Thalira moved swiftly, the shadows coiling around us like protective sentinels as she carried me back toward the campus. Each step she took was firm and deliberate, her aura of power a stark contrast to the gentle way she held me.
I could feel her heartbeat against my body, a steady rhythm that somehow calmed the storm of emotions swirling within me.
"Thalira," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart and the exhaustion weighing down on me. "What... what happened back there?"
"Rest, Eileen," Thalira replied, her tone soft yet commanding. "You need to conserve your strength."
"But—" I tried to protest, but Thalira's grip tightened slightly, a silent insistence that I obey. I let my head rest against her shoulder, too tired to argue further.
