Rhea
It had been one week in Luna Fang’s Academy and it had been great. Elara and I had become close friends even if I still missed Taya.
The training hall smelled like a locker room filled with damp rot and overpriced cologne. My lungs burned, but not from the physical exertion, which was barely a warm-up but from the suffocating pressure of being watched.
Every time I moved, eyes tracked me like I was a target in a shooting gallery.
I wiped sweat from my forehead, gripping the wooden training sword until my knuckles throbbed.
"Focus, Rhea," Elara whispered from beside me. She was panting, her pale blue uniform stained with grit, but she didn’t look away. "They’re watching because they’re waiting for you to trip. Don’t give them the satisfaction."
"f**k them," I spat, my voice low a
