[Pinnacle Academy 1-A]
[8:45 am]
Sunlight speared through the classroom window, bouncing off Camila's inquisitive brown eyes and into mine. A groan escaped me, muffled by my hand.
Sleep clung to me like a tenacious fog, weaving through my brain, making thoughts sluggish and sentences a distant dream.
"Is something wrong, Val?" Camila's voice cut through the haze, sharp as a morning bird's call.
"Uh, no," I croaked, forcing my eyelids open. They felt like sandpaper against each other, each blinking a herculean effort. "Just, uh, early morning energy dip." A believable lie, I hoped.
Kolek strode into the classroom, papers piled high, reminding me of the in-class quiz today.
Suddenly, a blur of dark brown hair flew past me. It was Lyra, radiating energy even at first glance. She plopped down beside me, eyes sparkling with curiosity and concern.
