Alice sat at the edge of her bed with her hands resting loosely against her thighs, staring through the enormous window that occupied nearly an entire side of her room.
The capital stretched beneath her in the distance, its countless lights scattered across the darkness like stars that had fallen from the sky.
Under different circumstances, the view would have been beautiful. Tonight, she barely noticed it. Her expression remained dispirited, her eyes carrying the kind of sadness that came from being forced to accept something she had never wanted.
Eventually, Alice released a long, exhausted sigh and rose from the bed. She crossed the room slowly, pushed open the door leading toward the balcony and stepped forward. She stopped almost immediately.
Someone was standing outside.
