Evelyn wasn't sure how she had ended up here—standing in front of the campus bonfire, the warm glow illuminating the faces of students chatting and laughing around her.
She had never been one for large gatherings, always preferring to stay in the background.
But tonight, something felt different.
Mia had dragged her here, of course.
"You can't just hide in your dorm forever, Eve. Come on, it'll be fun!"
she had insisted, and for some reason, Evelyn hadn't fought her on it.
Now, she stood at the edge of the crowd, feeling both out of place and strangely content.
"You made it."
She turned at the familiar voice.
Adrian stood beside her, hands in his pockets, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah,"
she said, glancing at the fire.
"Still not sure why."
"Maybe you're finally starting to realize you don't have to lock yourself away."
She huffed.
"That's dramatic."
He smirked.
"You do it to yourself."
Before she could respond, Mia appeared excitement practically radiating off her.
"Okay, okay, we're playing truth or dare. You two are joining."
Evelyn blinked.
"Absolutely not."
Mia pouted.
"Eve, come on! Just one round."
Adrian nudged her lightly.
"One round won't kill you."
She groaned, but before she could protest further, Mia had already pulled her toward the group gathered around the fire.
The game was already in full swing, with students laughing over ridiculous dares and blushing at embarrassing truths.
When it was Evelyn's turn, she hesitated before picking
"truth."
Mia grinned wickedly.
"What's something you want to do but are too scared to try?"
Evelyn's breath hitched.
She glanced at Adrian, who watched her with quiet curiosity. For a second, she considered brushing it off with a joke.
But then she surprised herself by answering honestly.
"…I want to paint again."
There was a beat of silence.
Then, Mia's face softened, and Adrian's lips curled into a small smile.
"That's a good one,"
he said quietly.
Evelyn exhaled, a weight lifting slightly from her chest.
Maybe it was the firelight, or the warmth of the moment, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn't just existing—she was living.