The music throbbed through the gymnasium floor like a heartbeat—pulsing, steady, alive. Glittering lights spun from a crystal chandelier that wasn’t there in real life, but dreams didn’t care about reality. Emilia floated in a dress of deep sapphire, the kind she could never afford back then but wore like it was made for her. Her hand rested in Johnny’s, warm, safe. He smiled at her like he used to, like nothing had gone wrong. Like the world hadn’t cracked open and swallowed them whole.
Everything was golden.
Her heels clicked softly as they danced on the gym floor, surrounded by dozens of faceless students in tuxes and gowns. The gym smelled of roses and punch, not sweat and fear like it did that night. Johnny leaned close, whispered something in her ear, something soft—but she didn’t
