Chapter 146: When to Press and When to Hold Off
{Elira}
~**^**~
The walk back to the dorm felt longer than usual. My shoes tapped lightly against the pavement, my mind circling the same thought over and over again.
I exhaled slowly, the weight of it pressing down harder than I expected.
I could already picture Nari’s disappointed pout, Juniper’s dramatic sigh, Tamryn’s steady frown, and Cambria’s quiet curiosity.
They would want answers. They deserved answers.
And I couldn’t keep hiding behind vague excuses forever, not with this new schedule. If I didn’t tell them something, they would start piecing it together themselves.
The problem was how. How could I explain that I would suddenly vanish into the training hall several times a week without pulling the brothers into it?
My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. Perhaps I could present it as a special training program, arranged by one of the professors, aimed at enhancing my skills in preparation for Founder’s Day.
It wasn’t a complete lie, just... a safer version of the truth.
Either way, I knew I had no choice and would have to tell them tonight.
---
By the time I pushed open the door to our dorm, the sound of laughter met me before I even stepped inside.
Nari was sprawled on her bed, legs swinging in the air, her tablet in hand as she animatedly told the others about some café she’d found online.
Juniper was perched at the edge of her bunk, sketching idly in her notebook, but her lips curved into an amused smile as she listened.
Tamryn leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, her rare but warm chuckle slipping out every so often.
Cambria sat cross-legged on the floor, combing through a list of weekend spots pinned to her notebook.
It was light and easy. The kind of atmosphere I had been clinging to for days.
"Finally!" Nari spotted me and sat up with mock exasperation. "Our missing piece. We were just planning weekend freedom. Can you imagine? We could grab smoothies at that little café, then maybe stop by the record shop outside town. What do you think?"
"Or the bookstore," Cambria added, eyes sparkling as she pointed at her notes. "I heard they have old wolf history texts you can’t find anywhere else."
"I vote café first," Juniper said, tapping her pencil against the page. "Sugar before books. Balance."
Even Tamryn, usually the practical one, gave a nod. "Sounds good."
Their excitement buzzed through the room, light and infectious. For a second, I smiled too, setting my bag down beside my bunk. But just as quickly, the smile faltered.
Because I knew I would have to ruin this beautiful atmosphere.
I drew a breath, trying to steady myself. I couldn’t dampen their mood yet—not when their eyes shone with such excitement.
So I sat down quietly, forcing a lighter expression onto my face, waiting for the right moment.
And finally, the right moment came as soon as I found an opening.
I fiddled with the strap of my bag for a second before blurting it out, the words leaving my mouth faster than I planned.
"I... I won’t be able to go with you all on Sundays anymore."
Their laughter quieted almost immediately as their four pairs of eyes turned to me.
"What do you mean?" Cambria asked gently, her head tilting.
I wet my lips. "Because... I’ve been training."
"Training?" Tamryn repeated, brows arching. "Like... extra combat training?"
I nodded, trying to keep my tone steady. "Professor Rennon offered to train me personally."
That earned me a round of wide eyes.
"Wait," Juniper leaned forward, pencil forgotten on her bunk. "Professors here barely have time to breathe, much less give private training. And he—" she tapped her chest for emphasis, "—is one of the busiest!"
"I know." I gave a small shrug, my heart racing. "But it’s true."
Nari’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, though her grin was already curling. "That’s not all, is it?"
I hesitated, then sighed. "No. I actually... have three trainers in total."
The room went silent for a full beat. Then—
"Three?" Cambria echoed, looking completely stunned.
Nari leaned so far forward I thought she would fall off her bed. "Don’t keep us guessing, Elira! Who?"
I exhaled slowly. "Professors Zenon... and Lennon."
The silence broke into gasps.
"No way." Juniper’s jaw dropped. "You mean the Professor Zenon? Our stone-faced dean of studies?"
"And Professor Lennon too?" Nari practically squealed. "Are you even hearing yourself? That’s... that’s insane! How did you—how in the moon’s name did you pull that off?"
