It was a cool, breezy night in the town center of Ravenwood.
The streets were bathed in the soft glow ofnterns hanging from posts, casting warm yellow pools of light onto the cobblestone roads.
The sounds of the town filled the air: distant chatter, clinking sses, and the asional bark ofughter.
In the corner of the square was an outdoor drinking area, a charming mix of garden and bar.
Potted nts lined the space, their leaves rustling gently in the wind.
Fairy lights were strung between the trees, giving the ce a whimsical, rxed feel.
Wooden tables and chairs were scattered around, some upied by groups of students and townsfolk enjoying their drinks.
Under one of therger trees, five second-year students sat around a table, sipping cocktails.
The outdoor bar beside them was lively, with patrons leaning on the counter, ordering their favorite drinks.
The bartender moved with the efficiency of someone used to dealing with rowdy students and tired locals alike.
The second-years were deep in conversation, talking about the event of the night: the first-years'' after-party.
One of the second-years, a tall guy with messy brown hair and aid-back grin, leaned back in his chair and chuckled.
"So, the first-years are throwing an after-party, huh? After those exams?
Can''t say I me them.
They''ve been through some serious shit."
A girl with short red hair took a sip of her cocktail and nodded.
"Yeah, they deserve it. I heard some of the physical tests this year were insane.
Fighting dummies that mimic your every move?
I would''ve lost my mind if I had to do that in my first year."
The guy sitting across from her, wearing a leather jacket and a smug expression, smirked.
"I heard some of them even tried using other magic spells from their primary ones for the first time just to win a fight against their dummy.
Pretty ballsy move for first-years."
Another second-year, a girl with curly hair and sses,ughed softly.
"Well, they''re first-years. They don''t know any better yet.
But yeah, after what they went through, an after-party seems reasonable.
Let them enjoy themselves while they can.
They''ve had a rough start, especially with those crazy exams."
The guy with the messy hair leaned forward, his grin fading slightly as he spoke with more seriousness.
"It''s good they''re having fun, though.
For once, they''re actually smiling. It won''tst—Ravenwood never gives us too much time to rx—but for now, I think they deserve it.
I mean, between the crazy tests, the stress, and just surviving their first semester here, they''ve earned a night off."
The others murmured in agreement, raising their sses in a silent toast.
They sipped their drinks, watching the night unfold around them, their thoughts briefly with the first-years who were, for the moment, carefree.
---
Meanwhile, at one of the grand halls in Ravenwood, the first-year after-party was in full swing.
The hall was decorated like a ballroom, with high ceilings and chandeliers casting a soft, elegant light over the room.
The floors were polished to a shine, and the tables along the edges were piled with food and drinks.
But the elegance of the room was at odds with the chaos that was unfolding.
First-year students were everywhere,ughing, shouting, and generally letting loose now that the stress of exams had finally passed.
At one corner of the hall, a group of students stood together, clearly relieved the exams were over.
One of them threw his hands in the air, yelling.
"Finally! Those damn exams are over!
I thought I was gonna fucking lose it if I had to write one more essay about magical theory!"
Another studentughed, shaking his head.
"Dude, I know, right? I swear, if I have to see another spell form, I''ll gouge my own eyes out."
"Fuck those exams!" another student chimed in, a big grin on his face.
"We survived, and now we get to drink!"
The group burst into loud, vulgarughter, their voices echoing through the hall.
They weren''t the only ones celebrating with such enthusiasm.
All around the hall, simr conversations were happening, with students cursing andughing in equal measure, their worries forgotten for the night.
In another section of the room, a group of boys were attempting to flirt with a few girls who were clearly not interested.
The girls, all from noble families, stood together, looking unimpressed as the boys tried to strike up conversation.
"So,dies," one of the boys said with a cocky grin, "what brings you to a party like this? I thought nobility had better ces to be."
One of the girls, a tall blonde with an icy expression, raised an eyebrow.
"We''re here because it''s a school event.
Not that it''s any of your business."
The boy, undeterred, leaned closer.
"Well, maybe after this party, we could—"
"I have a fiancé," the blonde said tly, cutting him off.
The boy blinked, taken aback.
"Oh, uh…right. Well, maybe your friends—"
Another girl, shorter with dark hair, rolled her eyes.
"I also have a fiancé.
And even if I didn''t, I''m not interested."
The third girl, who hadn''t spoken yet, simply shook her head and walked away without saying a word.
The boys stood there, awkwardly, not knowing how to recover from the brutal rejections.
"Well," one of the boys muttered, "that went well…"
At another table, a group of students had started a drinkingpetition.
They were chugging down cocktails as quickly as they could, betting money on who could finish their drinks the fastest.
The rules were simple: first one to finish wins, and everyone else has to pay up.
"Alright, round three!" one of the students called out, mming his ss down on the table.
"Let''s see who''s got the guts to go again!"
Several students tapped their watches, transferring Raven coins to each others watches, the stakes rising with each round.
"Come on, who''s gonna win this one?"
Someone shouted, the excitement growing as more students gathered to watch.
The participants each grabbed their sses, ready to chug.
"On three," one of them said.
"One…two…three!"
They all raised their sses, gulping down the cocktails as fast as they could.
The crowd cheered them on,ughing and jeering as some of thepetitors choked or spilled their drinks
One guy mmed his ss down first, raising his arms in victory as the others groaned.
"Pay up!" he grinned, holding out his hand as the losers transferred their coins to him.
"Looks like I''m buying drinks next round!"
Thepetition went on for several rounds, the stakes getting higher each time.
Some students had already lost a significant amount of Raven coins, but the excitement of gambling kept theming back for more.
In another corner of the room, a different group had started a magical game.
It was a mix of skill and luck, where students used their mana to manipte objects in front of them.
The goal was to use mana to keep a glowing orb in the air for as long as possible.
If the orb touched the ground, you lost.
Two students were locked in a heated match, their hands glowing with mana as they sent the orb flying back and forth between them.
The crowd around them cheered, cing bets on who would win.
"Come on, don''t drop it!" someone yelled.
One of the yers, struggling to keep the orb afloat, identally summoned too much mana and sent the orb soaring into the ceiling.
It hit one of the chandeliers, causing a loud crash as the chandelier wobbled dangerously.
The crowd erupted intoughter as the yer blushed furiously.
"Alright, alright," the other yer said, stillughing.
"You win this one. But next time, try not to destroy the room, yeah?"
The night raged on, with students drinking,ughing, and ying games.
For the first-years, it was a night of celebration and relief
There were no worries about tomorrow, no stress about the exams—they were finally free, if only for a little while.
And as the drinks flowed and theughter echoed through the halls, Ravenwood felt a little less intimidating, if just for one night.