{Elira}
~**^**~
Back in our dorm, the lights were dimmed low, our laughter still lingering as we settled into our bunks.
Nari sprawled across her mattress with her tablet, Juniper sketched idly in her notebook, and Cambria brushed out her long hair in slow, even strokes while Tamryn leaned against her headboard, quiet as ever, though her eyes tracked all of us.
I sat on the edge of my bed, heart thudding harder than it should. Their trust, their prayers tonight—it all pressed against the weight of what I had been keeping from them.
I drew a deep breath. "There is something I need to tell you all."
Immediately, four heads turned toward me instantly.
Nari set her tablet down with exaggerated drama. "Ohhh, this sounds serious."
I swallowed, forcing the words out before I lost my courage. "The reason I wasn't with you on Sunday… I didn't go home. I went to see a witch."
Juniper blinked. "A witch?"
Tamryn sat straighter, a frown forming on her face. "Why?"
