Whoever comes out last should turn on the light

The reason for leaving was a post on Instagram - a party that defies conventions, a promise that it will be an evening without prejudices and with rules that only apply within the walls of that space...

And indeed - at the entrance to the club we are greeted by security, informally and cordially, completely contrasting with the surrounding cold urban landscape. The boys seemed nonchalant, but their gazes were sharp enough to indicate that one was entering a place with its own code of conduct.

They routinely pasted stickers over our phone cameras and stamped a symbolic seal on our hands. Without asking or checking, that's how we became part of the story.

Atmosphere was both friendly and cryptic, as if everyone was expected to understand the tacit rules. By the way, Google did not tell us anything about the organizers of the party, and according to the data of the Agency for Economic Registers, the association whose symbol was used was defunct.

First impression? The space is huge, dark and a bit harsh, but in a good way. A combination of loud music, smoke and specific energy completely drew us in. That evening, all boundaries seemed blurred - both those between reality and illusion, as well as those we carry within ourselves.

DISCRETION AND A NIGHT WITHOUT RULES

In that post on Instagram, the organizers made it clear that the event is intended for those who are not afraid to explore the boundaries, with the announcement of unusual contents such as "dark rooms" and "cam rooms". The ban on photography and recording with a phone further emphasized the discretion and intimate atmosphere of the event...

After a drink at a local pub, we decided to see first-hand what was behind those announcements. We came to the club on the night between Friday and Saturday, around two o'clock in the morning. There was no crowd in front. Some of the visitors were already inside, but according to what we heard, parties like this don't start until after three in the morning.

DIM, VELVET AND PRIVACY REDEFINED

The club is spacious, with a labyrinth of rooms that are tucked away and invisible unless you're specifically looking for them. Different performers alternated on the two stages, but the loud techno music instinctively drew us towards the largest room, which at first glance seemed empty. The bar was looming on the left, but only when we passed through the smoke veil on the way to the stage, we discovered a large number of people gathered on the podium dancing, talking, kissing and letting the moment go.

As we walked back to the bar, we were surrounded by older people, faces we recognize from everyday life, like business people drinking beer in a cafe after work or hurrying to meetings with coffee in hand. However, there were also very young people, for whom you have to wonder if they are of legal age at all - surely no one asked them for their ID cards at the entrance.

On the way to the next room, our eyes met those of middle-aged men. They stared for too long, as if they were trying to decipher us, creating a sense of unease that at that moment was even louder than the blaring techno music in the background. We quickly moved on, reaching a smaller room with only a bar and a red velvet couch. We sat down to take a break and light a cigarette, but the security soon intervened.

"No smoking here", we were told. There was a rule marked on the wall, but with the crowd and the smoke, who's looking?

We continued to wander. Soon, the door to another, slightly spooky room opened. In the middle stood the double bed, the only object in the room. We entered out of curiosity, but except for the bed, everything was completely empty. Since smoking was allowed in that place, we took the opportunity and, while we were sitting, we remembered a post on social networks that mentioned the so-called "cam room". We realized that this is most likely that place.

That's when we noticed an acquaintance passing through the corridor in front. We invited her and she came in with her friend. When we asked them what this room was like, the acquaintance laughed and said that it was a "cam room", but that it was not currently active. Her response seemed so nonchalant that it made the whole situation even more unusual. Because it was clearly stated on Instagram: by entering this room, you agree to be filmed. Of course, this refers to moments when the room is active, when people are there and everything is ready. While we were there, the room was completely inactive, empty and silent.

However, that detail shed a different light on the whole situation. We sat and thought about how privacy is completely redefined here.

FREEDOM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

We continued down the dark corridor that led us to a larger space - in front of us, a small group of people was just leaving. And then we entered...

Upon entering the room, the scene was hazy and unclear. The only thing we immediately felt was body heat in the air and the feeling that further passage was impossible without pushing through the crowd. At first glance, nothing we haven't seen before in the club. Or so we thought.

All the lights in this room – separated from the main area – were turned off, leaving us in almost complete darkness. When our phone's flash accidentally went off, it illuminated the scene of oral satisfaction right in front of us.

The initial shock quickly passed and was replaced by pure curiosity. We stepped deeper into the room, where the mass of people were fully engaged in their activities. Masturbation, oral sex, group and individual sexual acts - everything was present in a place freed from all rules and norms.

While we were moving, a boy noticed us in the middle of a sexual act with another person. He looked at us directly, holding his gaze without an ounce of discomfort. He didn't interrupt, he just watched us, as if we were a natural part of the whole atmosphere, just like him.

The scene that caught us off guard the most was the sight of a person orally satisfying a group of people lined up while waiting for their turn. Everything seemed mechanical, almost ritualistic, as part of some unwritten agreement among those present. At that moment, it became clear that this is no ordinary room, nor an ordinary party, but a place where boundaries are erased.

We left the room, looking for a moment to breathe air. On our way back to the main podium, our attention was drawn to what was happening next to the bar. The person, completely relaxed, drew a line of white powder. Cocaine, speed, or maybe something else. It seemed part of the evening routine. No hiding, no consequences.

Passing through the crowd, we managed to discern even more clearly that many visitors are under the influence of various substances. Some had slow movements and a dull gaze, while others were in some hyperactive ecstasy, surrendering to the rhythm of the music, kissing and exchanging affection. This was not just a party but a kind of escape, where everyone is looking for their own way to break free.

Around half past four in the morning we decided to go home. In front of the club, a new group of people was just beginning to gather, smiling, excited, ready to join the atmosphere that was not abating inside. It was clear that the party would last until the morning. For them, the night was just beginning...

ESCAPISM WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

The next day, while we were talking and gathering impressions about the people, the atmosphere, the way everything worked and the fact that the party was not organized just for the sake of a night out, it was a reflection of something much deeper.

Behaviors that in any other situation would be basic, including communication, consent, and awareness, were scattered in the dark here. People under the influence of substances lose a clear perception of their boundaries, and often the ability to clearly communicate them. In a room where people were engaged in various sexual acts at every turn, it was difficult to tell whether everything was truly voluntary or the result of the influence of the atmosphere, environmental pressure or the effects of opiates. On the social network X, there were comments from visitors who, in addition to hazy memories, also brought unexpected consequences from the party. In an environment where everything is allowed, the boundaries of choice and delusion have become dangerously blurred, leaving room for questions that no one asks, but which float in the air.

This wasn't just chaos for chaos' sake, though. This was a valve, an escape from the reality that constricts and suffocates many people. There were no convictions here, only acquittals. For many visitors, this club is a symbol of freedom, a place where they can take off the masks they wear every day, a space where there are no glances, criticism or judgment. In a society full of insecurity, constant expectations and pressures, a place like this provided a temporary refuge for those who wanted the freedom they couldn't find outside those walls.

But this very need for release was the reason that no one paid attention to the irresponsibility at the entrance, the presence of drugs and the blurred boundaries of consent. In fact, it wasn't just a party, but escapism in its most stripped-down form.