Painted in the Stars

The campus of St. Aldous University was always beautiful, but it was only truly alive at midnight. During the day, the gothic courtyards were filled with the chaotic rush of students rushing to lectures, their eyes glued to phones or heavy textbooks. But at night, the ancient stone buildings seemed to breathe, bathed in the soft, warm glow of the lampposts.From the third-floor balcony of the Fine Arts building, Elara had the best view of it all.She stood before her wooden easel, the cool autumn air gently ruffling her long, dark hair. She wore her favorite oversized beige cardigan—already a casualty to a few rogue smears of indigo paint—layered over a simple white shirt and a denim skirt. The canvas before her was a chaotic, brilliant explosion of midnight blues, swirling cyans, and piercing golds.