Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey
Chapter 337: Gossiping

Few Hours before Lucas fight with Fallen Human...

Very far away from Lucas, At the Nova Acadmy training ground .

"Huaa...."

Elera just finished her 4-hour-long training session. Her day had finally come to an end.

Letting out a sluggish sigh, she murmured quietly.

"I'm sleepy...."

'Now let's go back to my room, take a shower, and sleep.'

For their was one thing that Elera needs to keep her focus on, and that is team challenge that was about to start in few days.

Today was supposed to be team meeting with rest of the members, But suddenly one of her team members took an LOA and was not present at class today.

The name of that memeber was... Lucas Darkheart.

Because of Lucas unexpected LOA, team had to cancel their meeting.

'I wonder where he went off...'

Elera thought with sligh frowend on her face, but she quickly dismissed that thought.

After all, Whatever Lucas has business it has nothing to do with Elera.

She just hope that he would perform best in team challenge.

Anyway, all of this matters for latter, For now all she wanted was sleep on her bed.

When she grabbed the changing room's doorknob with such happy thoughts, she happened to hear two cadets gossiping.

—...Did you know Lucas likes Elera?

Immediately, Elera's shoulders strongly shook.

—What, really? No way.

—Yes way. Since the start of Acadmy he didn't talked her even once and now he suddenly joined her group. Don't you think it's suspicious? People are saying he's going to confess to her soon.

—What? Confess? I don't believe it.

Elera let go of the doorknob and slowed backed off. She was unable to understand what was happening and suddenly felt a bit dizzy. Confess? So suddenly?

As Elera processed the gossip she had overheard, her mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't believe what she was hearing—Lucas confessing to her? It seemed too sudden, too unexpected.

Her heart fluttered with a mix of confusion, surprise, and uncertainty. Lucas had always been a mysterious figure to her, someone who kept to himself and rarely interacted with others. The idea of him harboring feelings for her was both bewildering and intriguing.

...At that moment, she bumped into someone.

"Ah!"

Elera quickly turned around. Evelyn was glaring at her with furrowed brows.

"What are you doing?"

"...Nothing."

"No, not nothing. You're stepping on my foot."

Only then did Elera begin to understand the situation.

Indeed, she was stepping on Evelyn's foot.

"...Ah, sorry."

"Tsk."

Evelyn clicked her tongue and grabbed the doorknob.

"Ah!"

Elera flinched. She didn't want more people to overhear their gossip... but before Elera could stop her, Evelyn walked in.

"...Hello? Elera?"

Then, someone else approached her. It was Isabella.

"...Yes?"

"Aren't you going in?"

Elera scratched her cheek and backed off.

"No, please go ahead."

"...Hmm."

Isabella gave Elera a meaningful look before walking into the changing room.

The door then closed, and Elera strained her ears once again.

—Oh hey! Evelyn, Isabella, have you guys heard?

—What.

—I hear Lucas is going to...

"T-Those girls...!"

She couldn't allow these rumors to spread. Elera opened the door strongly and barged in. Seeing her, Seeing her, the two gossiping cadets fell silent.

"W-What? What about Lucas?"

Evelyn didn't even glance at Elera as she urged the two cadets to speak.

"I-It's nothing!"

At the sudden change behaviour of these two girls, Evelyn and Isabella paused their conversation, their expressions turning in confused one before they turned their heads towards Elera who was glairing at those girls.

"Elera, what's wrong?" Isabella asked, her tone cautious.

Ignoring her question, Elera stepped forward, her eyes narrowed in determination.

"I heard what you were saying outside," she said firmly, her voice carrying a hint of reproach. "And I don't appreciate rumors being spread about me or anyone else."

Those two girls exchanged nervous glances, realizing they had been caught in the act.

"Sorry, Elera," the first onemumbled, looking down at the floor. "We didn't mean any harm, we were just..."

"Just gossiping," Elera finished for her, her tone stern. "Well, I don't want to hear any more of it. Understand?"

Both girls nodded silently, chastised by Elera's reprimand.

"Good," Elera said, her expression softening slightly. "Now, let's forget about this and focus on getting ready for the team challenge. We have a lot of work to do, and we need to be prepared."

With that, Elera turned and began to gather her belongings, determined to put the incident behind her and move forward with a clear mind.

As she left the changing room, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. It was important to nip gossip in the bud before it spread any further, and she was glad she had addressed the issue head-on.

Walking out into the cool evening air, Elera took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders.

Despite the brief moment of tension, she was grateful for her friends and teammates, and she knew that together, they could overcome any challenge that came their way.

With renewed determination, Elera set off towards her dormitory, ready to face whatever the future held with strength and resilience.

As she walked, she couldn't help but wonder about Lucas and his unexpected absence. But for now, she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing instead on the task at hand—the team challenge that awaited them in the coming days.

As Elera arrived at her dormitory, she found herself lost in thought, contemplating the events of the day and the rumors she had overheard. Despite her efforts to dismiss them, the words continued to linger in her mind, casting a shadow of doubt over her thoughts.

But as she stepped into her room and closed the door behind her, Elera made a conscious decision to let go of the gossip and focus on what truly mattered—her training, her team, and her own personal growth.

With a sense of determination burning within her, Elera quickly set about her evening routine, preparing for a restful night's sleep before another day of rigorous training and preparation for the team challenge ahead.

As she lay in bed, surrounded by the comforting darkness of her room, Elera felt a sense of peace wash over her. Despite the uncertainties that lay ahead, she knew that as long as she stayed true to herself and remained focused on her goals, she would be able to overcome any obstacle that stood in her way.

With that thought in mind, Elera closed her eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.