Maya smiled, tracing a delicate line across a page. “I’m thinking of drawing the whole thing—lights, music, the way the crowd moves like a river. Maybe I’ll even capture us on the bus, just before we get off.”

They reached the plaza just as the first drumbeat echoed through the air, reverberating off the stone buildings. The crowd swelled, a sea of smiling faces, all moving to the same rhythm. Maya felt the beat in her chest, and her mind filled with sketches of swirling colors. Sofia, meanwhile, began to hum along, already rehearsing the steps she’d learn later.

The late‑morning sun filtered through the dusty windows of the city bus, casting a warm, amber glow over the rows of seats. The hum of the engine blended with the soft chatter of passengers, creating a gentle soundtrack for the downtown commute.