Molly gazed out at Shine City as she took a sip of her tea. It burned her tongue a little, but this was a normal part of her routine; she was always too impatient to let it cool. The view of the city was gorgeous from her apartment with the buildings shining their lights into the darkness. The beauty of it was not lost on her. She could still remember the grimy, dingy streets of New York, though she was only ten when she left them. In many ways, she owed everything to that move. It was coming overseas that inspired her to learn about new cultures, and birthed her love of history. Her parents had been supportive of her dreams, though for a while they did try to convince her to join the family business- an investment and accounting empire that spanned generations of Quentins, and had just begun to go international. Ultimately, though, they just wanted her to be happy, and they sent her to Shine Academy with full access to her trust fund.
[i]Lucky me,[/i] She thought as she turned to face her empty apartment. She had been in town for a year, but she had not met many people, and she often felt lonely. Winter break was fast approaching, and she was hoping to find a reason not to return to the countryside to visit her parents. She loved them, but they were usually too busy to spend a lot of time with her, and she would much rather have access to some lovely shopping if she was going to be alone anyways. She suddenly felt the need to get out of there, so she pulled on a coat and began her adventure.

The cold bit into her as she walked around the city, but Molly didn't mind. The park was always lovely at this time of day, so she made her way to it. She followed the paths, seeing the occasional couple absorbed in conversation. She jumped and turned her head at the sound of a bark nearby, and searched for its source.