{Elira}
~**^**~
Fenric lunged first. He was fast and deliberate.
I dodged left, narrowly missing his strike. His strength was obvious; every movent was sharp and efficient.
He ca again. I blocked him, twisted my body, and struck at his side. My blow connected, but barely made him flinch.
He grinned, low and taunting. "You hit like a cub."
That familiar spark of irritation flared, but I shoved it down. I wasn’t here to prove strength through rage.
Fenric tried to grab again, but this ti I pivoted just as Lennon had taught , slipping under his arm and driving my knee up into his midsection. He grunted and stumbled back.
Gasps rippled through, reaching my ears.
I didn’t chase the advantage; I rembered one of Zenon’s profound warnings about never losing my center, even when I’m winning.
Fenric recovered quickly, his smirk gone now, replaced by a flash of annoyance. He ca harder and faster. His strikes were almost a blur. One clipped my shoulder, another grazed my ribs, and the sting of pain made my eyes water.
Still, I didn’t falter.
Each dodge beca sharper, my mind narrowing to movent and rhythm until suddenly, I saw it: a small hesitation in his stance every ti he struck high.
There was a weakness.
Nine minutes passed, and I let him think he was cornering , his steps pressing forward until my back nearly brushed the wall. He swung; I ducked. His arm overextended, just like I hoped.
My hands shot out—one gripping his wrist, the other sliding up to his shoulder—and with a twist and shift of weight, I brought him down. The mat shuddered beneath the impact.
He cursed, trying to throw off, but I planted my knees firmly, pinning him the exact sa way I had pinned Lennon during our last training.
My hands locked against his chest, my focus steady as the tir ticked louder in my ears.
Ten seconds... Nine... Eight...
"Get off !" Fenric growled beneath , thrashing once more.
But I didn’t move. I pressed down harder, using every ounce of balance and control Zenon drilled into .
"Ten minutes!" The professor announced, followed by the blow of the whistle. And just like that, it was over.
The hall erupted into a low buzz of noise—surprise, disbelief, whispers of my na.
I stood, breathing hard, every muscle trembling, my heartbeat echoing in my ears. And Fenric lay there glaring up at the ceiling, furious and humiliated.
"Winner, Elira Shaw."
The words struck like a jolt—sharp, unreal, and utterly overwhelming.
My throat tightened, and before I could stop myself, tears slipped down my cheeks. Not from pain this ti, but from sheer relief—from the weight of proving to myself that what I had learned, for what I had endured, wasn’t for nothing.
And that I wasn’t a cheat.
I had done it. Again.
When I finally looked up, I saw Lennon and Rennon at the far end of the hall. They were standing in silence, watching. Lennon’s lips tilted in a grin, Rennon nodding slightly in approval.
Zenon wasn’t there. But I could almost imagine his voice anyway— "Better."
I dragged the back of my hand across my cheeks, wiping away the last of my tears. My breath still ca in shaky bursts. And the hall still buzzed, the whispers chasing my na, but all I could think about was how, for once, I felt worthy of it.
Around , the whispers grew louder.
"She did it again."
"That oga girl—no, she is not an oga."
I didn’t look back as I stepped out of the mat and walked towards the door.
The heavy doors creaked open as I stepped out into the hallway, the sudden rush of cooler air brushing against my heated skin.
My legs felt unsteady, half from exhaustion, half from the storm of emotions tumbling inside .
And then—
"Elira!"
I turned my head sharply.
Down the hall, by the long windows overlooking the courtyard, my friends stood waiting.
Cambria, Juniper, Tamryn, and Nari—their faces alight, their voices rising above the murmurs of the other students clustered there.
Before I could react, they were running toward .
Cambria reached first, her hair flying behind her as she wrapped her arms around .
Juniper joined in from the side, laughing breathlessly, and then Tamryn and Nari were there too, all of them hugging tight until I could barely breathe.
"You won again!" Nari squealed, shaking a little. "Elira, you actually did it!"
Juniper grinned so wide her dimples showed. "That last move—the way you pinned him down—I swear, my heart stopped!"
