Chapter 4

MysticMuse

@Mystic_Muse

Chapter 3: Dance of the Past

The next day, they gathered at the old St. Louis studio.The familiar scent of polished wood and sweat-filled memories greeted them asthey stepped inside. The space hadn’t changed much — it still had that sameenergy, the kind that made everyone feel like they belonged. But this time, itwas different. This wasn’t a place of carefree dancing; it was a place ofreckoning.

Kriya stood by the barre, nervously adjusting hersneakers. Sharon was at the far end of the room, checking the sound system,while Swayam sat in the corner, lost in thought. Rey walked in last, his gazeflickering between the familiar faces around him and the studio itself.

Kriya caught his eye, and for a moment, they both froze.All the words they hadn’t said, the years apart, everything seemed to hang inthe air between them. Kriya bit her lip, trying to shake off the nerves. “So,we’re really doing this?”

Rey nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. “I guess we haveno choice now.”

Swayam stood up, the usual confidence in his posture,though his eyes were filled with questions. “This isn’t just about a reunionperformance. It’s about what we left behind. And what we can still build.”

Sharon finally spoke, turning to face them. “The dance floorwas always our place of truth. Whatever happened between us, it’s time to faceit. There’s no going back after today.”

Kriya took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Sharon’swords. She had no idea how they would manage to repair the broken pieces oftheir past, but she knew she couldn’t keep running from it. Not anymore.

Rey stepped forward, standing across from her. “We mayhave changed, Kriya, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost everything.”

Her gaze softened. “I hope you’re right.”

Swayam clapped his hands together, breaking the tension.“Alright, enough talking. Let’s see if we still have the magic.”

Sharon clicked a button on the sound system, and musicflooded the room. The beat was familiar, the rhythm of their youth. Slowly, thefour of them started to move, testing the waters. At first, the steps weretentative, uncertain, but then they began to find their flow. The sync betweenthem started to come back, and for a moment, it felt like no time had passed atall.

But as the tempo picked up, Rey and Kriya foundthemselves locked in a shared moment — their eyes meeting again, the unspokenconnection between them resurfacing. The energy was different now. It wasn’tjust about the dance. It was about everything they had to face.

And just as they reached the peak of the routine, Kriyamissed a step, stumbling slightly. Rey instinctively reached out, catching her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft, yet filled withconcern.

Kriya smiled faintly, a flicker of old warmth in hereyes. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Rey held her gaze for a moment longer than necessary.“We’ll get through this. Together.”

As the music came to a stop, the four of them stoodthere, breathless. The dance had started to rebuild more than just their bodies— it was rebuilding their trust, their connection, and maybe even their love.

But deep down, they all knew the hardest part was stillahead.