{Elira}
~**^**~
Every muscle in my body protested as I walked into the first-year cafeteria with my friends.
The dull ache from today's duel pulsed under my skin, but it was manageable—almost satisfying in a strange way. Proof that I had survived. Proof that I had won.
But what I wasn't prepared for was the noise.
The moment we stepped in, the cafeteria erupted.
Hands slammed against tables in rhythm, voices rose, and before I could even process what was happening, they were chanting—my name.
"Elira! Elira! Elira!"
I froze mid-step, my tray still empty in my hands. My heart leapt to my throat. They were smiling—students I barely knew, faces that had once looked at me with pity or dismissal now shining with something I was still trying to accept. Admiration.
Juniper nudged me, grinning. "You're basically famous now, Elira."
Nari laughed, joining in with a small cheer of her own. "Enjoy your moment, champ!"
