{Elira}
~**^**~
Dinner at the cafeteria was buzzing even before we stepped in.
The scent of roasted garlic and spiced chicken drifted through the air, warm and inviting. I had barely picked up a tray when Nari groaned beside .
"No wine tonight?" she sighed dramatically, scanning the drink section as if expecting it to materialize.
Juniper raised a brow. "You want wine every night now?"
"It’s not my fault, ESA gave us a taste of the high life and then snatched it back," Nari replied, pouting. "How are we supposed to go back to boring juice after that?"
Cambria laughed softly as she scooped so quinoa salad onto her plate. "You will survive."
I didn’t say anything because I was actually fine with anything. I just quietly added so grilled potatoes and chicken to my tray, then followed the others to our usual table near the window.
We had only just started eating when a sudden sound blared through the overhead speakers—clear, sharp, and commanding.
"Attention, ESA students," ca the calm voice of a woman, no doubt one of the event coordinators.
The hum of conversation dropped slightly as people paused to listen. "This Saturday, the school will host two special activities. First, a speed race in your wolf form. Second, combat matches for third-year students who have signed up. All students are expected to gather at the arena by nine in the morning. Further instructions will follow."
The mont the announcent ended, the noise returned—but this ti, louder. The cafeteria lit up with excitent. Students leaned over their tables, exchanging wide-eyed grins and wild guesses. The energy was electric.
I looked around, taking it all in.
There was so much joy on everyone’s faces—so much anticipation. And when I turned back to my own table, my chest squeezed a little tighter.
Juniper was grinning ear to ear. "A wolf run!" she said, nearly bouncing in her seat. "It’s been forever since I ran at full speed without restrictions."
Cambria was smiling too, her eyes gleaming with interest. "The combat matches will be interesting. There’s a third-year student I know from a volunteer group who’s amazing with energy blades. I hope she signed up."
Tamryn nodded in agreent, but as she opened her mouth to speak, all our smartwatches lit up and chid at once.
We instinctively looked down at our wrists. The sa information from the announcent appeared in elegant, animated text across the screens. Another reminder.
"Guess that makes it official," Cambria said.
Nari clapped her hands together once. "I can’t wait. Finally, sothing fun!"
The table humd with excitent. Everyone began talking over each other, swapping mories of past runs and speculating who would dominate the combat matches. Laughter floated up and blended with the cafeteria’s vibrant noise.
And I—I just sat there smiling, nodding when soone looked at .
But inside?
I was spiralling.
My fingers tightened slightly around my fork. I tried to keep my breathing steady, but the air felt too warm, too heavy.
A race... in wolf form.
Combat... in a shifted state.
The dread that crept up my spine was cold and sharp because I still couldn’t sense her—my wolf.
Even now.
Even after everything.
I hadn’t heard her voice, hadn’t felt her presence. It was as if a part of had been sealed away, locked behind a barrier I didn’t understand and couldn’t break.
And now, I would be expected to shift and run before the entire school?
The mory of the Power Channelling practical returned like a slap. The whispering students, the embarrassed silence, the humiliation.
Would I go through that again?
Would they all see stand frozen again while everyone else sprinted ahead?
My stomach churned, and suddenly, the roasted potatoes on my plate didn’t seem so appetizing.
Still, I looked up and smiled faintly as Nari turned to , eyes bright with mischief. "Elira, what do you think? Think Nari will outrun ?"
I chuckled softly. "I think Nari should instead try not to get left behind."
Everyone chuckled loudly except Nari, who was glaring at . "This is what betrayal looks like," she said.
But it was the best I could give.
Because I didn’t want to steal this joy from them, I didn’t want their concern. I didn’t want to be the dark cloud over a bright evening.
Whatever happened Saturday... I would deal with it on my own.
Right now, I just wanted to laugh with my roommates even if I was falling apart inside.
---
We stepped out of the cafeteria into the cool evening air right after dinner.
The walk back to our dorm building was usually filled with light chatter or quiet humming from Juniper, but tonight, Nari was the first to speak, and she sounded like she’d been holding it in all dinner.
"My blog goes live tomorrow," she announced with a grin that nearly split her face.
The declaration brought an instant cheer from the rest of us. I found myself smiling even before I could process the words fully.
Juniper didn’t waste a second — she high-fived Nari with a sharp clap and said, "Let’s make your blog overtake that gossip blog — The Moon’s Whisper!"
I blinked and nearly tripped on my own step. "Wait, the Moon’s what?" Then I looked between them, confused. "There’s a gossip blog at ESA?"
Cambria let out a small laugh. "Used to be. You probably haven’t heard of it because the page got taken down by top-tier hackers before you arrived. The Moon’s Whisper — it was this anonymous student-run blog that aired a lot of dirty laundry. No one knew who was behind it."
Tamryn, walking just ahead of us, slowed down a bit. "It was probably the Student Council. I an, let’s be honest, the blog basically existed to drag them through the mud."
"And rightfully so," Juniper added. "Those six are a nace, and everyone knows it. But no one ever dares say it out loud — except for that blog."
I was still reeling from the fact that sothing like that existed... and had been silenced.
The na alone — The Moon’s Whisper — felt eerie, conspiratorial, like sothing that could haunt a school like ESA from the shadows.
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