Val's P.O.V.

The limousine door clicked shut with a soft, expensive thud, sealing off the muffled hum of the engine and the driver's polite "Have a magical evening." The night outside exploded into chaos the second their heels hit the pavement. Flashes popped like fireworks gone rogue—blinding white bursts that made Val blink against the assault. The red carpet unfurled ahead like a river of molten lava under the spotlights, bordered by velvet ropes and a writhing sea of classmates, ...