My fingers twisted together nervously. "They just... decided it. Professor Lennon said it’s because I might be randomly picked for a duel on Founders Day. They don’t want me unprepared."
That quieted them for a moment. Cambria bit her lip thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Still..."
Nari wasn’t letting it go. "No, no, no. You don’t get off that easy. Why you, Elira? Professors don’t just hand out personal training like candy. Especially Zenon." She squinted at me, sharp as ever. "There’s something you’re not saying."
I forced a light smile and lifted my chin. "Then I will answer that question... on Founders Day."
They all groaned in unison, obviously deflected by my response. Yeah. I killed their hopes.
Nari clutched her pillow dramatically. "That’s cruel. Absolutely cruel!"
Juniper only sighed, shaking her head before muttering under her breath, "I am so jealous of you. Three handsome men training you..."
That earned her a round of laughter from the others, but all I could do was sit there, half smiling, half drowning in the weight of what I hadn’t told them yet.
Because I knew—sooner or later—they would find out the truth, so why not tell them myself, but only when I was ready?
Their laughter hadn’t even died down when Nari suddenly leaned across the little space between our bunks, eyes gleaming like she had just hatched a scheme.
"So..." she began, drawing out the word with a wicked grin. "Can we come watch you train tomorrow?"
I nearly choked. "What?"
Juniper perked up instantly. "That’s not a bad idea, actually. I wouldn’t mind picking up a trick or two while sitting comfortably on the sidelines."
"Count me in," Cambria added softly, her lips twitching as though the thought amused her.
Even Tamryn raised a brow. "It might be entertaining. Besides, professors always train in ways they don’t teach in class."
I stared at all of them, my pulse spiking. The very thought of my roommates waltzing into the small training hall while the brothers were there made my stomach twist.
They would notice, they would see things I had been carefully holding back.
I quickly forced a laugh, shaking my head. "No way. You are not watching me get tossed around like a rag doll."
"Ohhh," Nari sang, pointing a finger at me. "That’s a yes. She is hiding something spicy."
"It’s not spicy!" I shot back, heat rushing to my face.
Juniper smirked, crossing her arms. "That reaction says otherwise."
I grabbed my pillow and threw it at her. She caught it and laughed so hard she nearly toppled off the bed.
"Fine, fine," Nari finally relented, though her grin was still devilish. "We will let you have your secrets. For now."
Her ’for now’ hung in the air, and I groaned softly, sinking back against my bunk.
They wouldn’t let it go forever. I knew that.
But for this moment, I was just glad we could laugh about it instead of digging too deep.
My friends are such understanding people. They knew when to press and when to hold off.
Several seconds later, after I had freshened up and dressed in a flower-patterned dress, my roommates and I left our dorm room and headed for the cafeteria.
---
The cafeteria buzzed with its usual end-of-day noise — trays clattering, laughter ricocheting off the walls, the sweet aroma of honey-roasted chicken and garlic bread drifting across the long rows of tables.
My friends and I had just settled into our seats with steaming plates when a shadow fell across the table.
A tall, dark-haired boy, a second-year, I vaguely recognized from the combat field, stopped right in front of us.
"Good evening," he said politely, his voice steady, though his eyes didn’t linger on any of us.
Before any of us could even open our mouths to respond, his hand slipped quickly toward Tamryn, pressing a folded piece of paper into her palm so swiftly it almost looked like a trick.
Then, without another word, he straightened, nodded, and walked away at a brisk pace.
"What the—" Nari blinked, staring after him.
Juniper leaned forward immediately, eyes wide. "Tamryn. What was that?"
Tamryn hadn’t moved. She just stared down at the paper in her hand, her usually calm face unreadable.
"Are you going to open it?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended.
She exhaled slowly and set her fork aside, her fingers tightening around the note before carefully unfolding it.
The rest of us leaned in instinctively, the chatter of the cafeteria fading into a distant hum.