The party had officially begun.
Lights pulsed across the ballroom in slow, hypnotic waves, washing the space in shades of violet, gold, and soft blue. Music thumped through hidden speakers, deep and rhythmic, vibrating through the floor and into everyone's bones. Laughter rang out freely, glasses clinked, heels tapped against polished marble, and bodies moved without restraint.
Everyone was dancing.
Everyone except Raya.
She sat at one of the round tables pushed slightly away from the center of the dance floor, her posture composed, almost elegant, as if the chaos around her had nothing to do with her. A half-filled glass rested between her fingers, amber liquid catching the light each time she tilted it slightly.
She sipped slowly.
Gently.
Like she was afraid that even drinking too fast might unravel her.
