{Elira}
~**^**~
"And ESA?" Uncle Marc asked gently. "Are you adjusting well?"
"Yes. I’m adjusting well," I replied, keeping my tone even. "Thank you for asking."
"Good." He sighed, the sound full of sothing like quiet relief. "I owe you an apology, Elira, for not calling until now. I thought it best to give you space, especially knowing how much you endured because of Regina."
The ntion of her na prickled sothing sharp inside , but I stayed quiet, my lips pressed together.
Uncle Marc didn’t push. Instead, his voice softened further. "Tell , Alpha Cyprus and his family, are they treating you well?"
"Yes," I said imdiately, almost firmly. "They’ve been kind to ."
"Thank the Moon goddess," he breathed, as though a weight had lifted from his chest. "Then I am glad."
A beat passed before his tone grew steady again. "Save this number, Elira. You can call whenever you want and ask about anything. Do you understand?"
The unexpected warmth in his words touched more than I expected, maybe because it’s been a while since I heard from him.
My throat tightened, but I nodded instinctively even though he couldn’t see it. "Yes, Uncle. Thank you for calling."
"Take care of yourself, child," he said softly, before the line clicked dead.
I stood there for a mont in the middle of the corridor, the faint buzz of the students in the distance pulling back to reality.
Slowly, I saved the number, my fingers hesitating for only a second before typing Uncle Marc.
Then, tucking the phone away, I exhaled deeply and continued on toward the cafeteria, my mind buzzing with questions I wasn’t ready to answer yet.
---
By the ti I reached the cafeteria, the noise of chatter and clinking trays filled the air, buzzing like a hive.
My thoughts still lingered on the unexpected call, Uncle Marc’s voice echoing in my mind, but I pushed them down and grabbed a tray.
The line was long, but it moved quickly enough. Soon, I had my food and scanned the room.
Our usual spot by the window was empty. With a small breath of relief, I walked over and set my tray down, sliding into the seat.
For a mont, I just sat there, fingers curling around the glass of juice, watching the flow of students move in and out.
It was strange how normal everything looked, how normal it all felt, when just minutes ago I had been speaking to a man who carried both familiarity and unease in equal asure.
I shook my head faintly, trying not to get lost in it. Just then, a familiar voice called out, bright and cheery. "Elira!"
I glanced up to see Nari weaving her way through the crowd with her tray balanced easily, Juniper, Cambria, and Tamryn following behind her.
"You saved our table," Nari said with a grateful grin as she slid into the seat across from . "Perfect timing."
"Of course," I said softly, returning her smile.
Cambria set her tray down with a sigh of relief. "This place is chaos today."
"Always is on Mondays," Juniper muttered, brushing her hair back as she sat beside .
Tamryn didn’t say anything at first, just pulled out her chair and lowered herself into it, her usual calm presence settling into the group.
As everyone began to settle, Nari leaned forward, her phone clutched like it was treasure. Her eyes glead.
"Elira, you’re going viral." She announced.
I paused mid-bite, blinking at her. "What?"
She spun the phone around to show the comnt section under the Moon’s Whisper post from this morning.
"Hundreds of comnts. Everyone’s dragging the Student Council, talking about how they abuse their powers. Listen to this one—"
Then she scrolled quickly and read aloud with dramatic emphasis, "’Finally! Soone is brave enough to expose Kaelis and her lapdogs. They think they own ESA, but their ti will co.’"
Cambria whistled low. "That’s bold."
Nari grinned wickedly. "There’s more. ’Power-drunk royals.’ ’Entitled brats.’ ’Worst leadership in ESA history.’ The students are eating this up."
Then she looked at with a kind of giddy pride. "And you, Elira, are at the center of it. Everyone knows your na now."
I lowered my gaze to my food, not exactly surprised. The stares had been burning into since morning, like invisible fingers tugging at my every step. Still, hearing it spelled out felt heavier than I expected.
Before I could respond, Juniper set down her juice with a sudden spark in her eyes. "Speaking of shocking news... did you girls hear that one of the female professors resigned on Friday?"
That got all of us turning to her. "Who?" I asked quietly.
"Her na was Professor Marielle," Juniper replied. "She only taught Third Year students. The announcent went out quietly, so most of the first-years don’t know."
Nari tilted her head. "Marielle? Doesn’t ring a bell."
Cambria shook her head. "Sa here."
Juniper smirked knowingly, unlocking her phone. "Well, my class group chat wouldn’t shut up about it. Soone even posted her picture. Want to see?"
"Of course," Nari said instantly, scooting closer, curiosity alight in her eyes.
Cambria leaned in too, and I found myself doing the sa as Juniper swiped through her gallery until she landed on the photo. She turned the screen so we could all see.
The mont my eyes touched the image, recognition jolted through like a spark. The professor’s soft features, the elegant fall of her hair, the way her eyes seed tired even in a still shot—
It was her. The sa woman who had stood with Lennon, the sa one who had walked away from him in tears.
My fingers curled around the edge of my tray as my chest tightened. I had tried not to think too much about that scene, trying to conclude that it might not be what it looked like.
But seeing her now, her face frozen in a picture, shattered all those flimsy excuses.
Why had she left?
What had happened between her and Lennon?
And why did he look at with that sa warmth, that sa gentleness just a week ago, when I couldn’t erase the image of soone else walking away from him broken?
"Elira, look at her hair," Nari said, tugging my sleeve lightly. "Doesn’t she look more like a model than a professor?"
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