I hear confused shouts and panicked cries erupting around me as the lively chatter at the party came to an abrupt halt. People scrambled blindly, bumping into each other.
"Axel!" My voice is barely a whisper compared to the chaos. Where is he? I have to find him.
Pushing through the panicked crowd, I frantically call his name again. My heart is pounding wildly in my chest.
"Cassie?" I call her. She was just here next to me, but now she doesn't answer.
Breathless, I shove past a group of partygoers. Still no sign of Axel in the inky blackness. My pulse races faster. Where could he be? Stay calm, I tell myself.
I have to keep looking. "Axel! Cassie?" I cry out again, my voice strained and hoarse. Dread floods my veins.
I struggle against the flow of people, my panic rising. Suddenly, a
