The one retrieved from The Void

As Zola made her way back to the dance floor, Vas remained in his booth, feeling the slight thrum of the music vibrate through the leather seat. Amy, still beside him, glanced over with a hesitant smile, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her dress.

"You don't like clubs much, do you?" she asked softly, her voice barely rising above the background music.

Vas shook his head with a small smile. "Not really. I'm more comfortable observing from the sidelines."

Amy nodded, pushing her glasses up nervously. "I get it. Sometimes, it's easier to just… watch everyone else."

They shared a brief, understanding silence before Amy spoke again. "Aleara and I… we like to stay out of the spotlight too, usually. But she's always pushing me to have more fun." Her gaze flicked toward Aleara, who was laughing heartily with Victor by the bar.

"She seems to care about you a lot," Vas noted, his gaze following hers.

Amy smiled fondly. "She does. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. She always looks out for me, even when I don't ask her to. She's just… like that."

Vas could hear the warmth in Amy's voice as she spoke about her friend. It was clear that their bond ran deep, providing Amy with a sense of security that Vas sometimes found himself longing for. The club lights flickered in patterns, casting neon glows across their faces, and for a brief moment, the world outside the booth felt distant and irrelevant.

"You two seem close," Vas observed.

"We are," Amy said, her smile growing a bit wider. "She always knows when I need a push, and I guess that's why I'm here tonight instead of… anywhere else."

The lights shifted, and for a moment, Vas caught sight of Zola twirling in the middle of the dance floor, her braids spinning out in fluid arcs. Her sarcasm, while sharp, was balanced by an undeniable ease with the people around her. She caught his eye for a second, flashing him a mischievous smirk before turning back to the others.

"Zola's something else," Vas remarked with a soft laugh.

Amy nodded, her cheeks slightly pink. "She's... different. But in a good way."

The music pulsed louder for a moment, the tempo picking up, signaling a shift in the club's energy. Beck and Aleara were now laughing along with Victor and Carmilla, clearly enjoying themselves in their small group. Kairo stood off to the side, arms folded, surveying the dance floor like a sentinel, while Zola was effortlessly blending in with the crowd, occasionally exchanging witty comments with anyone who dared to approach her.

Amy glanced over again, her gaze soft. "You know, if you ever feel like joining them... I could stay here and watch your soda for you."

Vas chuckled at that, the idea of Amy acting as his soda guardian oddly comforting. "Thanks, but I think I'm good here. Besides, I'm not sure they need me out there."

Amy tilted her head, her smile growing a bit bolder. "Well, maybe you don't need them either. You seem pretty good at finding your own way."

The remark, simple yet profound, hung in the air between them as the night carried on. For the first time in a long while, Vas didn't feel entirely out of place, even though he wasn't dancing or getting swept up in the club's chaotic energy. He had Amy's quiet company beside him, and somehow, that was enough for now.

The night stretched on, and though everyone around them seemed engrossed in their own worlds, Vas and Amy shared their little corner of peace amidst the frenzy. And as the neon lights flashed and the music pounded, Vas couldn't shake the subtle feeling that, despite his own quiet nature, he had begun carving out a space for himself among the ever-shifting dynamics of his world.

Aleara let out a soft, uneasy laugh that quickly faded into silence. Vas remained quiet for a few moments, sipping on his drink while his mind worked over the encounter with his sister. The atmosphere between them was awkward and charged, neither of them quite knowing what to say next.

"I didn't mean for things to turn out this way, you know," Aleara said softly, her gaze fixed on the drink in front of her.

Vas sighed, tapping the side of his glass with his fingers. "I guess that's life," he replied, shrugging lightly. "We just drifted."

She nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line as if she was holding back more words. The silence between them stretched on, the noise of the club seeming oddly distant now.

"Do you regret it?" Aleara asked quietly, turning slightly to look at him. "Not trying harder?"

Vas exhaled sharply, his expression clouding with thought. He wasn't sure how to answer that. Maybe once upon a time, he would have regretted it—letting his family slip away. But now? It felt like something beyond his control, as if the paths they had chosen were never meant to meet again. 

"I don't know," he finally said, his voice soft but honest. "I don't know if it would've made a difference."

Aleara looked down again, fidgeting with the edge of her jacket. "Maybe," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Or maybe it would've made all the difference."

Vas shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading. Just as the weight of it threatened to press down further, the energy around them seemed to shift. A familiar figure approached, breaking the tension with a mix of sarcasm and curiosity.

"Are we having a heart-to-heart here, or should I get tissues for this touching moment?" Zola teased, her voice cutting through the heaviness like a blade. She had returned from the dance floor, a sheen of sweat glistening on her skin as she grinned playfully at them both.

Aleara immediately straightened, her earlier vulnerability vanishing as she forced a small smile. "No need for tissues," she replied, her voice lightening. "Just catching up with my brother."

Zola raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but she didn't push. Instead, she turned her attention to Vas, leaning against the edge of the table. "So, brooding loner, what's got you all serious over here?"

Vas gave her a bemused look. "Just having a drink. Not much else."

"Mm-hmm," Zola hummed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, you missed quite the show out there. I'm thinking next time, you should join me."

"Next time?" Vas echoed with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, definitely," Zola shot back, folding her arms. "Wouldn't want you to waste your mysterious, brooding aura just sitting here all night."

Aleara chuckled faintly, and even Vas allowed himself a slight smile. Zola's bold, sarcastic charm was a welcome change of pace, cutting through the awkwardness between him and his sister.

"Alright, I'll bite," Vas said, leaning forward slightly. "What's your next plan, then?"

Zola grinned, leaning closer as if sharing a secret. "How about you and me go show these amateurs how it's done on the dance floor?"

Vas gave her an amused, half-lidded look. "You really think you can keep up?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Zola quipped back, her confidence unwavering. "But hey, if you're scared…"

Vas chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright, alright. Let's see what you've got."

Aleara, watching them with a small, wistful smile, rose to her feet. "I think I'll leave you two to it," she said gently. "I've got to check on Amy anyway. Make sure she hasn't gotten lost in the bathroom."

Vas glanced at her, his expression softening just a bit. "Don't let her get too overwhelmed," he said, his tone laced with some concern. "She's not used to crowds like this."

Aleara nodded, offering him a final, almost hesitant glance before disappearing into the crowd.

As Zola led Vas toward the dance floor, she looked back at him with a sly grin. "You know, for a brooding loner, you've got more layers than I expected."

Vas snorted. "Careful, Zola. You might find out more than you bargained for."

Zola laughed as they reached the thrumming beat of the dance floor. "Well, I like a challenge," she said over the music, flashing him one last mischievous grin before pulling him into the pulse of the crowd.

The night wasn't over yet. For a moment, Vas allowed himself to be lost in it, forgetting the weight of family and history, and simply letting the rhythm of the night carry him forward.

The dance floor was a sea of movement and color, the lights flashing in a kaleidoscope of neon hues. Zola was in her element, her energy infectious as she danced with an uninhibited freedom that drew others in. Vas found himself caught up in the rhythm, his earlier brooding giving way to a sense of exhilaration he hadn't anticipated.

As they moved together, Zola's playful banter continued amidst the music. "You're not bad at this," she shouted over the beat, her voice full of challenge. "Didn't expect the brooding loner to have such moves."

Vas grinned, matching her energy. "Just trying to keep up. You're setting a pretty high bar."