The ride back was painfully quiet.
Not a single person spoke after climbing into the carriage.
The only sounds filling the silence were the steady rhythm of the horses' hooves against the dirt road and the occasional creak of the carriage wheels as they rolled over uneven ground.
By the time the carriage rolled back into the school grounds, the celebration had long since ended.
The colourful banners still fluttered lazily in the night breeze, abandoned food stalls stood empty and rows of extinguished lanterns lined the pathways. The once crowded grounds now looked strangely deserted, almost as though the festival had never happened.
Christopher brought the carriage to a stop. “We're back.”
No one waited for another word.
The four of them climbed down almost immediately, Adam taking
