“Not for under 18,” the bouncer grunted, his voice low and rasping. His eyes narrowed, sizing up the teenager.
Alex, not one to back down easily, gave a sheepish smile. “Come on, I’m almost there… My birthday’s tomorrow.”
The bouncer’s eyes softened just enough for Alex to see the faintest flicker of a smile. He shook his head slowly. “Doesn’t matter. Rule’s a rule.” He gestured to the door, where a single neon sign flickered in the dark: Not For Under 18. “You don’t belong here.”
Alex hesitated, his chest tight with frustration. He wasn’t ready to leave. Not now. His mind raced, the temptation clawing at him, urging him to push harder. Everyone said The Veil was more than just a club—it was an experience. A place where the boundaries of reality and fantasy blur. A forbidden world for those brave enough to enter.
But something deep inside him paused. The words echoed louder in his mind now, not just from the bouncer, but from something else—the unspoken sense of danger that had always been there in the back of his mind. Not For Under 18.
It wasn’t just a rule. It was a warning.
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