{Elira}
~**^**~
"Not at this ti." The professor paused. "However, those who rely on such tactics will face stricter observation moving forward. Founder’s Day combat represents ESA’s strength and honour. Cheap tricks make it look otherwise."
The words were directed at everyone, but they felt like they were ant for .
I swallowed hard and stared at the mat beneath my feet—he mat where I had cried. The mat where I had finally felt like I belonged.
And now, it was as if that victory had turned sour overnight.
When the eting was dismissed, I waited until most of the others had filed out before I quietly slipped out of the hall.
The evening air was cool, but it couldn’t chase away the tightness in my chest. I walked slowly, replaying every word Professor Pierce had said.
A cheap trick.
Shortcut.
Not ESA’s honour.
Each word gnawed at my chest.
I hadn’t ant to cheat. Rennon had taught that move as a last resort, a way to defend myself if I had no other choice.
I hadn’t even thought about how it would look to others. I just wanted to survive.
My boots scuffed against the polished floor as I turned a corner and froze.
Two students were standing near the stairwell, whispering with their backs half-turned to
"I heard they are thinking of banning that technique because of what happened yesterday."
"Yeah, I heard she knocked the guy out cold by hitting so secret point. Totally unfair. Typical of soone like her."
"An oga pulling tricks to get attention," the other scoffed. "Probably learned it from soone shady. Makes ESA look bad."
The words stung like open flas.
I stepped back before they could see , my heart pounding in my ears. The whisperers kept talking, their voices growing fainter as they descended the stairs.
’Oga.’
Still that word. Even after all this ti.
I pressed my hand against my chest, forcing a breath out.
They made it sound like I had done sothing wrong just by fighting to stand my ground. But worse, I knew this wasn’t just random gossip.
Rumours spread fast in ESA, yes, but this fast, about sothing that only happened a few hours ago? That ant it had been fed to them.
Soone had wanted this to leak.
My thoughts imdiately went to Regina, the student council mbers and the rest of their pack of perfect smiles.
If anyone wanted to drag down before Founder’s Day, it would be them.
---
The sll of roasted at and buttered rice drifted from the cafeteria long before I reached it.
The low hum of evening chatter filled the air, laughter, clinking trays, and chairs scraping the floor.
I spotted my friends waiting inside, close to the entrance, their trays already in hand. Juniper was waving a fork at Cambria, who looked seconds away from stealing a slice of her bread.
When Tamryn noticed , her face brightened. "Finally! We thought you would bail on dinner."
"Sorry," I said, forcing a small smile as I caught up to them. "Professor Pierce kept us longer than I expected."
That caught Nari’s attention. "Longer? Don’t tell it was about the duel again."
"Co on," Juniper nudged her, "let her breathe. Let’s eat first."
We slipped into the cafeteria line, picking out dishes from the spread—herb-seasoned chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, fruit salad, and a warm vanilla pudding that had everyone crowding the counter.
By the ti we sat down, the noise around us had softened into the steady rhythm of silverware and conversation.
For a mont, I almost forgot about everything.
Tamryn was the first to ask, her tone quiet but curious. "So, what did Professor Pierce want?"
I set down my spoon, fingers brushing the edge of my tray. "He talked about plans to ban my last-resort winning technique, even though it isn’t against the combat rules."
The words dropped like pebbles in still water.
Cambria blinked. "Like seriously?"
"This is ridiculous," Juniper said flatly. "It is a strategy."
Nari leaned forward, whispering, "So basically, soone is trying to paint you as a cheater."
"Seems that way."
Tamryn’s gaze sharpened, the sa way it always did when she was thinking. "Elira, this has student council written all over it."
Juniper nodded imdiately. "Of course it does. How else would this suddenly be a big deal, even to the professors?"
"And the motive," Cambria added. "They have hated you since the beginning."
My spoon hovered midair. I firmly believed my friends.
Nari crossed her arms and gave a low, frustrated hum. "It’s pathetic. You finally start proving yourself, and they can’t stand it. They have to twist the story."
