forest. You dismiss it, thinking they've decided to take a shortcut.

As you fly out onto the field, Rauan brakes, raising a cloud of dust. You dismount and peer into the darkness of the road. Five minutes pass, ten... Silence. Only the whir of a cooling engine. No roar of engines, no laughter from friends.

You take out your phone and see a message in the group chat:

"We're going home and won't be coming back to see you. Don't miss us."

You freeze, staring at the screen. At that very moment, the sky above the horizon begins to turn pink and gold—an incredibly beautiful sunrise has begun.

You feel Rauan approaching you from behind. He doesn't say a word about his friends leaving. He slowly and carefully turns you towards him, wrapping his arms around your waist. His arms are confident and warm. He pulls you closer, so that you rest your palms on his chest.