The Messenger( Iva) novel Chapter 202

Friends 1

Claim

Friends-1

After the emotional moment that happened, the evening air was cool and crisp as the two girls made their way across the campus toward the canteen. The sun had dipped below the treeline, painting the sky in deep shades of purple and amber. Lanterns flickered to life along the stone pathways, casting warm of light that danced across the gravel

pools

Iva’s body still ached from Marik’s class, but the pain had dulled to a manageable throb. Her split lip had healed completely, leaving only a faint tenderness that reminded her of the day’s victory. Beside her, Lori walked with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket, her red hair catching the lantern light like spun copper.

Students milled around them, heading in the same direction. The murmur of conversation, the occasional burst of laughter, the rustle of clothing and footsteps-all of it blended into the familiar symphony of academy life.

Iva bumped her shoulder against Lori’s.

“No one got your attention?” she teased, a grin tugging at her lips. “Not one single wolf in this entire academy?”

Lori rolled her eyes so hard her whole head moved.

“I knew the curriculum would be intense,” Lori said, dodging the question with practiced ease. “But not that intense. I am buried in books, Iva. Buried. Honestly, this school is not for the faint of heart.”

Iva laughed. “That bad?”

“That bad.” Lori gestured broadly at the campus around them. “The professors expect perfection. The assignments are brutal. And don’t even get me started on the practical exams. Last week, Professor Aldric made us memorize the entire lineage of the Northern Bloodline. Three hundred names, Iva. Three hundred.”

Iva waved a dismissive hand. “But seriously. No one?”

Lori’s cheeks flushed, but she kept her eyes forward. “I don’t have time for… for that. For looking. For noticing. I’m too busy trying not to fail out of this place.”

“The rules and discipline here-” Iva shook her head. “If it’s so strict here, I’m afraid to imagine how it is at the military academy.”

“I know what you mean.” Lori shuddered dramatically. “The principal is running a tight ship. Attia…” She lowered her voice, glancing around as if the Headmaster might materialize from the shadows. “Headmaster Attia is really intimidating.”

Iva nodded solemnly. “He stared at me once when I joined in my first day. Just stared. I almost confessed to crimes I didn’t commit.”

“Same!” Lori grabbed Iva’s arm. “My first week, he walked past me in the corridor, and I literally forgot how to breathe. For a solid ten seconds. I just stood there, frozen, like a deer in front of a speeding carriage. Even being in the same room with him is hard to breath… not sure how someone like him ended up headmaster and not somewhere leading a pack of ferocious wolves, or on the frontline in the royal army.”

< Friends 1-

The two girls dissolved into laughter, their voices echoing off the stone walls.

“Okay but seriously,” Iva said, wiping a tear from her eye. “No one? Not even a little bit of interest? A

glance? A lingering look?”

Lori was quiet for a moment. Her footsteps slowed.

“There is…” She stopped. Shook her head. “No. Never mind.”

Claim

Iva grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt. “There is what? Lori. You can’t start a sentence like that and not finish it.”

Lori bit her lower lip. Her eyes darted around, as if checking for eavesdroppers.

“There’s this guy,” Lori admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “In my history of magic class. He sits in the back row. Dark hair. Really tall. Doesn’t talk much.”

Iva’s heart leaped. “And?”

“And nothing.” Lori started walking again, faster this time. “He’s probably never noticed me. And even if he has, he’s… you know. One of them.”

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