Juniper pointed her spoon like a dagger. "Let them talk. When you win again, it will shut everyone up."
I smiled faintly, though my stomach tightened instead of loosening. Their confidence was always like a shield—warm and stubborn, but I could already feel the invisible eyes on from nearby tables.
Whispers. Quick glances. A few phones were angled suspiciously low.
Words were still spreading.
I pushed my pudding aside and murmured, "They can twist stories all they want, but if the professors start believing them, I might not get another chance to prove anything."
The table went quiet for a beat.
Then Tamryn reached across and rested her hand on mine. "You will. Because truth holds longer than gossip."
Her voice was soft but certain. And sohow, that steadied .
I nodded, trying to swallow the knot in my throat. "Thanks."
Juniper exhaled loudly, shaking off the tension. "Alright, enough about those uptight council brats. Eat before the pudding lts."
Nari grinned. "Yeah, Elira. You are not going to lose your appetite over people who can’t handle you winning."
I forced a chuckle and picked up my spoon again.
They didn’t know it, but their words were the only thing keeping grounded right now.
Because if the student council was behind this, and deep down, I knew they were, then whatever they were planning next was only the beginning.
---
By the ti we trudged back from the study hall, it was almost ten.
The dorm halls were dim and quiet except for the echo of footsteps and the occasional yawn from other students returning late.
Cambria unlocked the door first, flicking on the warm bedside light as we filed in one after the other.
"Finally," Juniper groaned, tossing her books onto her bed. "Three hours of revision for a subject we’re not even using for Founders Day. I’m done."
Nari stretched and flopped dramatically onto her bunk. "Wake up in a hundred years."
Their exhaustion made smile. It felt good to be back in the room with them again.
I sat cross-legged on my bed, scrolling aimlessly through my phone while my friends took turns washing up.
They made the room sll faintly of lavender and soap, creating a calmness that lulled into forgetting everything for a mont when they returned.
Then, all at once, notifications went up on our phones. A few seconds later, Nari scread my na.
"ELIRA!!! MOON’S WHISPER POSTED SOTHING ABOUT YOU AGAIN!!!"
Just then, Cambria said to , "Elira, open it right now. You won’t believe this."
My pulse picked up. "What is it?" I asked as Juniper hurried over to peer at my screen.
I opened the gossip blog, and there it was, glowing bold at the top of the feed like wildfire had found dry grass.
---
*MOON’S WHISPER EXCLUSIVE*
THE OGA MIRACLE STRIKES AGAIN, AND SO PEOPLE AREN’T HAPPY ABOUT IT!
Yesterday’s duel saw first-year student Elira Shaw—ESA’s once ’hopeless oga’ take down a senior wolf twice her size in a fair fight.
Her victory sent shockwaves through the academy, and apparently through the fragile egos of a few higher-ups.
Word from reliable sources says that a certain polished report made its way to the professors’ desk, accusing Shaw of cheating by targeting her opponent’s acu points.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting: who exactly has access to file such a report directly to the faculty?
A Student Council mber, perhaps?
Moon’s Whisper won’t make assumptions, but we will say this much: if Elira Shaw is the threat people suddenly fear she is, maybe that says more about ESA’s ’leaders’ than about her.
Until proven otherwise, this "Oga Miracle" is the only one making ESA worth watching.
---
The room went dead silent for a heartbeat, then suddenly erupted.
"Oh. My. Goddess!" Nari squealed, clutching her pillow. "They just called out the Student Council!"
Tamryn was already scrolling through the comnts, eyes wide. "Everyone’s defending you, Elira! People are saying you fought fair and square. So are even calling you the pride of the first years."
Cambria grinned, shaking her head in disbelief. "Moon’s Whisper really doesn’t care who they anger. They just boldly implied the entire council is afraid of you."
I blinked at the screen, my heart racing faster than it had during any duel. "They... they called the Oga Miracle again?"
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