Kazi whirled and twirled carefree in the middle of the pulsating dance floor, surrounded by flashing lights and lively beats. Her body moved in perfect harmony with the rhythm, the tips of her feet barely touching the ground. She was a whirlwind of energy, electrifying the air around her. The music pulsed through her veins, igniting a fire within her soul and with every leap and twist, Kazi felt a stirring of untapped power within her. It was times like these when she was perfectly in sync with herself and the universe; when the world faded into the background and only the rhythm mattered.
She laughed, her joy echoing above the thumping bass. Around her, people were clapping and cheering and joined in, but Kazi was in her own world. She was so in-tune with herself that she didn't notice the shadowed figure in the corner, watching her intently.
Suddenly, the music cut off. A flicker of static buzzed through the speakers. Confused murmurs rippled through the crowd. The lights flickered once… twice… then went dark.
And just like that, silence.
Kazi stood still, breathing heavily, her heart pounding louder than the speakers ever could. Then she felt it, a presence. Not a person. Not a crowd. Something... ancient. Watching. She turned. The air shifted.
The silence stretched unnaturally long. A few phones lit up, their blue glow barely piercing the black haze that enveloped the room. Kazi's eyes darted around. People whispered, some laughed nervously, others shouted at friends in the dark. But the presence she felt had nothing to do with them. It was singular, and focused on her.
She began moving towards the edge of the dance floor, the wooden planks creaking under her light steps. The feeling grew stronger with each footfall. Her breath caught in her throat, and her skin tingled as if a low current of energy had awakened around her.
"Kazi…" a voice whispered.
She froze. No one was close enough to speak that softly and be heard.
"Kazi…" it came again, this time behind her.
She spun around and saw no one. Only the low hum of confusion and cellphone flashlights casting giant, warped shadows on the walls. The room seemed bigger now, or maybe just emptier, like the crowd had thinned and left her standing alone at the center of something she didn't understand.
Then, in the flicker of a dying light, she saw it. A figure, tall, and cloaked in shadows. It did not move or blink. It was just watching.
Her pulse quickened. The pressure in the air thickened, pushing in around her like invisible hands. Then the lights came back on abruptly, almost blinding everyone in the process. The music resumed, skipping beats before falling back into rhythm. The crowd cheered, shrugged it off, and kept dancing as though nothing had happened.
But Kazi didn't move. The figure was gone, but she began questioning if the dark figure had ever really been there. She wasn't sure. But she knew one thing for certain,
Something had changed.