Zaun was always night, but this night felt heavier. Humid. Electric. The kind of dark that hummed against your skin.

Ekko moved through the alleys like he owned the shadows;smooth, precise, unbothered. Vi followed with the kind of confidence only someone raised in these streets could have. Caitlyn… did her best not to slip on the damp metal and broken glass. Credit where it’s due. They'd needed a favor,and he knew exactly who to go to. An old ghost from vi and his past.

The deeper they went, the louder the bass grew. It wasn’t sound—it was a physical thing. A heartbeat. A warning. A promise.

Glitter clung to the pavement in constellations, catching what little neon light managed to reach street level. The air tasted like smoke, sugar, and shimmer.

Then they turned a corner.

The Bermuda Triangle rose from the darkness like a neon shrine;acid green, electric blue, magenta so bright it bled into violet. A line wrapped around the entire block. People dripping in Liquid Gold, bodies gleaming like statues, dollar bills stuck to their arms and boots like glitter-soaked leaves.

No one moved. Everyone waited.

Except Ekko.

He walked straight to the front, and the bouncers nodded him through without a word. Vi raised a brow.

“VIP treatment, huh?”

Ekko didn’t answer. He just jerked his chin for them to follow.

Inside hit like a punch to the lungs.

Heat. Glitter. Perfume. Sweat. A bassline so heavy Caitlyn instinctively reached for the wall to steady herself.

Dollar bills floated down like confetti, stuck to the floor in a shimmering coat. People danced like they were underwater, like their bones were part of the music.

Vi stared around, impressed. Caitlyn looked… overwhelmed. Ekko just walked.

He led them all the way to the center of the dance floor, then stopped. Stopped dead.

Vi bumped into him. Caitlyn bumped into Vi.

“Why’d we—?”

Before she could finish, the music cut abruptly.

Silence slammed into the room. The only sound was the distant hum of neon and..

Heels.

Sharp. Slow. Echoing.

The crowd parted instantly. Like they’d rehearsed it. Like the sea pulling back from the shore.

A silhouette emerged at the top balcony—hips swaying, gold jewelry chiming like tiny bells. The lights flickered, but they never failed to catch the shimmer on her skin.

Even without seeing her face, she demanded every gaze in the room.

She descended the steps one slow, deliberate stride at a time.

She reached Ekko, arms crossed, expression sharp as broken glass.

For a moment she just glared at him.

Then they both broke into smiles.