{Elira}
~**^**~
Though a bit intimidated, I didn't shrink under the weight of being noticed.
Instead, I sat a little straighter, took another bite of food, and let myself laugh with my friends.
The evening passed in bursts of chatter and laughter—stories about professors, the Founders Day decorations already appearing across campus, and Nari's dramatic retelling of how she almost fainted watching my last fight.
By the time we finished dinner, my stomach was full, my heart even fuller.
As we walked back toward the dorms, I found myself glancing up at the evening sky—the faint silver curve of the moon shining down through the tall windows.
"Thank you," I whispered silently to the goddess for strength, for survival, and for them.
Because even though I knew the road ahead was still heavy with danger, for now, I had this laughter, friendship, and a piece of peace I had long thought I had lost.
---
After long hours of study, the dorm room was quiet
