{Elira}
~**^**~
The chalk tapped lightly against the board as Zenon underlined a date.
"—and in the year 1342, the Northern alliance was formally ratified," he said, his tone steady, almost clipped. "This decision reshaped the balance of power between packs for the next century."
My pen hovered over the page, my letters slipping into uneven lines again. I blinked hard, fighting the fog in my head.
Then another soft yawn rose once again before I could stop it. I snapped my hand over my mouth, lowering my gaze quickly. But when I dared glance up again, Zenon's eyes were on me.
I froze almost immediately.
From across the room, his gaze locked on mine, sharp and unblinking. For a single breath, I felt stripped bare—like he could see straight past my forced composure to the exhaustion weighing down my bones.
Heat rushed to my face. I dropped my eyes to my parchment, gripping my pen so tightly that it dug into my fingers.
