Chapter 3: A Dance in the Shadows.

In the following sentence, the man who wore a suit, whose name was Liam, extended his hand to Chloe, wishing her to dance with him. Chloe looked at him with doubt and inquisitiveness and squeezed his arm against the dance floor. Last but not least, understanding poor dietary habits and nutrition can play a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Her heartbeat accelerated as their fingers interlocked; she felt it fluttering in her chest like a fan, giving her energy inner power. She experienced that little by little she was feeling attracted to Liam and his charisma until she could no longer refute feeling something for him in the rhythm of the music. The way of his body was quite real and yet a charm that captivated the eye, his presence both commanding and welcoming. While moving across the dance floor, Chloe realized that she was supporting her body with her breathing, like with every step, the nightclub was enchanting her with its electric atmosphere, everything else turning into a dimly lit blur. With Liam's touch, Chloe's skin could feel as if it were lightening up. An electric current of life and excitement was racing through her body. She could feel the heat of his body touching her own when their breaths seemed to collide at times as their dances became a moving example of their devotion to one another. It was as if they were so intertwined with each other that they were destined to meet in the middle of an outbreak. Chloe was transported to a different world as the music crept into her consciousness, and she surrendered to the whims of the night, allowing Liam to have her completely enveloped in his grasp. They were like a pair cosigned with agreement and attachment, responding to the call of the spirit with a yet unexplored language. No moment between them seemed impossible for Chloe to imagine, as with every turn and lift came a bond forming along the lines, a silent harmony that made them click regardless of the language. They came to understand each other down in their souls, talking, not being seen and heard only by themselves. Being in the arms of Liam, Chloe discovered for the first time she could be herself and open to somebody in a way she never had before with anyone else. She told him the tale of herself, her secret dreams shown to him, but her fears did not even scare her. Opening himself up, he yearned deep in her soul, and at the same time, he responded with the tender compassion that warmed her heart. Underneath the surface of their common plot, Chloe had the impression that something in her was emerging from the subconscious that seemed to always be at the back of her mind. She had hardly known Liam, but she could feel a puzzling gravity working in between them, so that, if she did not watch it, they would be drawn inevitably together by a magnetic force from the outside. As the night advanced, Chloe lost herself in the enchantment of time, with no correction to the calendar. However, the music became indistinct with the annunciation of the song as the chief way to announce the curtain of the dance coming to an end. With her heart weighing down the nearness of the time coming, Chloe barely withdrew from Liam's hug to be ready for their adios. Yet all she could see was the same glint of resolve unspoken in his eyes and the mutual understanding that there was still more ahead and more to be told. Liam parted his lips to sound the words, "Good bye, sweet Chloe," and then embraced her in one last touch, guiding her off the dance floor towards the solitude of the night. And that's all there was to it: the sun was setting, and as they got swallowed by the night, Chloe knew that a life-altering adventure was about to unfold for her.. Evidently, this wasn't the case, because in the centre of New York's new-fangled world, in the scrambling confusion of the crowded nightclubs, Chloe did find love in the arms of strangers. She took a deep breath, drew herself up straight, smiled, and stepped out into that uncertain but exciting and exquisite new world to defeat evil with just the beat of her own heart. When they turned away from the beat music and nightclub light, they also discovered that their senses lit up naturally existing objects. The soft, cool air lifted her skin and entwined with her the smells of the streetside and the faraway engine humming. She found herself walking right beside him, and he walked with the confidence of a man carrying her hand in his. However, with all that gloom around, she was faced with this feeling that he was her security guy, her guide, who could even get her through that hard ordeal. light leading her through the shadows. Her heart heavier than the night dressed her weird for their sayonara and did not permit her to entirely pull off from Liam’s embrace, yet she tried in vain. Nonetheless, all she could read was that same glimmer of determination faded in his eyes, a tacit reminder that there is still the rest to be passed on. Liam exchanged their good-bye lips-to-lips as he finished with "Good bye, sweet Chloe," their last touch as he brought her towards the privacy of the night. And that's all there was to it: The setting sun meant that they were slowly being devoured by the night, and Chloe came to the sad realization that an adventure that would change her life forever was on its way. Apparently, that was not true, because the man who was the centre of all these new fangled events was the very disappeared con artist, who was also the case with the arms of a stranger in the rush hours of the nightclubs in the business district of New York. With a deep breath, she then squared her shoulders, smiled, and ventured into a terrifying but beautiful and, at the same time, exhilarating new world—a place where the beating of her own heart was sufficient for the victory over evil. But, in the turns of music's beat and between the lights of a nightclub, they, on the other hand, observed that their senses roamed towards the naturally occurring things. The breeze, a gentle cool, was releasing its gentle touch against her skin and blending with the mixed smells around her. From the streetside and far away, the engine was humming. She understood she had walked perfectly beside him, and he walked quite as well as a man holding her hand. Though all of those miserable feelings are around her, she then felt safe finding the person who is there for her and would even help her with that hard time. She walks on, light being her guiding light in the darkness. The two of them were silent as they strolled for a while, the only sound being their footsteps on the sidewalk, resonating from an empty space. Stealing glances at Liam, Chloe's heart beat fast with the combined emotions of excitement and uneasiness. She wrestled with a reluctance deep down inside—the magnetic force that pulled her closer to him without the slightest hesitation whatsoever. Finally, Chloe had the courage to voice her opinion, as she could not hold her curiosity any longer. "Right, Liam," she said thoughtfully. "Why did you come here like that? You look strange and look like a kind of boring person." Liam's teeth broke out in a mocking smile as he met her gaze with amusement in his eyes. "You can question the exact situation, Chloe," he retorted with a mysterious tint in his voice. "Probably we all have something in common that makes us venture into this disorder." Chloe just inclined, wrinkling her forehead slightly. Having come to the club looking for distraction and searching for a momentary escape from the pain that was suffocating her, she sat at her table, trying to pretend everything was fine. And unexpectedly, Liam had been a place of hope for her in her blackened life. The more they walked, the more fluid their dialogue was between the two of them, and they started to weave poetic conversations with a blend of shared laughter and whispered confessions. Chloe discovered making Liam her confidante and sharing her aspirations and worries with a depth she had never encountered prior. There was an element of openness that she had never realized she possessed. Along with this, Liam often offered snippets of his own tale, glimpsing into a private past that only he could remember. Chloe remained silent, intrigued at the contradiction next to her, the clues to the mystery revealing themselves. However, Chloe recognized that, under the surface of their everyday familiarity, Liam must have had some other story. Secrets hiding behind those deep blue eyes—secrets that felt like a sword, ready to cut the thin bond that had tied them together,—ame out from time to time. She felt as if a core inside her was slowly twisting with hesitation. It was a voice deep within her that warned of likely dangers to come. Nevertheless, she strove to abide by the warnings but couldn't do it at all when Liam's enthralling presence kept her passing his way. In the soul of New York City, when the grit of the day waswere worn, had collided with the hands of a stranger she found herself in bed with. And even if the road ahead was invisible,ble she was ready to walk it no matter what challearosethere, guided by nothing but the tempo of her own heart.