[VOLUME 11: THE ETERNAL CHASE][LIFE: #48][LOCATION: NEBULA UNIVERSITY GRAND BALLROOM]
The Nebula University Grand Ballroom was usually a gymnasium that smelled of floor wax and teenage angst. But tonight, thanks to a "generous anonymous donation" (read: Aldren Vance was bored), it had been transformed.
Silk drapes covered the basketball hoops. Crystal chandeliers hung from the rafters. A live orchestra played softly in the corner, replacing the usual DJ who only played remix tracks.
Elara Vance stood at the entrance, clutching her small beaded purse.
She wore the midnight blue velvet dress she had bought at the vintage store. It hugged her frame perfectly, the deep color making her skin glow under the ambient lighting. She had pinned her hair up with a simple silver clip.
She looked stunning.
She felt terrified.
"I don't belong here," Elara whispered to herself. "I'm a scholarship kid. I have $12 in my bank account. If I break a glass, I'll be washing dishes until graduation."
