Club night

Club night
Jason POV
I shut my book with a soft thud, sliding it into my bag as the professor wrapped up for the day.
“Get some rest,” he said on his way out. “We meet next week for the test.”
Test.
Right.
Because apparently, near-death experiences and three actual deaths weren’t enough—academics still had to happen.
I slung my bag over my shoulder, glancing around as students began filing out, their energy noticeably lighter compared to the past few days.
To my left, Damon and Archie were deep in a conversation.
Archie doing most of the talking, obviously, while Damon just nodded like he was either agreeing or pretending to understand.
And Astrid—
She pushed her chair back and stood, making her way straight toward me and Killian.
Of course.
Because I made the mistake of talking to her during class.
She stopped right in front of me and poked my forehead.
“Next time you get me in trouble,” she said sweetly, “you’re doing my assignments for the entire semester.”
I laughed, raising both hands in surrender.
“Deal. Won’t happen again.”
She rolled her eyes like she didn’t believe me for a second.
Fair.
The rest of the group gathered not long after, naturally forming that chaotic circle we always did.
Archie clapped his hands once.
“So,” he announced. “What’s next? No classes today, tomorrow, or the next. We’re basically free half-humans.”
“Free and traumatized,” Odin added calmly.
“Same difference,” Archie shot back.
Astrid crossed her arms slightly.
“So what are we doing with all that free time?”
Killian smacked his lips like he’d been waiting for that question.
“No… don’t tell me it’s what I'm thinking.” Elsie groaned.
“Training.”
Dead silence.
Then—
Groans.
Loud. Dramatic. Collective.
Odin didn’t even hesitate.
“Don’t tell me you were actually about to say that.”
“I knew he was going to say it.” Elsie added.
“I was,” Killian replied, shrugging like it was obvious.
Zora stared at him.
“What exactly are we training for?” she asked. “Peace?”
“We need something fun,” she added.
Killian blinked.
“We literally just celebrated after defeating TBD.”
Dove scoffed.
“Yeah, and then the camp happened and ruined everything. So technically, we deserve a redo.”
I pressed my lips together.
“Our fun streak got interrupted.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Okay,” Killian said slowly, placing his hands on his hips like he was negotiating. “Fun… and training.”
We all exchanged looks.
“That’s not how that works,” Archie muttered.
He leaned closer to Killian slightly.
“Do you even know the kind of fun we’re talking about?” he asked in a whisper.
Killian leaned in too.
“No. Enlighten me.”
Archie’s grin widened.
“The kind that involves passports.”
Silence.
Then—
“What?” Killian blinked.
“What?” we blinked.
Archie straightened, looking genuinely confused.
“Wait—don’t tell me you guys didn’t get that was what I meant.”
“Yeah, no,” Dove said flatly.
“At the moment?” Elsie added. “Also no.”
Hera tilted her head slightly.
“I mean… it is on my bucket list to visit another country.”
“Same,” Damon said.
“But right now?” Astrid cut in. “Absolutely not.”
Archie smacked his lips, hands going to his waist dramatically.
“Wow. No sense of adventure.”
“So what kind of fun then?” he asked.
Elsie raised her hand slightly.
“Maybe—”
“Please don’t say beach,” Archie cut in immediately.
Elsie slapped her forehead.
“I wasn’t going to say beach!”
She hit his arm.
“I was thinking something where we invite Nyx, her boyfriend, and his sister over.”
Astrid nodded slowly.
“Okay… I like that.”
I raised a brow.
“Okay…?”
“An amusement park?” Elsie added.
“Not bad,” I said.
“Nightclub,” Hera threw in.
“Still not bad.”
“Underground fight,” Killian added casually.
Every single head turned to him.
“I like that one,” Astrid said, a small smile forming.
I sighed immediately.
“Oh no…”
“All of them sound good,” Astrid continued, now fully smiling. “We can do everything.”
“Everything?” I repeated.
Everyone nodded.
Of course they did.
“Great,” Astrid said. “I’ll text my sister. So—what are we doing tonight?”
“The nightclub,” Hera answered without hesitation. “We dress like absolute baddies and dance.”
Archie snapped his fingers.
“Finally, someone with vision.”
Killian nodded.
“And while we’re there, we find someone connected to underground fights.”
Damon looked at him immediately.
“You’re not planning to fight, right?”
Killian shrugged.
“No promises.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Before that could spiral further, someone approached us.
We all turned.
Gracie.
She stopped a few steps away, her posture slightly awkward, her gaze dropping before she spoke.
“Hi…”
We exchanged quick glances.
“Hey,” we replied, almost in sync.
She looked up again, offering a small, hesitant smile.
“I just wanted to say… thank you,” she said, her eyes landing on Hera. “For yesterday. On the bus.”
Hera blinked, clearly caught off guard.
“Oh… that?” she said, scratching the back of her neck slightly. “It’s nothing.”
Killian spoke up.
“Sorry about your friend though.”
Gracie nodded quietly.
“Yeah… thanks.”
“You know what happened to the Shawn guy?” Astrid asked.
“Just as expected, he got most of the blame from his parents….” She replied
“Oh…”
Then she turned back to Hera.
“You use iMessage, right?”
Hera froze for half a second.
“Uh—yeah… I do.”
Gracie pulled out her iPhone, stepping closer and holding it near Hera’s.
A soft ding.
Contact shared.
Simple as that.
“I’ll text you,” she said, stepping back. “Bye.”
She waved.
At all of us.
Then walked off.
We watched her go.
“…Did she just wave at all of us?” Elsie asked.
“Yeah,” Damon added. “Like we collectively gave her our numbers.”
“That’s… new,” Odin said.
Hera stared down at her phone.
“That’s weird,” she muttered.
Archie grinned.
“Or she just thinks you’re cool.”
Hera looked up slowly.
“Did you say ‘thinks’?” she asked, poking his forehead.
He flinched.
“Okay—okay, correction—you are cool. Confirmed. Verified.”
We laughed.
But Hera didn’t.
Not really.
She sighed, turning her phone off.
“I’m not doing this again,” she muttered. “I’m not falling for another Serene.”
The name alone shifted the mood slightly.
Yeah.
We all remembered.
Hera had trusted her.
Spent time with her.
And it turned out—
It was all fake.
Serene had been one of them.
No remorse.
No guilt.
Just betrayal.
Astrid softened slightly.
“We know,” she said. “But you can’t always tell from the start.”
Hera rolled her eyes.
“Exactly. Which is why I’m not trying.”
A pause.
Then she clapped her hands lightly.
“Anyway. Enough of that. Let’s go home and get ready for tonight.”
Good call.
We all nodded.
Because honestly?
After everything—
We needed the distraction.
“The driver’s waiting,” I said, adjusting my bag.
And just like that—
We moved.

