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CHAPTER 331
~Valerie's POV~
My pen scrambled across the page as I tried to salvage what I could, Astra feeding me fragments of clarity when she could.
By the time they called for pens down, my hand ached, and my brain felt like it had been wrung dry.
I stared at my answers, knowing they weren't my best but silently praying they were enough.
When the assessment ended, the classroom was filled with a restless buzz.
Chairs scraped, papers shuffled, and nervous chatter bounced off the walls as students compared answers and whispered theories.
I stayed silent, my pulse still uneven, my mind refusing to let go of the shadows surrounding me.
I hoped that after missing my lunch break appointment with the queen, I'd finally have some peace.
"Valerie!" Isla slid into step beside me as I exited the room. Her face was bright, but her voice was pitched low. "Are you okay? You looked lost during the assessments, and now you're spacing out."