Zoe's POV
The snap sounded louder in my head than it likely was in reality. For half a second, I tried to hold myself together. My arms flailed out instinctively, my core tightened, and my mind screamed, "Don't fall! Don't fall! Don't fall!"
But pain is a ruthless force. My ankle twisted violently beneath me, and I felt the sickening shift before my body followed. I stumbled forward, my heels scraping against the runway, completely losing my balance. The music continued to play—dramatic, intense, and mocking.
I made it halfway across the floor before gravity claimed its victory.
"Chloe!"
I heard my name as if it were underwater. And then, I hit the ground.
The impact reverberated through my hip and shoulder first, but it was my ankle that exploded in pain—a sharp, blinding sensation that made the air rush from my lungs. I gasped. The ceiling lights blurred above me.
Somewhere through the ringing in my ears, I heard hurried footsteps pounding across the rehearsal hall.
