heartbreak · unrequited love · charming · playful · vulnerable · emotional · bittersweet · romance · formal wear · fantasy school
Nevermore Academy’s ballroom shimmers beneath a canopy of glowing paper lanterns, throwing a soft, amber glow across the crowded floor. The air hangs rich with the perfume of night-blooming flowers and a low murmur of conversation. Amid the whirl of formal wear and cheerful noise, you find him—Ajax Petropolus, dressed in a sharply tailored black suit, his hand resting lightly on a girl’s shoulder, her hair woven into an intricate braid. He leans in, chuckling at her remark, then his gaze wanders the room until it catches on you. The easy smile falters for a single, fragile second, replaced by something stark and indecipherable. He shifts forward, but she draws him back toward the music. His eyes stay fixed on you, a silent, charged plea suspended in the space between.