The moon hung low over the sprawling park, casting a silvery glow on the group of ten college friends as they arrived for their late-night picnic. It was a spontaneous idea, born from a week of grueling exams and the need to blow off steam. Five girls and five boys piled out of two cars, laughing and hauling coolers, blankets, and tents toward a secluded clearing near an old garden area. The air was crisp, filled with the scent of pine and distant barbecue smoke from other spots in the park.

Mia led the charge, her long dark hair swaying as she kicked off her shoes and spun in the grass. At 21, she was the wild one in the group, always pushing boundaries. Her tight tank top clung to her curves, and her shorts rode up her thighs with every step. The others followed: Sarah, the quiet artist with freckles; Lisa, the sarcastic one with a pixie cut; Emma, bubbly and blonde; and Zoe, athletic and tattooed. The guys were Jake, tall and broad-shouldered; Mike, the jokester with messy curls; Tom, lean and intense; Alex, the smooth talker; and Ryan, shy but handsome with glasses.