{Elira}
~**^**~
But it didn’t last. Lennon suddenly caught my arm and spun around, pulling into a light hold. It wasn’t painful, but humiliatingly effective.
"You lose your focus for one second," he murmured near my ear, "and soone bigger, faster, aner will pin you."
"Let go," I hissed.
He did, but only after Zenon’s quiet voice filled the room again. "Do it again. Until she can’t be caught."
We trained until my lungs burned, my arms ached, and my knees felt like they had been replaced with fire. But by the fifth round, I was no longer just reacting; I was reading him.
When he tried to grab my wrist again, I feinted right, ducked under his arm, and used every ounce of leverage I had to push him off balance. He hit the mat with a grunt.
For two seconds, I froze, completely shocked that I had actually done it.
Zenon’s voice broke through. "Don’t stop. Pin him."
I blinked, realized what he ant, and quickly pressed my knee against Lennon’s shoulder, holding him down. The position wasn’t perfect, but it was stable.
Rennon’s faint smile appeared. "Good. That’s what ten minutes should look like when the clock ends."
Lennon let out a breath, amusent glinting in his eyes despite the sweat on his forehead. "Not bad, sweetheart. You are finally starting to think like a fighter."
I rolled my eyes and stood, chest heaving, but I couldn’t stop the tiny flicker of pride that lit in my chest.
Zenon stepped closer, his expression unreadable as always. "Not perfect," he said, "but progress. You didn’t crumble under pressure. Rember that feeling."
I nodded, still catching my breath. "I will."
His gaze lingered for a mont, not harsh this ti, just assessing. "Good. Because you will need it. The next round is today."
Today.
I felt the weight of those words press down on , the countdown, the pressure, the whispers outside this room.
But as Lennon handed a bottle of water with a grin, and Rennon gave an approving nod, I realized sothing:
This ti, I wasn’t scared of falling. I was scared of not rising high enough.
---
The air inside the auditorium felt heavy, the kind that clung to the back of your neck and made every heartbeat sound too loud.
Students filled every row, chatter bouncing off the walls until the professor at the podium raised a hand for silence.
I tried not to fidget. My muscles still ached faintly from training, and sweat dampened my collar despite the cold air.
Nari leaned in close and whispered, "If your na doesn’t co up today, you are treating us to sothing sweet this weekend."
I gave her a tired half-smile. "If my na doesn’t co up today, I will bake the dessert myself."
When the final na was called, and mine wasn’t among them, I nearly sagged in relief.
"Thank the goddess," Tamryn breathed beside .
Nari grinned and lightly smacked my arm. "Guess dessert this weekend is on you, winner."
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The knots in my chest eased just a little. For the first ti that day, I smiled freely.
The professor dismissed the rest of us. My friends and I joined the steady stream of students filing toward the doors, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air again.
But the lightness didn’t last.
As soon as we stepped into the corridor, a cold, familiar voice sliced through the noise.
"Well, well... if it isn’t the academy’s favorite miracle story."
I froze as my eyes landed on Regina, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by a few other students who were clearly enjoying the show she was about to put on.
Her perfectly straight hair frad her sharp smile, and her eyes glinted with thinly veiled contempt.
"Still riding that lucky streak, Elira?" she asked, her tone dripping with sweetness that didn’t reach her eyes. "Or should I say, still using your little tricks?"
I went still. My heart thudded once, hard, but I said nothing.
Nari, however, bristled imdiately. "Watch your tone," she snapped before I could stop her. "You have no right—"
I grabbed her wrist quickly, shaking my head in warning. "Don’t," I whispered.
Regina smirked, folding her arms. "How noble of you, Elira. Controlling your pet, are you?"
Nari’s eyes widened, fury flashing across her face, but Tamryn stepped forward before she could speak.
"Abuse of power suits you, doesn’t it?" Tamryn said flatly. "Throwing your weight around because you think your title gives you the right to humiliate others?"
