Chapter 71: Up Close
As Lyra and Elias practiced during their Essence Training (ET) class, Elias was impressed by Lyra's improved essence control. "Wow, Lyra, you've really gotten better at controlling your essence, haven't you?" he said, admiring her progress.
Lyra, feeling confident in her new skills, tried a martial arts move to surprise Elias. However, Elias easily saw through her attack and stopped her. In one quick motion, he grabbed her and pulled her close, their bodies almost touching.
Caught in the moment, Lyra found herself lost in Elias's eyes, noticing the change in his attitude and the confidence he now showed. The tension between them was strong, and they both became very aware of the curious looks they were getting from their classmates. Slowly, they separated, trying to act normal.
Elias, still thinking about Lyra's absence from their shared Alchemy class, decided to bring it up. "Hey, Lyra, I haven't seen you in Alchemy lately. I know you're amazing at it, so why haven't you been showing up?"
Lyra, having thought about this conversation before, replied, "Well, after the alchemy fair, they moved me to a more advanced alchemy class. I didn't mean to keep it from you."
Elias, clearly upset, questioned why she kept this from him. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were closer than that."
Lyra, feeling bad, apologized honestly. "I'm sorry, Elias. I just didn't want to let you down."
With a gentle smile, Elias reassured her, "You could never let me down, Starshine." The use of the cute nickname caused Lyra to blush, her heart fluttering at the warmth in his voice.
Wanting to change the subject, Lyra mentioned the resistance club. "Oh, I almost forgot! Clara and I are thinking about coming to check out the resistance club. We'd love to learn more about what you're doing there."
Just as Elias was about to respond, their Essence teacher, dressed in all black, seemed to appear from the shadows. "Alright, lovebirds, that's enough flirting for one class. Elias, switch partners with Sarah and focus on your training."
Lyra and Elias, both embarrassed by their teacher's sudden appearance and comment, quickly separated, their faces turning red. As Elias moved to partner with Sarah, Lyra couldn't help but take one last look at him, her mind racing with the possibilities of their short but intense moment together.
With a deep breath, Lyra refocused her attention on her training, determined to master her essence control and prove herself worthy of the advanced alchemy class she now attended.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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