Tamryn’s eyes were shining, her voice steady but full of warmth. "You fought like a true wolf out there."
I let out a choked laugh, the sound caught between disbelief and relief. "I almost didn’t make it," I said softly. "He was so much stronger..."
"But you did make it," Cambria cut in, squeezing my hand. "And that’s what matters."
Before I could respond, a sound echoed through the corridor. It was faint at first but then grew louder. Claps. Cheers.
I turned, completely startled.
Beyond my friends, students who had been watching through the hallway windows were applauding. So whistled, others shouted my na.
"Elira Shaw!" soone called.
"The girl who beat a second-year again!" another voice echoed.
The crowd’s energy swelled like a wave, the sound bouncing off the walls until the hallway trembled with it.
I froze.
For a mont, all I could do was stare, wide-eyed and breathless.
They weren’t mocking . They weren’t whispering behind my back.
They were... cheering... for .
My throat tightened as I tried to process it. I had never been the kind of person people clapped for.
For so long, I had been the joke, the ’Oga’ who didn’t belong. And now—
Nari tugged at my arm, grinning. "You see that? That’s what victory looks like."
Juniper laughed. "Better get used to it, champ."
Cambria leaned close and whispered teasingly, "ESA’s newest sensation."
Even Tamryn smiled, her usual calm giving way to quiet pride. "You earned this, Elira. Every bit of it."
I blinked hard, trying not to cry again. My voice barely ca out. "I don’t even know what to say."
"Say nothing," Nari said with a wink. "Just smile."
And so I did—just a small one at first, but it grew. The cheers, the faces, the warmth—it all washed over until, for the first ti in a long while, I wasn’t running from the attention.
I was standing in it.
---
The cheers still echoed in my ears long after the crowd began to thin.
I could feel my cheeks ache from smiling.
"Co on," Nari said, looping her arm through mine with a grin. "The cafeteria’s waiting. You’re not escaping dinner tonight, champion."
I laughed softly, letting her pull along. "You make it sound like I just won a tournant."
"You kind of did," Juniper teased, brushing her dark braids over her shoulder. "And besides, after what you’ve been through, you deserve a feast."
Cambria nudged my shoulder gently. "Also, if you don’t eat soon, I’m convinced you’re going to pass out on us."
They weren’t wrong. My stomach had been growling since before the match, but adrenaline had drowned it out. Now, every ache and hunger pang was returning at once.
The cafeteria was already bustling when we stepped inside—rows of gleaming tables, the hum of voices, and the rich sll of roasted at, seasoned stew, and baked rolls filling the air.
The mont we entered, heads turned.
Not all the looks were friendly—so were wide-eyed, so curious, a few sharp with jealousy. but none of that mattered now.
Because when my friends smiled and walked beside like a wall of light, I didn’t feel small anymore.
We took our trays, and as we moved down the food line, Nari kept whispering little jokes just to keep smiling.
By the ti we settled into our usual corner table, my nerves had begun to fade. The warm glow of the lamps above us, the sll of food, my friends’ laughter—it felt like safety.
Juniper tore a piece of bread and handed it to . "You looked incredible out there today, Elira. Like... you’ve really changed."
"Changed?" I asked softly, raising a brow.
"Yeah," Cambria said, her gaze thoughtful. "You carry yourself differently now. Stronger. It’s like you finally see what we’ve always seen."
Their words hit sothing deep in , sothing I had been too afraid to admit.
I smiled faintly. "Maybe I’m just... learning not to doubt myself anymore."
Tamryn nodded approvingly. "Keep that up. Founders Day will test all of us, but I know you will hold your ground."
Nari leaned in closer, lowering her voice dramatically. "And if anyone tries to ss with you, they will have to go through your fan club first."
"Fan club?" I repeated, half-laughing, half-disbelieving.
She pointed across the cafeteria. Sure enough, a small group of students were whispering and stealing glances in our direction. One waved shyly when our eyes t.
I blinked, startled. "You’ve got to be kidding ."
Juniper chuckled. "Welco to fa, Elira Shaw."
Reviews
All reviews (0)