Chapter 7

MysticMuse

@Mystic_Muse

Chapter 6: Unraveling theThreads

The days leading up to the reunion showcase were a blurof rehearsals, self-reflection, and quiet moments shared between Rey and Kriya.Despite their growing connection, the undercurrent of their past still tuggedat them, threatening to unravel everything they were trying to rebuild.

Rey had noticed the small changes in Kriya — the way shesmiled a little more easily, the way her eyes softened when she looked at him.But there were also moments where she’d pull back, retreating behind walls hecouldn’t break down, leaving him with a knot in his chest. He knew the road tohealing wasn’t going to be simple, but with each step, they seemed to begetting closer. At least, he hoped they were.

One evening after practice, the group gathered in thestudio for a final run-through of their routine. The music blared from thespeakers, a mix of upbeat rhythms and fast tempo. It was a song that had becometheir anthem during the earlier days of their time together. As thechoreography flowed, Rey caught Kriya’s eye. They were in sync, their bodiesmoving as if they were one. But for the first time in a long while, Rey feltlike there was something missing.

Kriya stumbled slightly, her foot catching on the floor.She quickly recovered, but Rey couldn’t ignore the moment of hesitation.Something was wrong.

“Kriya, are you okay?” he asked, walking toward her.

She looked at him, her expression unreadable. “Yeah. I’mfine.”

But Rey wasn’t convinced. He stepped closer, lowering hisvoice. “Kriya, if something’s bothering you, you know you can talk to me.”

Her gaze shifted away from him, and she took a step back,her discomfort palpable. “It’s not that simple, Rey.”

He felt a pang of frustration, but he tried to keep histone calm. “Why not? We’ve been through so much together already. Why can’t weface whatever this is?”

Swayam, who had been watching from the sidelines, steppedin. “Maybe it’s not about facing it all at once. Maybe it’s about taking onestep at a time.”

Kriya nodded, looking at Swayam with gratitude. “It’sjust... I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were. I don’t know ifI’m ready for that.”

Rey’s heart sank, but he didn’t want to push her. “I’mnot asking for that, Kriya. I just want us to move forward. No more running, nomore pretending. Whatever happens, we do it together.”

Kriya’s eyes met his, and for a brief moment, the worldaround them faded. She took a deep breath, her words barely above a whisper.“I’m scared, Rey. Scared of what happens if I let myself feel too much. Scaredthat I might lose myself again.”

Rey reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair fromher face. “You won’t lose yourself, Kriya. You’re stronger than you think. AndI’ll be right here, every step of the way.”

The tension between them softened, and for the first timein a long while, Kriya allowed herself to believe him.

But even as they stood there, the music playing in thebackground, both knew that the road ahead would not be easy. There were stillpieces of their past they had to confront, things they had buried under layersof time and silence. And yet, in that moment, they chose to move forward.Together.