Chapter 149: An Exceptional Night

Elara:

I groaned when the warmth disappeared from my body. My blanket was ruthlessly pulled away, leaving me exposed to the cold air of my room.

I stubbornly kept my eyes closed for another few seconds, hoping whoever had committed this unforgivable crime would eventually take pity on me, but then the lights suddenly came on and I immediately groaned again when the brightness stabbed through my eyelids.

I opened one eye just enough to see Myra standing beside my bed, one hand still on the light switch, before another familiar voice reached me from somewhere near the foot of the bed.

"Finally," Violet announced dramatically, and I knew immediately that my attempt at disappearing from the world had failed. Both of them had finally found me, making me almost regret giving them access to my dorm.

I’d been hiding inside my dorm since the evening before yesterday, refusing to go outside, refusing to answer the door, and refusing to respond to the endless messages and calls that had flooded my phone. ℯℯ𝑙.

Nearly forty-eight hours had passed since the disasters involving Esmeray and Kairo, and I had spent almost every minute of them curled beneath my blanket, trying to sleep away emotions that refused to disappear. Mrs. Carter had already checked on me more than twice, while Myra, Violet, and Jasper had called and messaged so relentlessly that I had eventually stopped even looking at my phone. Apparently, my friends had finally reached the limit of their patience.

I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position, blinking against the light as Violet stood with her arms crossed, her expression making it very clear that she was furious with me.

"Do you have any idea how worried we have been?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing at me. "You have ignored every message, every call, and practically barricaded yourself inside this room. What happened?"

I looked between her and Myra, expecting frustration from both of them, but what I saw instead was something that immediately dissolved whatever tiny annoyance I had felt about them invading my dorm. They were worried. Genuinely worried.

Myra looked as though she had been fighting the urge to cry herself, while Violet’s anger clearly existed only because she cared enough to be angry. After everything that had happened, after people I had trusted had made me question whether their kindness had ever been genuine, these two had never once given me a reason to doubt them.

The sudden realization hit me harder than I expected, and my eyes burned with tears. I quickly looked away and blinked them back before they could fall, but I wasn’t quick enough as both girls noticed and their expressions softened immediately.

"Elara..." Myra whispered, and I forced myself to smile before she could ask anything else. It wasn’t a convincing smile, but it was genuine.

"I just... haven’t had a great couple of days," I admitted quietly, looking down at my hands. "That’s all. I didn’t feel like talking to anyone, and I definitely didn’t feel like leaving my room."

For a moment, I expected Violet to interrogate me until I confessed everything. Instead, she exchanged a glance with Myra. Something unspoken passed between them, and to my surprise, neither pressed further. They both seemed to understand that whatever had happened, I wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Myra finally sat beside me on the edge of the bed and gently took both of my hands in hers. "Whatever you are dealing with, you can tell us when you are ready," she said softly. "But there is something you need to remember."

I raised my eyebrows slightly, and she gave my hands a small squeeze.

"Exams begin the day after tomorrow. Whatever emotional disaster you are going through right now, you have to let it go for a little while and focus. Nothing should be more important than acing the term exams."

A smile slowly spread across my face. Myra was right. Completely right. I’d already wasted two entire days hiding under my blankets because two men had managed to hurt me in ways I hadn’t expected. Esmeray had made me question months of memories, and Kairo had taken something I’d considered private and meaningful and used it to humiliate me.

They had hurt me, yes, but why should I allow them to ruin something else too? Why should I let either of them affect my academic performance? I’d worked too hard for these exams. I’d spent months studying, preparing, and forcing myself to learn everything I needed to know. I wasn’t going to hand them another victory by allowing my grades to suffer because I couldn’t control my emotions.

"You are right," I finally admitted, giving Myra’s hands a grateful squeeze. "I shouldn’t let any of this ruin my exams."

"Exactly." Violet’s voice immediately cut through the room, and the mischievous glint returning to her eyes told me that whatever she was about to suggest was probably going to be questionable at best. "Which is why you are going to stop thinking about studying for tonight."

I frowned at her.

"What?" She threw her arms outward dramatically as she declared, "You need one night to completely lose yourself, get all of this garbage out of your head, and then tomorrow you can wake up, become the terrifying academic weapon I know you are, and spend the entire day preparing for the exams."

I stared at her suspiciously. I knew that expression. I knew that tone. "Violet..." I narrowed my eyes. "Did you sneak alcohol into my dorm again?"

Myra immediately covered a laugh, while Violet looked almost offended by the accusation. "Excuse me? No!" she exclaimed. "I have learned from my mistakes."

I raised an eyebrow because we both knew that was a questionable statement at best. "Then what exactly are you suggesting?" I asked.

Her grin returned. "We are going to Shadow Creek."

I blinked. "Tonight?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Tonight."

My confusion only grew. "But it’s Wednesday. We are not allowed to leave the academy during weekdays."

Violet waved one hand dismissively. "Normally, yes. But there’s an exception before exams." She explained. "The academy allows students to leave the grounds for one evening before the examination period began, giving us a chance to release some of the pressure before spending the next day preparing. Since we have tomorrow to recover, study, and make sure we are ready for the first exam the following morning, tonight is essentially the academy’s designated night to let loose."

I stared at her for several seconds, trying to decide whether she was serious. Myra nodded along beside her, apparently completely aware of this tradition and equally prepared to drag me out of my room. Then both girls turned toward me and waited.

Usually, I would have refused. Under normal circumstances, the thought of going into town when exams were so close would have sounded irresponsible. But these weren’t normal circumstances.

I’d spent the last forty-eight hours trapped inside my own head, replaying betrayal after betrayal until I could barely think straight. Maybe I did need one night away from all of it. One night where I didn’t have to be Princess Eleanora Argentis, a student with zero credits, a girl being targeted by enemies, or someone trying to understand which people in her life could actually be trusted.

Maybe tonight, I could simply be Elara.

I looked at Violet and Myra, then finally smiled. "Fine. I’m coming."