Aurora could barely keep her breath steady. The conference hall felt enormous, louder than any space she had been in all year, filled with people in suits, reporters carrying cameras, and players who looked both nervous and excited. Screens around the hall showed a live countdown toward the beginning of the ceremony, and every few seconds the crowd erupted into fresh noise as someone recognized a familiar face.
Jasona had been invited to sit closer to the stage. Aurora sat beside her, fingers intertwined with hers beneath the table. Neither had spoken much since they arrived. The gravity of the event hung between them, but it was not heavy. It felt electric, powerful, and almost unreal.
Jasona's acceptance into the Alpha basketball league draft had felt possible for months, but now that the moment had come, Aurora felt her chest rising and falling with too much emotion to contain.
Jasona finally turned to her. "You ready for this?" she whispered.
