The night air was thick, wrapping around me like a weighted blanket.

I exhaled, long and slow, my breath barely making a dent in the chaos of my mind. My fingers curled over the balcony railing as I stared at the pool below. The water shimmered under the golden glow of the lights, but my chest felt tight, my stomach unsettled.

I shouldn't be here.

This wasn’t my world.

I wasn’t built for parties like these—where power dripped from the walls and people moved like chess pieces, calculating their next move. The alcohol was endless, the stares were lingering, and the whispers—God, the whispers—prickled against my skin.

I shifted my...