Chapter 8 The Confidant

• Caleb was the only one who didn't treat me like a mistake.
• The echo of Darius's words still lingered in Elara's mind as she made her way to the Academy's grand cafeteria the next day, his voice replaying on an endless loop that made her teeth clench with frustration. Not as weak as I thought. As if his opinion had the right to matter. As if his begrudging acknowledgment of her strength could somehow erase the humiliation of his public rejection.
• She shook off the lingering heat that accompanied thoughts of their confrontation in the shadowed hallway and forced herself through the heavy oak doors that bore the Academy's coat of arms. The cafeteria stretched before her like a battlefield disguised as a dining hall—soaring stone arches supported a ceiling painted with scenes of the Moon Goddess blessing the first packs, while massive windows let in streams of golden afternoon light.