The corner of Regina’s lip curled. "If you don’t like it," she said coolly, "there is always the option to leave ESA. No one is forcing you to stay."
Her words landed like daggers. A few nearby students gasped softly but said nothing.
Cambria clenched her fists. Juniper’s jaw tightened. I could feel their anger radiating in the air—it beat like a pulse against my skin.
I took a step forward, not close enough to challenge, but enough to make her et my gaze.
"Are you done?" I asked quietly.
Regina’s smirk deepened, but there was a flicker of sothing, maybe irritation that I wasn’t rising to her bait.
"Not quite," she murmured, her eyes raking over . "You might have everyone fooled, but I know what you are, Elira Shaw. You can only pretend to be strong for so long."
Her gaze lingered one heartbeat too long before she turned on her heel and walked away, her little entourage trailing behind her.
Silence hung in the corridor for a few seconds after she disappeared.
Nari muttered under her breath, "If murder wasn’t a punishable offense..."
"Let it go," I said softly, though my hands were trembling.
Tamryn looked at , still bristling. "You are seriously letting her talk to you like that?"
"I’m not letting her," I said, forcing my voice steady. "I’m just choosing not to give her what she wants."
Cambria studied for a long second, then sighed and nodded. "You are right. She is waiting for a reaction. One wrong move, and she will twist it."
"Exactly."
Even though I said it calmly, my heart was still hamring. I could feel my power humming faintly under my skin—restless, responding to my anger.
I clenched my hands until my knuckles hurt. I couldn’t afford to lose control. Not here. Not now.
"Let’s go," I murmured finally. "Before soone else decides to pick a fight."
My friends fell in step beside , protective even in their silence. But as we walked toward the dorm wing, I couldn’t shake the thought pulsing in my head:
Regina had crossed a line today. Though it was in her nature, I knew deep down that this wouldn’t be the end of it.
---
Soon, we got to our dorm room.
Nari was the first to grab her towel and head into the bathroom.
By the ti we had all freshened up and changed into casual clothes—loose shirts, jeans, and soft cardigans, the mood had lifted again. Cambria tied her hair into a neat bun, Tamryn adjusted her jacket, and Juniper was already by the door, ready to go.
"Let’s eat before my stomach starts eating itself," Nari said, clutching her tablet against her chest as she led the way.
The cafeteria was warm and bright, buzzing with the evening crowd. Trays clattered, students laughed, and the faint hum of conversation filled the room.
I spotted a few curious glances when we entered, but I didn’t let them stick.
Cambria leaned close as we grabbed our trays. "Pretend you don’t see their glances or hear any of their gossip," she whispered, voice low.
"I’m already pretending," I murmured back, forcing a small smile.
It wasn’t even a lie. I had made up my mind minutes ago that I would no longer react to whispers. No more letting them get under my skin.
We picked up our food—roasted at with spicy grain rolls, honeyed carrots, and a creamy sauce that slled divine. The kind of al that could almost make you forget the day.
Once we settled at our usual table, the conversation ca easily again. Light. Normal. Nari started talking about a new series she had been binge-watching, Tamryn rolled her eyes, and Juniper kept stealing pieces from Cambria’s plate when she wasn’t looking.
Halfway through the al, Nari suddenly set down her fork and lifted her tablet with a grin so wide I thought it might split her face.
"Ladies," she announced proudly, "I have news. I officially hit a thousand followers today!"
We all looked up in surprise, then burst into cheers.
"Wait—what?" Cambria asked, eyes wide. "When did that happen?"
"This afternoon!" Nari squealed. "And it’s not just ESA students anymore. I’ve got followers from other academies too!"
"That’s amazing!" Juniper said, clinking her spoon against Nari’s cup in mock celebration.
I couldn’t help smiling. "Congratulations, Nari. You’ve earned it."
She preened at the praise, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear with an exaggerated flick.
"Thank you, thank you. But I’m not stopping there. I’ve been thinking of adding a new segnt to the blog."
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