Dum! Dum! Dum!
A girl with a high ponytail sauntered through the throng, hips swaying, weaving her way past the crowd lost in the pulse of the music. The heavy bass rattled the floor, seeping into skin and bone, as the scent of sweat and liquor clung to the air like a second skin.
Her lips, red as freshly crushed roses, drew the eyes of lonely men like moths to a flame. A few made their move, bold and eager, but she slipped away with effortless grace — a master of the game. Fingers curling around a glass of vodka, she lifted it with a playful smirk, swirling the liquid.
But before the rim ever touched her lips, a voice tore through the noise.
"Zata!"
She turned, the smirk widening into a grin as she caught sight of Inggit weaving her way through the crowd.
"God, you're insane! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Inggit yelled, breathless and exasperated.
"Huh? What?" Zata called back, the music swallowing her words.
"WE'RE GOING HOME! YOU'RE DRUNK, YOU CRAZY GIRL!" Inggit bellowed into her ear.
Finally, Zata heard her — and burst into laughter. That was just how they were, throwing curses like affection, their friendship old enough to blur the line between insult and love. They were sisters, not by blood, but by every bond that mattered.
"Nah! I'm not done yet!" Zata grinned, brushing her off. She kicked off her heels, tugged free the tie in her hair, and in a flash, darted away barefoot. With the wildness of a storm, she climbed onto the small stage, twirling herself around the pole as the crowd erupted in whistles and cheers.
Inggit sighed, dragging a hand down her face. "Maniac," she muttered under her breath.
Zata moved with abandon, her body a ribbon in the music's grasp, her heart pounding with nothing but the thrill of freedom. She didn't know what great cosmic favor she'd done to deserve a life so sweet, so untouched by hardship — but whatever it was, she wasn't about to question it.
Why should she? Life was for joy, for chaos, for laughing until you forgot how to cry.
And Zata?
Zata was born to dance in the storm.
***
Headache.
That was the only word Zata could use to describe how she felt right now. It wasn't just the pounding in her head—her stomach churned, and her whole body ached. Just how much had she drunk last night?
Groaning, Zata sat up in bed and rubbed her forehead. Complaining on a sunny morning was said to bring bad luck, so instead, she stretched her limbs and let out a big yawn. For a few moments, she stared blankly around the unfamiliar room, trying to piece together the events of the night before.
Wait a second...
Zata froze. She could feel someone else's leg under the blanket. Instinctively, she threw the blanket off the bed, sending it flying to the floor.
"Nngh…"
Relief washed over her as she saw Inggit, lying face down and fast asleep. Of course. Inggit had a habit of pulling the blanket over herself like a cocoon.
"Ugh, why'd you take the blanket off?" Inggit grumbled, already sensing the loss of warmth.
"It's morning, Inggit. What time were you planning on getting up?" Zata muttered as she climbed out of bed. She grabbed the hotel pajamas provided as part of the room service and shuffled toward the balcony.
Settling into one of the chairs outside, Zata unlocked her phone. The first app she opened was Web Novel. A deep sigh escaped her just as Inggit plopped down beside her, a piece of bread stuffed in her mouth.
"What's wrong? Sad ending?" Inggit peeked at her screen, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Zata gnawed nervously on her thumbnail as she scrolled through the latest chapter. I'm In Love With A Second Lead was her current obsession, and she followed every update religiously. Seeing the title "Epilogue" on the newest chapter sent a wave of dread through her.
"Ugh…"
"What? What happened?"
Zata buried her face in her hands. "Cliffhanger."
"Seriously?!" Inggit grabbed the phone to read the last part herself. "Whoa… you're right. Total cliffhanger."
"I'm so done."
"Hey, hey! There's a season two!"
Zata's eyes widened. "What?! Where, where?" She reached for her phone, but Inggit quickly held it out of reach.
"Hold up! Before that, you're coming with me this afternoon."
"Huh? Where? No way, I just want to lie down all day. My head's still pounding."
Inggit rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, I was the one who dragged your sorry butt back to the hotel and cleaned up your vomit, remember? And you're the one with the hangover?"
