A sound as attention-grabbing as the lights in that room. The beat of the music pulsed, and the people inside jumped along with it. People? Or were they androids again? What was all this—a social experiment? For what purpose? But at that moment, the only thing that mattered was helping Zeki.
I looked around carefully. Apparently, I was at a nightclub for the first time. Bathrooms on either side, drinks and drugs being sold, and a well-lit stage in the center. The people looked real to me... It was six in the morning... How long do parties last in Los Angeles?
Suddenly, someone appeared on stage, and a spotlight lit them up.
"Time to spice up this party!!"
Everyone screamed like they were celebrating something.
"We've got two intruders trying to ruin the fun. What do you think about that?!"
Boos erupted instantly.
"If you spot them, just press the button in front of the stage and select their photo on the panel. It's important not to let them ruin the party. Good luck!!!"
So it was simple: shut down the party and we could move on. Simple... maybe too simple.
But first, we had to make sure we didn't get caught. Tony wasn't a problem—he was jumping around and spinning his shirt to the beat.
And the best way to end a party? Kill the music. I headed to the back of the stage, but before I could do anything, someone pressed the button.
"He stole my drink! He must be an impostor!"
A spotlight landed on the person, a green dot lit up on their forehead, and then a gunshot echoed. For a few seconds, the music stopped and everyone fell silent. Had someone just died?
The music resumed, and people acted like nothing had happened. I rushed through the crowd to see if it was real. And there it was—the body lying on the floor, covered in blood. And the crowd kept dancing.
"Nuh Nuh."
Tony had turned away, unable to look. How far does people's ignorance go? This had to be some kind of hypnosis—and the music was probably the trigger. I needed to get to the back of the stage, but if they saw anything suspicious, they'd press the button.
"Tony, I need you to sing. I promise it'll be quick."
"Nuh-uh!"
He turned his face and crossed his arms.
"I know you like Miley Cyrus, but she won't match this beat... Have you ever listened to Queen?"
He glanced at me sideways—looked interested.
"Steve walks warily down the street..."
I started singing slowly.
"With the brim pulled way down low..."
Each verse drew him in more. And when the chorus hit, he couldn't resist and joined in.
"Another one bites the dust!"
Suddenly, everyone around us started paying attention—he was literally glowing. As the crowd became fully immersed in Tony's superstar performance, I ran to the back of the stage.
The speakers were there. All I had to do was disconnect them and move on to the next room. In the blink of an eye, the sound cut out—but the energy didn't drop. Tony's singing had inspired others to start belting out tunes. The plan had backfired.
I put my hands on my head, trying to think of another way to kill the vibe. What kind of spell was this? These people were completely hypnotized. What if it was the drinks?
The drinks were being sold on the left side of the stage. I asked Tony to buy one for me since I was underage.
"Hmm..."
"Don't drink it yet—we don't know what's in it."
I tried analyzing the smell, but I wasn't a chemist. It seemed like a normal drink.
"Hey Kobba! I really like you, okay? You're one of the coolest people I know, I swear."
Tony said that while hugging me.
"You drank it? How? The cup's still full—and with me."
"I didn't drink it, I sweaaaar."
He'd bought two drinks and could've jeopardized the mission, but at least now I knew the drink wasn't dangerous—he was just a lightweight.
How do you end a party? "The night is young"—what kind of clue is that? How does that help me solve anything... Speaking of being young, I don't think I've been to a party since I was eleven. It was a school party, and they held a talent show. When it was my turn to perform, I got so nervous I threw up on stage. I was just supposed to tell a few jokes... Anyway, the party stopped because of me. Stopped? That's it.
"Tony! Grab as many cups as you can!"
"Whatever you say, my dear."
I'd never had a sip of beer in my life. Without thinking, I drank one, two, three—and by the fourth, I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't feel drunk, everything seemed normal.
All I needed to do was something ridiculous on stage—but for some reason, I didn't feel embarrassed. Until the drink kicked in.
"Everyone, look at me! Yes, me!"
My vision started spinning as I tried to recall that talent show moment.
"Why was water arrested? Because it murdered thirst! Hahaha."
For some reason, everyone laughed at my terrible joke. How could I make it even more ridiculous? I took off my shirt and tried to breakdance.
"Check this out—I'm a breakdance genius!"
Everyone started applauding. Were these people unshakable? No matter what happened, they kept dancing and partying—even with a dead body in the room.
"What an amazing party, huh?! It's almost seven in the morning and you're still dancing! Woohoo!"
The sounds of jumping and singing began to fade.
"People can die and the party still goes on. I'm sixteen and I've never been to a party like this. For me, this was a burden—but you know what? I'm glad I never hung out with people like this!"
Movement started near the button as I kept talking.
"You're all trash, pathetic and ridiculous. I've been trying to end this damn party for half an hour and I still—"
I felt a bubbling in my stomach mid-sentence, and the vomit came instantly. I covered the stage in it. When I looked up, everyone was booing and cursing me.
People finally started leaving, but before I could finish the job, someone pressed the button.
"Impostor! Impostor! Impostor!"
The spotlight was on me, and the green light marked my forehead. At least the job was done—and Tony could move forward.
"Hmmm!!!"
Tony jumped in to save me from the first shot. He picked me up and ran to the bathroom.
"Hmm! Hmm!"
He seemed to have snapped out of it just to save me—but it wouldn't be easy. Two more green lights appeared inside the bathroom. The crowd outside kept shouting at us, and I was about to die—shot in the head, booed by a bunch of detestable people.
"Hmm."
"Quiet, Tony! I want to die in peace."
Wait... I'm still alive?
When I opened my eyes, everything was empty. A white room again. A door opened. A pink light was shining, and we ran toward it.
Screams. Sounds of fighting. Something was happening...
It was Naomi and Zeki. Fighting each other.
What was going on?