HOURS LATER
Astrid POV
My room looked like a crime scene.
Clothes everywhere.
On the bed. On the chair. Half hanging off the mirror. One heel on the floor like it had been violently rejected mid-decision.
“I have nothing to wear,” I said for the fifth time, staring into my closet like it had personally betrayed me.
Behind me, Sable let out the most dramatic scoff I had ever heard.
“You have everything to wear,” she corrected, holding up two dresses. “You just don’t know what you want to look like.”
I turned.
“I know exactly what I want to look like.”
She raised a brow.
“Dangerous,” I said.
“Predictable,” she replied.
I narrowed my eyes.
She grinned.
“Try this,” she said, tossing a dress at me.
I caught it and blinked.
Black.
Short.
Silk.
The kind that hugged everything like it had a personal mission.
“You’re trying to kill someone?” I asked.
“Maybe,” she said simply. “Or maybe you just walk in and remind everyone who you are.”
I stared at the dress for a second longer.
Then—
“…okay, I like it.”
“Of course you do.”
I changed quickly, stepping out a minute later and turning toward the mirror.
Yeah.
Okay.
This?
This was it.
The dress clung perfectly, the slit teasing just enough, the neckline sitting dangerously confident without trying too hard.
I tilted my head slightly.
“Too much?” I asked.
Sable walked up beside me, scanning me from head to toe.
“Not enough,” she said. “Wait.”
She moved fast—grabbing a pair of heels, handing them to me.
“Wear those.”
I slipped them on.
Then she adjusted my hair slightly, pushing it back.
“Now,” she said, stepping back.
I looked again.
And smiled.
“Yeah,” I said. “This is dangerous.”
Sable nodded approvingly.
“You’re welcome.”
I turned to her.
“What about you?”
She smirked.
“Already handled.”
She stepped back, revealing her outfit—
A deep red fitted dress, off-shoulder, hugging her curves like it was painted on.
I blinked.
“…oh.”
She winked.
“Exactly.”
We both laughed.
Tonight?
Yeah.
We were not coming to play.

