Aurora’s P.O.V

The auditorium buzzes with energy, a mix of hushed conversations, excited whispers, and the occasional burst of applause as another name is called. I sit between Caroline and Jade, my hands clasped together with Caroline, and Caleb sits beside Jade, his knee bouncing slightly. The four of us have spent years dreaming of this moment—of walking across the stage, receiving our certificates, and stepping into a world far beyond the walls of this school. But now that ...