{Elira}
~**^**~
Two weeks had crawled by since I took the ESA entrance exam. Two weeks that felt like two lifetis.
I scarcely managed it through each day that passed.
Every day since my exams, the brothers would leave for ESA to carry out their teaching duties. I felt lonely, locking myself in my room after breakfast, only daring to go out when the brothers returned.
I had been afraid of bumping into the Luna, so staying out of reach was the best bet.
Last night, I barely slept. I lay awake, eyes on the ceiling, heart thudding painfully, twisting the sheets between my fists until dawn.
When I finally drifted off, it was only for a few hours, and I woke up with my nerves raw and my head heavy.
And now...
Lennon sat behind his sleek black laptop in the study. The morning light stread through the tall windows, catching in the silver of his wristwatch.
I hovered beside him, trying not to wring my hands. My heart felt like it might actually stop with every breath.
He typed quickly, logging in to the school’s admission portal and entering my exam number. The screen blinked, then...
Loading...
A circle spun in the middle of the page. My chest rose and fell in sharp, shallow breaths.
A full minute passed. The page kept loading.
Lennon leaned back, exhaling. "Well, at least it didn’t say Not Admitted."
I swallowed, caught between relief and crushing disappointnt. "Does it an... we have to wait again?"
"Seems so." Lennon’s tone was kind, but I could tell he was frustrated too. "I will ask Zenon if there’s any update. If he knows sothing, I will let you know. Otherwise, we check again in two days."
My shoulders dropped as my hope dimd. "Alright... thank you."
Lennon shut the laptop softly and stood, motioning for to follow. "Co. Let’s get you sothing to eat."
---
At breakfast, I barely touched my food. Each swallow felt forced, a lump in my throat refusing to go down. I didn’t want to ruin everyone’s mood, so I kept my gaze on my plate, forcing my fingers to stop trembling.
Alpha Cyprus, noticing, asked Zenon quietly, "What about Elira’s admission? Has the result been posted?"
The dining hall fell into tense silence. I lifted my gaze slightly, heart hamring.
Zenon didn’t even look up from his cup. "I don’t know," he answered, voice cold and flat.
Alpha Cyprus frowned. "How can you not know, Zenon? You are the Dean of Studies."
Slowly, Zenon lifted his head and t his father’s gaze. "Maybe we should all exercise so patience."
My chest squeezed. I felt his words were ant for more than anyone else — a silent command to calm down when calm was the last thing I felt.
Then Zenon continued, tone even colder. "The supplentary exam results were on fast track. It’s been two weeks. Everyone who passed and was admitted should have received a letter from ESA by now. That’s the new notification thod."
His words crashed into like cold water.
Everyone who passed... should have received a letter...
No letter had co for .
The air rushed out of my lungs. My eyes burned as tears welled up, blurring the table, the walls, the faces around .
Lennon’s voice cut through the ringing in my ears, shocked and a little sharp. "When did the process change?"
Through my watery vision, I saw Zenon glance at him. "It changed with this supplentary exam," he replied. "And yes, it was my suggestion."
"What?" Lennon sounded incredulous. "You knew and didn’t bother to tell us?"
Zenon didn’t answer.
Alpha Cyprus’s gaze darkened. "Zenon, you should have inford us."
Their voices blurred, drowned in the roar inside my head.
Does this an... I failed? I won’t get in?
My chest clenched painfully. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks. I lowered my gaze, blinking fast to stop them, but more ca.
Across the table, Rennon’s gentle eyes caught mine. His brows furrowed, worry shadowing his expression.
Then Luna Gwenith’s voice sliced through the room, sharp and cold. "Lennon, don’t speak rudely to your elder brother," she scolded. "And how is this any of his fault? That an unqualified Oga dares to dream above her station?"
My breath caught, my vision blurring further.
Unqualified... Oga...
She wasn’t finished. "It’s a good thing," she continued, "for so people to be reminded of their place the hard way. Who told her to dream so high when she’s undeserving?"
Pain lanced through , sharp and bitter. My fists clenched under the table.
Then Alpha Cyprus’s voice ca, low and firm. "I am the one who dared her to dream big, Gwen. Do you have a problem with that?"
"Yes!" she snapped, her voice rising. "I do!"
Alpha Cyprus’s tone hardened. "Then go sort it out by yourself."
I could feel Luna Gwenith’s mood shift, her aura growing darker and colder like a winter storm.
And then... she spat words that confused completely.
"Is it because of that woman, Cyprus? Are you doing all this because of her?"
Alpha Cyprus sounded startled. "What are you talking about?"
Before anything more could be said, Zenon’s cold voice cut the air. "Are you two really fighting at the breakfast table?"
Silence fell, heavy and uneasy.
Alpha Cyprus’s voice softened. "We are not fighting," he murmured.
But my heart couldn’t take it anymore.
Tears blurred my sight completely. I couldn’t see their faces — only shapes and shadows. My breath ca out ragged.
Because of ... they’re arguing because of . I’m a bad on...
Sniffing, I stood up quickly, my chair scraping the floor. My voice trembled as I bowed my head. "Forgive ... I will excuse myself."
I didn’t wait to hear what anyone said next.
As I turned away, I heard Alpha Cyprus call my na, gentle but firm — "Elira—"
But I couldn’t look back.
I fled, blinking away tears that wouldn’t stop, heart heavy with sha, disappointnt, and sothing darker I couldn’t na.
I only knew I needed to be alone — sowhere Luna Gwenith’s words couldn’t reach, sowhere my own failure couldn’t echo so loudly in my chest.
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