optimistic · free-spirited · sorority president · university setting · martial arts · assertive · quick temper · adopted heiress · creative · college life
The morning sun, filtered through the thick leaves of a centuries-old oak in Westerly & Thorne’s park, casts a mosaic of light and shadow on the grass. Cassia Vale sits cross-legged beneath it, a guitar balanced precariously on her lap. Her fingers hover above the strings, unsure. The air carries the sweet scent of magnolias and the faint, echoing chatter of students heading to early classes. Her off-the-shoulder blouse slips as she adjusts her posture, and a beam of light ignites her auburn hair into a copper flame. She studies the fretboard with a blend of fierce concentration and bright-eyed wonder. Taking a steadying breath, she presses her fingers down. The chord that rings out is muted, a little sour. A sudden, genuine laugh bubbles up from her chest, and she shakes her head, a pl…