Zata grinned sheepishly. "Heh… heh… thanks, Inggit. You're seriously the best frie—ow!"
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DRINK EVER AGAIN!" Inggit yelled, smacking Zata with a pillow. Zata dodged, but another pillow hit her square in the face.
"I mean it! No more drinking!"
"B—but!"
"Unless you come with me to the movies this afternoon!"
"Oh, come on… seriously, Inggit, I'm not up for it…"
Inggit crossed her arms. "You have to! You must! It's just been released today!"
"What movie is it, anyway? If it's boring, I swear I'm not going."
"I promise, it's amazing! It's the first Indonesian animated movie set in a fantasy kingdom—kind of like anime, but an original Indonesian production. I watched the trailer this morning. It's called The Beast and His Secret!" Inggit's excitement was contagious.
Zata sighed. Honestly, she still wanted to say no—but seeing Inggit's glowing face made it hard to refuse.
"And the best part—we're watching it in 3D! Isn't that awesome? I already bought the tickets for both of us. I'm picking you up later, okay?!"
Zata hesitated, making Inggit fidget nervously. "…Fine. Whatever you say."
"YAY!"
"Seriously, Inggit, you really need to get yourself a boyfriend so you stop dragging me around," Zata teased.
Inggit ran up and hugged her tightly. "Yeah, yeah—thank you!"
Zata smiled softly in her arms. "You're welcome."
***
As promised, Inggit showed up to pick Zata up that evening. Honestly, Inggit was more like Zata's personal driver at this point, constantly ferrying her around—and Zata paid her generously for it. Not that Inggit minded; she saw it as a nice side gig and a way to milk Zata's never-ending fortune.
"You're so slow!" Zata grumbled as Inggit approached, wearing her 3D glasses and balancing two buckets of popcorn.
"There, there, princess. Here's yours," Inggit chirped, handing Zata her popcorn and glasses.
This movie better be good, Zata thought as she followed Inggit inside, or I'm totally sleeping through it. My eyes are already so heavy.
Oddly, as they entered the theater, something about the atmosphere felt… strange. It wasn't their first 3D movie together, but today felt different.
After almost half an hour, the theater was packed. People chatted excitedly as ads and trailers played on the big screen.
"Do you know the plot?" Inggit whispered.
Zata barely cared. She just wanted to close her eyes and nap behind the cover of the glasses. She shook her head.
"It's about this girl who's totally miserable. Her family sells her off to the ruler of some remote kingdom. Rumor has it the king's hideous. But because he's actually a good guy, she falls for him. Beauty's in the heart, right? Oh, and things get intense when she uncovers the king's dark secrets! Like, there's even a hidden basement! (Blah blah blah…)"
Zata was already drifting off as Inggit rambled beside her.
"Hey, hey—it's starting!" Inggit tapped Zata's hand excitedly.
Reluctantly, Zata opened her eyes and shifted in her seat. As the movie played, she stared through the 3D glasses—and was stunned. The visuals felt real. When wind blew across the screen, she felt it on her skin; when water splashed, it was like she was getting wet.
Whoa, Zata thought as leaves rustled so close they could almost brush her cheek.
"ALENDA!"
Zata turned in surprise. Someone had called the name—Alenda—and for a moment, it felt like they were calling her. A grin tugged at her lips. Okay, this was actually kind of fun.
"Yeah? Hehehe…"
"Why are you laughing? You have no manners! After everything I've done for you, now you choose to run away?!"
Zata froze. Her heart skipped a beat as the man on screen fixed her with a piercing glare.
That almost feels like he's talking to me…
"I am talking to you!"
"Wait… what?"
SLAP!
"Wake up! You're nothing but a bastard child I raised out of pity! You carry my name—don't disgrace me! If I'd known you'd turn out like this, I would never have honored your mother's dying wish!"
Zata didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Her cheek stung.
The slap… had been real.
Slowly, she turned around. She was no longer sitting in a theater. She was standing in a forest. The man was giving orders to his guards, telling them to seize the girl—Alenda.
As panic rose in her chest, Zata yanked off her 3D glasses.
Her stomach dropped.
She wasn't in the cinema anymore.
She was inside the movie.