Eventually, Ravina was saved. “Emily!” she heard a familiar voice call out just before she felt herself being tackled from behind. Thankfully, she was seated in a chair, so the impact only jostled her slightly rather than sending her tumbling to the floor.

Recognizing the voice, Ravina greeted her with a smile. “Betsy, how’s everything?”

“It’s, uh, good! Have you tried the food yet?” Betsy asked, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

“No, I’ve been talking to—” Ravina began, but Camellia interrupted with a gentle laugh.

“Oh my, have I kept you from your friends?” she asked.

“Ah, it’s…” Ravina started, trying to find a diplomatic way to explain, but Camellia waved her off with a warm smile.

“Go, go, enjoy your party. I can’t wait to see you dance with my son.”

“D-dance!?” Ravina stammered? She had never learned how to dance. She did have lessons on it sure, but… she really didn't pay much mind to it. After all… why! Why didn't she just take everything seriously? Stupid past self, adventuring definitely wasn't worth it.

Betsy takes her by the arm and pulls her up. “Come on, we’ve got a table by the desserts, and I need someone to go with me to get some more!” Betsy’s true motive for collecting Ravina was clear as she eagerly led her toward the dessert table.

On the way, Betsy questioned her. “So, going to dance with Earl, huh?”

“What?” Ravina blinked. “How did you know it was Earl?”

“Pff, are you serious? I’d have to be blind not to know whose family that was.” Betsy said, her eyes lit up at the sight of the desserts. “Ah, okay, here we are. This one’s delicious, but this one is really good too, and this one…” She began rattling off her opinions on each and every dessert. Each one, by her mind, was the best with none being second. Her plate quickly piling high with sweets.

Ravina sighed, grabbing a plate of her own, she chose only a few cakes before reaching for a pre-filled cup of coffee. As she lifted it, she was surprised to find the liquid still steaming. For a moment, she marveled at the small wonder, before shaking the thought from her head. Of course it’s still warm—it’s a world of magic, isn’t it? she reminded herself. And after all, what would be the higher priority: a bag of infinite holding so that adventures could line their pockets, or a nobleman’s desire to keep his coffee perfectly heated.

With plate and mug in hand, Ravina waited for Betsy to finish piling her plate before following her to the table. There she found Carmen, Aubrey, Millie, and Mike seated around, engaged in light conversation. Ravina took the seat next to Betsy and glanced around, noticing the absence of Betsy’s shadow. “Has Sheila not arrived yet?” she wondered aloud.

A sudden tension rolled across the table at her words, a numbing chill in the atmosphere.

“She… didn't graduate,” Millie answered quietly, her tone heavy.

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“What!?” Ravina's shock was immediate. Sheila, of all people, not graduating? It was surprising enough to learn that Sheila hadn’t passed, but what was even more shocking was discovering that it was possible not to graduate at all. Wasn't it just a test?

“She had some…difficulties,” Betsy finally said. She pushed her dessert plate aside, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair, her expression darkening. “It’s that bastard’s fault.”

“Whose fault?” Ravina asked, her confusion deepening.

“That—”

“It was her own choice in the end—ouch, hey!” Carmen began, but his words were cut off as Aubrey pinched his arm with a stern look on her face.

“What matters is that we graduated,” Millie cut in, her voice firm but not unkind. “It’s no one’s fault, so just…” However she could only let her words linger. Betsy had treated Sheila like a sister from the very beginning, and without her.

“I’m…going to dance,” Betsy rose sharply, but instead of heading to the dance floor, she walked toward the pavilion outside.

A heavy silence settled over the group as they watched her leave. Ravina, still trying to make sense of what had just happened, turned to Millie. “So, what happened? What did she turn in?”

“You didn’t read the report?” Millie asked, raising an eyebrow. Ravina could hear the mild incredulity in her voice. What is it with everyone today and talking about how I don’t read things? she thought, feeling a bit defensive.

“What report?” Ravina asked, trying to keep her tone steady.

“The pamphlets at the results board,” Millie clarified.

“You mean the notice board?” Ravina corrected, her irritation starting to seep through.

“Same thing,” Millie shrugged nonchalantly.

Ravina quickly cut through their back-and-forth. “I… skimmed it,” she admitted, her voice dropping as she tried to hold on to some dignity. “I was kind of focused on how that bastar—ahem, Earl beat me.”

Millie smirked. “Yeah, that sounds just like you.”

Ravina sighed, deciding to steer the conversation back on track. "Well, what happened?"

"She sort of... dropped out," Millie replied, her tone shifting to something more serious.

"What do you mean, ‘dropped out’?" Ravina asked, confusion deepening.

"She stopped coming to school altogether and never turned in her final project. Betsy kept organizing search parties to look for her."

"What?" Ravina was genuinely shocked. "How come I never heard about this?"

Millie exchanged a glance with the others before replying. "Because you were almost in the same boat, except you at least showed up to class every few days and managed to turn something in."

"I showed up every day!" Ravina protested, her indignation rising.

Carmen shook his head, chuckling softly. "What are you talking about? You barely made it—maybe 15 times a month."

"Yeah, isn’t that the schedule after the finals were announced?" Ravina asked, growing defensive again.

"We got a three-day break, not an entire month," Millie pointed out, crossing her arms.

"Huh? But I thought..." Ravina trailed off as she noticed the others staring at her, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Seriously, you might want to get your eyes checked," Carmen teased, though there was a hint of concern in his voice.

"Hey!" Ravina snapped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Apparently she had ditch classes, but this was still news to her.