Evaline:
The hotel’s dining hall was already buzzing by the time sunlight started streaming through the grand windows.
Students and staff were all preparing for the second day of the trip. Today, we were going to venture deeper into the Halendor Ruins - past the outer circle and further into the third and second circles.
I focused my attention on tying both laces on my boots, not because I needed to, but because I had learned that small routines helped steady my nerves. My stomach was fluttery with a mix of excitement and nerves.
I was excited to learn more in the ruins, and nervous because I kept sneaking glances at Oscar despite knowing better. What made the latter worse was that he too was looking at me most of the time.
It was a miracle that no one had noticed us so far... except for Rowan and Kyros.
Ignoring those two, I did a double check on my backpack. It had my notebooks, pencil kit, sample collecting packets and small containers, water, and a light lunch.
Once I was assured that I was ready for the day, I settled down at the table and dived into food.
Mallory was sitting beside me as usual, but her cheerful side was nowhere to be seen today. She was still carrying the shadow of yesterday, and everyone at our table had noticed it. But no one had the time to ask questions as Professor Aldric was rushing us.
With the breakfast done, we all headed out of the hotel with our backpacks.
Our hike was scheduled for forty-five minutes. For the werewolves, this was more like a leisurely trot. But for me, every upward step stung. My muscles were shaking the closer we got to the next field site, and my chest was burning in that peculiar "wolfless" way - like my lungs just didn’t know they belonged in this terrain.
But I didn’t slow to a halt. If I had any chance of going on these trips without constant worry and feeling like a burden, I had to push.
And my friends... they proved once again why I had been calling them friends all this time. It turned out both Kyros and Noah had packed extra water bottles as they knew I would need more than just 1 bottle that I packed for myself.
The group also slowed down to match my pace, finding excuses every now and then to stop and let me catch my breath.
Thanks to them, I didn’t fall behind.
We reached the circle of ruins ten minutes later than the rest of the students. The second layer was larger, stones taller, glyphs ancient and deeper. Moss was crawling into crevices while vines were curling around edges. Magic was filling the air like perfume.
Professor Aldric assembled us, briefing us on the main runes located around in third circle. We split into our respective groups to continue studying more runes.
Freya had her tablet ready to capture more images. Cedric and Ria had their notebooks in hands just like me as we started sketching down runes. The only person who just silently watched everything was Rowan.
If not for him proving the day before that he had a photogenic memory, he might have ended up causing chaos in our group as he was physically making no effort to help. Not only that, after returning to the hotel, he did his part well, satisfying the rest of our group members.
I just finished sketching a rune and was moving through the huge rocks lining the ruins, when my gaze landed on a spiral-branched moss. Without wasting any time, I crouched to gather a sample.
What I completely failed to notice was that there were two pairs of eyes watching me - Professor Aldric and Oscar.
The next moment, Professor Aldric clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
"Evaluate the site as a living entity," he said. "Draw from every sense - touch, smell, sight, memory. Runes, flora, fauna, even sounds. Let this be a complete study, not just for the Runes project."
He paused and his gaze drifted over us. "Take Evaline’s example. Yesterday, she cataloged herb species and spell impressions around the ruins. And she’s doing the same today as well while keeping up with the main project."
Turning, he set his attention on me. "It’s not effort, but authenticity. This is what you call true learning. And that is what life-long study demands."
I gave the professor a half-hearted smile. He just stumbled upon me in the study lounge the previous day when I was studying the herbs samples I gathered from the outer circle of ruins. Little did I know that he was going to use that to inspire the rest of the class.
But I knew better than to believe that the students were going to like it, at least the majority of them, and my belief turned out right when I heard Nadine’s voice merely seconds after Professor Aldric finished speaking.
"Nice show, Evaline," she said in a voice that was dripping with disdain. "Who knew gathering moss in the middle of nowhere could look so academic?"
One of her flunkies added, "Maybe if she stopped collecting weeds, she would run faster."
The chuckles were loud enough to catch Professor Aldric and the Instructors’ attention, and it made me feel slightly embarrassed.
But I wasn’t alone. I hadn’t been since the day Kieran dropped me at the Academy camp for the entrance exam.
Selene turned sharply and called, "Actually, she’s demonstrating a model every student should learn."
Rowan fixed his gaze on Nadine and her group, and when he spoke, his voice was ice-cold. "Maybe you can run faster if you spent more time reading and less time whining."
He flicked his gaze toward me, and a small but warm smile grazed his lips. "But again, the only thing fast about you is that mouth of yours."
The gasps and chuckles were far louder this time compared to what I received just seconds ago. I gave my friends a grateful look and they smiled back at me.
We eventually returned to continue studying before stopping at noon for lunch break. We got an hour to settle down and rest before heading to the second circle to continue studying more runes.
On our way, I fell into steps beside Mallory, noticing that she had been extremely silent the whole day. I didn’t speak, just walked with her to let her know she wasn’t alone.
Minutes later, she finally spoke. "Eva, thanks for last night. I... feel a little more like me, today."
I nodded. "You are allowed to be hurt. He’s allowed to be scared. Now it’s time to trust. You deserve clarity."
She stared ahead for a few moments. Then looked at me. "Do you think I was... overreacting?"
I inhaled. Thinking.
"No. Being hurt doesn’t mean you are overreacting. It means you matter."
She swallowed. "But what if I’m childish? What if he sees me like that?"
"You can’t be childish for standing up for your heart," I challenged gently. "He’s the one with the power, to guide you through this. If he’s honest with you, you’ll know. The trust isn’t your job to fix. It’s his to earn."
Mallory relaxed a little. "Okay. Thank you."
I reached out and squeezed her hand and she finally smiled for the first time since last night.
Once we were at second circle, we once again split into our respective groups to study the runes. I was alone under a broken stone arch, when I noticed something glimmering at the corner of my vision.
It turned out to be a tiny, barely noticeable, energy ripple.
I immediately glanced around to see if anyone had noticed it too and found Oscar making his way toward me, catching attention from certain students whom he completely ignored.
He stopped next to me as I bent over to touch the ripple. It was like a disturbance in the runic plane.
"Good eye," he said quietly. "That tends to mean... a seal line. Maybe created to shield, or protect, a site."
I swallowed, staring into stone. It could be a barrier... or a trap.
"Let’s keep it documented." Oscar suggested, keeping his tone and attitude soft yet professional. With that, he walked away and I had to force myself to not let my gaze follow him.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. We all continued to work until Professor Aldric called a halt, announcing that it’s time for us to return to the hotel.
With everything packed, we all started our descent. After such a long day, almost everyone was tired. So we all were mostly quiet, except for a whisper here or there.
We were halfway through the way back to hotel, when... the silence shattered.