Chapter 85: A little bird told me
"Relax, man," Bastian said, his tone reassuring, his hand lingering on Alex’s shoulder. "It’s easier than you think. You’ll get the hang of it."
His words were meant to comfort, but they did little to ease the panic gripping Alex, the fear of failure, of exposure, looming large as the hall’s chatter swelled around them, the day’s challenges only beginning.
Bastian’s blue eyes gleamed with a teasing spark, his mouth opening as if to toss another quip at Alex, his hand still resting on Alex’s shoulder in the crowded hall of Starhaven Academy.
The morning sunlight poured through towering stained-glass windows, casting vibrant blue and gold patterns across the polished marble floor, where students swirled in a chaotic dance, their voices a lively buzz, their tunics a riot of colors.
Before Bastian could get a word out, a figure approached, her presence slicing through the throng like a blade, drawing every gaze in the vicinity.
Velenda, a girl Alex recalled from the previous day, glided toward them, her beauty so breathtaking it struck Alex like a physical blow, nearly blinding him in a crowd of already stunning elves.
Today, Velenda was a vision of otherworldly allure, her flawless skin glowing with a luminous sheen, her emerald-green eyes sparkling with a piercing intensity that seemed to command the space around her.
Her raven-black hair flowed in sleek, glossy waves, framing a face so perfectly chiseled it could’ve been sculpted from moonlight, her full lips curved in a confident, almost knowing smile.
Her lithe, statuesque frame moved with a supermodel’s effortless grace, her vibrant turquoise tunic clinging to her curves, accentuating a figure that elevated her above the already exquisite elven standard, making her a goddess among mortals.