<h4>Chapter 421: Breakfast Whispers</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The dining hall was already buzzing with chatter and clinking cutlery when we walked in. The sound of hundreds of conversations blending together created the usual morning chaos that every Academy student had learned to live with.


    Still, the moment I stepped inside, something shifted. The sound didn’t stop, but it wavered... like someone had pressed pause for a fraction of a second before everything picked up again, only quieter.


    I didn’t need to turn my head to know eyes were following me. I could feel it - like invisible threads tugging against my skin, brushing over the back of my neck, sliding down my arms. And the funny part? I had expected it.


    Returning to the Academy mid-term was rare enough to make anyone a subject of curiosity. Students who took leaves mid-term usually didn’t return. But here I was... back again, walking through the hall like nothing was strange about it.


    Noah, of course, wasn’t making things any easier.


    He was practically singing about how much he had missed having breakfast with me. "Evaaa, my breakfast hasn’t tasted right since you left," he said dramatically, earning amused looks from nearby tables. "The eggs have been nd, the toast too dry, and don’t even get me started on the porridge!"


    "Maybe the problem isn’t the food," Mallory quipped, tossing him a grin as she led us toward our usual corner table. "Maybe it’s you."


    I almostughed, but I was too aware of the dozens of gazes following me - from the entrance all the way across the room. Some were curious, some judgmental, some envious... but I didn’t need to wonder why.


    They had all heard.


    Draven.


    The moment his hand had slipped into mine the evening before, I knew today would be like this. The students had probably spent half the night gossiping - about how I had been seen with him walking in, how he had held my hand and carried my luggage to my dorm.


    Draven Thorne wasn’t just anyone. He wasn’t just one of the students here... his name held a legacy, an authority, a respcet and fear. He was the most talked-about student at the Academy and being seen with him, especially in that way, was enough to fuel the rumor mill for weeks.


    We finally reached our table. I took the seat at the far end, the one facing the big windows that overlooked the garden. The sunlight spilled in through the ss panes,nding right across our table, and for some reason, it made the stares feel even heavier.


    "Don’t bother about them," Mallory said softly, pouring fresh tea in our cups. "They’ll lose interest soon enough."


    I forced a smile. "I hope so."


    "Oh,e on," she said, lowering her voice with a yful glint in her eye. "You really think every pair of eyes is staring at you just because of Draven?"


    I blinked. "Isn’t that the only reason?"


    Mallory leaned closer, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "Not quite."


    Before I could ask what she meant, Noah threw an arm dramatically across the back of my chair. "She’s saying some of them aren’t staring at you because of Draven, Eva. They are staring because of you."


    "What?"


    He grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You have got this... glow. Like some kind of sexy goddess who just descended from the heavens to bless the breakfast tables of us mere mortals."


    Mallory snorted, Riaughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea, and even Selene hid a smile behind her teacup.


    "Stop it, Noah," I said, rolling my eyes even as my cheeks warmed.


    "I’m serious!" he insisted. "Look-three tables to the left. The third year guy with those sexy gray eyes? He hasn’t blinked since you walked in. And those two boys near the far corner... don’t even pretend they are not admiring your beauty."


    I tried to dismiss it, shaking my head. "You are imagining things."


    Selene, however, wasn’t letting me off so easily. "No, he’s not," she said with a smirk. "Turn around, Eva. Slowly. See for yourself."


    I hesitated before doing as she said... and instantly regretted it. Because yes, there they were. Not one or two, but several students stealing nces, pretending to be busy with their food the moment our eyes met. Some smiled politely, others looked away quickly, embarrassed at being caught.


    Those weren’t the judgmental or jealous gazes I was expecting, but thenones holding pure curiosity and awe.


    I turned back around, speechless.


    <fn4e4f> Fresh chapters posted on fι?dnοvel</fn4e4f>


    "See?" Mallory said, amused. "Told you so. Even if Draven’s name hadn’t gotten out, you would still be the center of attention this morning."


    "That’s ridiculous," I muttered, trying to busy myself with my tea.


    "It’s not," Ria said, stirring her tea. "You have always been pretty, Eva. Butst term..." She trailed off, exchanging a look with Mallory. "You were too thin, too pale. Too buried in your shell. You looked like you were carrying the world’s weight on your shoulders."


    I froze, her words pulling at memories I didn’t of my first term here. She wasn’t wrong. The Eva from first term and the Eva now looked world’s apart. The first term was all about me trying to find a ce here at Silver Moon and carve a future for myself and my son... and then there was the stress of my newly-found bonds with my mates.


    "But look at you now," Ria continued warmly. "You have filled out. Your skin looks healthier, your hair’s shining, your eyes are brighter... and your aura..." She tilted her head slightly. "It’s stronger. People notice things like that, even if they don’t understand why."


    I blinked, unsure what to say.


    Selene gave me a teasing smile. "Trantion - you are impossible to ignore now."


    Before I coulde up with a response, Rowan and Kyros appeared beside the table, bncing trays stacked with tes, bowls, and mugs. The smell of fresh toast, butter, and fruit filled the air.


    "Breakfast is served," Rowan announced, setting the trays down with exaggerated care. "And before you ask, yes, Kyros made sure to grab your favorite jam."


    "Thank you," I said, smiling up at them.


    As they took their seats, Kyros nced around, scanning the room. "Strange," he murmured. "I didn’t see any of them here."