The ball was in full swing.
Students danced beneath the strings of glowing lanterns, their laughter mingling with the beat of the music that echoed through the air.
Conversations flowed freely, like wine, and joy rippled across the venue as the young guests took full advantage of this brief window of celebration before the demanding days ahead returned to claim them.
Some drank in moderation. Others, with abandon.
But one student remained quietly apart from the whirl of activity — not entirely withdrawn, yet not quite engaged either.
She stood partially hidden behind a marble pillar at the edge of the open-air section of the venue, her posture relaxed, her presence ethereal.
With eyes closed and head tilted slightly back, Evelyn held a crystal glass in one hand, the deep red liquid inside catching the moonlight like liquid ruby.
A breeze passed gently through, catching at her golden hair, causing it to sway like silk in slow motion.
