Location: Avalon Beach – Nightfall
The bonfire crackled.
Soft indie music played from a speaker half-buried in sand. The ocean rolled gently in the distance, glowing faintly beneath the moonlight.
Blankets were spread out in a loose circle. Someone passed around s'mores. Someone else poured sparkling juice into red cups.
It was the kind of night you didn't forget.
And wouldn't want to.
"Truth or Dare?" Azra asked, her voice low and mischievous.
Liora (grinning): "Yes. Absolutely yes."
Scene: The Game Begins
Everyone was warm, full, and relaxed—the perfect setup for a little chaos.
Zaria: "Liora. Truth. Who's your crush on this trip?"
Liora (laughing): "Nope. I plead enchantment."
Caelan: "That's not a legal defense."
Isla: "You have to answer."
Liora (teasing): "Fine… someone with really good taste in poetry and terrible taste in hats."
Everyone turned to Noah.
Noah immediately took off his hat.
Liora just winked.
Round Two: The Dare
Jace: "Azra. Dare. Go serenade the ocean."
Azra (mock offended): "You dare me to sing to water?"
Selene (coolly): "Yes. Make it cry."
Azra stood, walked toward the water in full dramatic flair, and belted out an overly dramatic, off-key version of "My Heart Will Go On."
Everyone lost it.
Even Caelan cracked up, falling back in the sand.
Round Three: Unexpected Shift
Selene: "Caelan. Truth."
Caelan (quietly): "Alright."
Selene: "What scares you the most?"
The fire popped. The group fell into silence.
Caelan's eyes flicked to his sisters. Then to the stars.
"Forgetting moments like this ever happened."
And just like that… the laughter dimmed into something gentler.
Scene: Flickers of Feeling
Liora leaned her head on Noah's shoulder.
Azra and Zaria shared a knowing smirk.
Isla was sketching the firelight on her napkin, quietly humming.
Jace and Selene sat close but didn't touch—both quietly aware of how close they'd become.
And Caelan?
He didn't speak again.
He just watched everyone laugh, sip, tease—and etched the night into his memory.
Final Moments
The game faded.
The fire died low.
Blankets turned into pillows. Laughter became quiet conversations. Fingers intertwined in secret. Hearts did that dangerous, beautiful thing: they opened.
Somewhere in the haze of salt air and moonlight, family became more than blood.
It became this.
"Don't forget this," Liora whispered, half-asleep.
No one would.