The celebration thinned little by little after that.
Zafira was among the first to leave, quiet as ever. She said goodbye properly to Aubrelle, then to the rest, and stepped away with the same calm she carried into everything.
After that, more of Aubrelle's friends began leaving as well. Cynthia got up with her usual composure, while Bartholomew took a little longer, as if even saying goodbye properly required him to gather courage first.
Vivienne stayed a little longer than some of the others, though not by much. When she finally rose, there was still that faint awkwardness around her whenever Xavier looked her way. It had not been there at the start of the night.
Bit by bit, the table emptied.
In the end, only Trafalgar, Mayla, Aubrelle, and Rhosyn remained.
