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Tony sailed across the bar

The sultry breeze off the ocean carried laughter as Jackson, Shea, Dahlia, Jude, and Tessa tumbled out onto the terrace, lanterns swaying overhead like fireflies. Sonik Zephyr's show earlier that day had drawn quite a fanbase with them to the house, and they were ready to enjoy every bit of it.

Shea, in a sequined bomber jacket, scooped up a handful of flower petals someone scattered earlier. She flung them into the air, and they drifted like confetti around the group. "What a night!" she beamed, her voice light and finally devoid of the stress of waiting for bar exam results.

Dahlia and Jude claimed the center of the sand-dusted floor. Jude tapped out a beat on his beer bottle; Dahlia answered with a shimmy that set her hair aflame in the lantern glow. Tessa, exuberant and peppy, leapt between them, arms outstretched as if she could hug the entire sky.

Jackson handed Shea a sparkler. She set it ablaze, the sparks tracing fleeting constellations. He lit his own and held it aloft - two tiny comets sharing a moment as they fizzled.

Tessa grabbed both their hands. "Dance with me!" And suddenly, they were a circle of sparks and laughter, feet sinking into warm sand, hands clapping in perfect unison.

A distant roar swelled as the Big Bang's finale ignited the sky. Fireworks bloomed in bold colors above the MegaDome, and the group fell silent, faces turned to the stars. In those flashes of light, they were just silhouettes of magic - cousins, but more importantly, friends - bound by DNA and midnight adventures.

When the last firework crackled and faded, Jackson declared, "Best night ever." Jude smirked, gesturing at the handful of other single revelers approaching, "It's only just starting."

And beneath Rio's star-strewn sky, the five of them dove back into dancing and drinking, savoring the pulse of music. All that mattered to them the present: alive, together, and burning bright.