As the last guests began to filter out and the once lively party dwindled to quiet conversations, I felt a heavy restlessness settle over me. Something wasn’t right; it gnawed at the back of my mind. I glanced around the room, noting Benedicta laughing with a small group of people. Bianca and Jenny had disappeared entirely, and Alina still looked as elusive as ever, slipping in and out of the hall all night.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, my heart racing when I saw Luca’s name on the screen. Needing privacy, I slipped into a secluded corner of the hallway and pressed the...