Elsie POV
“Dove, I swear if you throw that shoe at me—”
“Then stop moving!”
“I’m breathing!”
“Exactly! Stop doing that!”
I froze.
“…you want me to stop breathing?”
Dove paused.
“…not permanently. Just like—less dramatically.”
I stared at her through the mirror.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Zora snorted from the bed.
“This is why I didn’t volunteer to help.”
“Because you’re useless,” Dove shot back.
“Because I’m smart,” Zora corrected.
I huffed, turning back to the mirror.
Okay.
Focus.
Outfit.
I smoothed down my dress—a soft champagne-colored mini dress, delicate but fitted, the kind that looked innocent until you actually looked properly.
Which—
Was exactly the point.
“Elsie,” Dove said, stepping closer. “You look like you’re going to a brunch.”
“I am not!” I gasped.
“You are,” Zora confirmed. “A rich aunt’s brunch.”
My jaw dropped.
“Wow.”
“Add something,” Dove said, already reaching for my things. “Heels. Accessories. Something that says ‘I didn’t come here to discuss tea.’”
I sighed dramatically.
“This is stressful.”
“You’re making it stressful.”
Five minutes later—
I looked in the mirror again.
Okay.
Now?
Different.
Heels on.
Hair styled.
A little more attitude in the look.
“…oh,” I said softly.
Dove smiled.
“There she is.”
Zora nodded.
“Yeah, now you look like you might ruin someone’s night.”
I blinked.
“…that’s the goal?”
“Always,” they said in unison.
I laughed.
Okay.
Maybe I liked this version of me.

Dove POV
I looked amazing.
I just needed everyone else to catch up.
“Zora,” I called, adjusting my outfit. “Are you seriously still sitting there?”
“I’m observing,” she replied calmly.
“You’re procrastinating.”
“Same thing.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back to the mirror.
My outfit?
Perfect.
Black leather pantstight, obviously. A cropped top that showed just enough, paired with a jacket I wasn’t even planning to wear properly.
Effortless.
Deadly.
“Thoughts?” I asked, turning slightly.
Elsie gasped.
“Okay, wow.”
Zora gave a slow nod.
“Yeah, I hate to admit it, but you ate.”
I smirked.
“I know.”
“Confidence is crazy,” Zora added.
“Jealousy is louder my love,” I shot back.
She laughed.
Then finally stood up.
“Fine. My turn.”

Zora POV
I don’t do “extra.”
I do effective.
But apparently, tonight required “extra.”
So here we are.
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the strap of my outfit—a sleek dark green bodycon dress, simple but sharp, hugging just enough without screaming for attention.
“See?” I said, turning slightly. “Effortless.”
Dove folded her arms.
“Safe.”
Elsie winced.
“Very safe.”
I blinked.
“…safe?”
“Yes,” Dove said. “You look like you’re going to politely reject men.”
“I am going to reject men.”
“Not politely.”
I sighed.
“Of course, you are mine already.” Dove smirked as she kissed my forehead.
Ten minutes later
I stared at myself again.
Hair different.
Makeup slightly bolder.
Heels higher.
The same dress—but somehow not the same.
“…okay,” I admitted.
Dove grinned.
“Exactly.”
Elsie clapped softly.
“You look so good!”
I smirked slightly.
“Yeah. I do.”

Hera POV
I didn’t need help.
I never needed help.
But apparently—
Everyone felt entitled to comment.
“Too much,” Archie said from the door.
“Too little,” Damon added.
“Wrong vibe,” Elsie chimed in from behind.
I turned slowly.
“Do you all want to die tonight?”
Silence.
“Thought so.”
I turned back to the mirror, adjusting my outfit.
A deep wine-colored dress. High slit. Backless. Sharp.
Powerful.
Exactly what I wanted.
I picked up my heels, slipping them on with ease.
“Now?” I asked, turning.
Everyone paused.
Then…
“…okay,” Archie said. “Now you look like you’ll ruin lives.”
“Good,” I replied.
Damon nodded.
“Respectfully terrifying.”
Elsie smiled.
“I love it.”
I smirked.
“Of course you do.”
I grabbed my phone, checking my reflection one last time.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Tonight?
If anything tried me—
It wouldn’t end well for them.
“Let’s go,” I said.
And just like that
We were ready.