_Zephyr’s POV_
The sting on my cheek still lingered like fire under my skin. I could feel it pulse with every heartbeat. My jaw clenched as I stared at the cracked floor tile in the corridor, forcing my body to stay upright. I wouldn’t cry. Not here or in front of them.
I already walked out of the training room, even before any of them could grab me again.
I could still hear their laughter echoing in my ears.
“Next time, never blabber about us again, understood?” one of them had sneered after the slap.
Vaelen, Sian, and his crew. Always looking for someone to hurt. Today, it had been me again. Maybe it was the way I walk, maybe it was the way I refused to bow down to Vaelen, or the way I shamed Sian. Or maybe they just hated that Kael had spoken to me earlier and saved me.
I didn’t k
