CIARA’S POV

I left the infirmary two hours later with Esther's stern warnings echoing in my ears about not overexerting myself. The campus felt different as I walked back to my dorm. The air still hummed faintly with residual energy from the Solar Zenith, but it was dying down now, leaving everything feeling strangely quiet.

The climb to my room left me more winded than I expected. Each step seemed heavier than it should have been, my body refusing to move with the ease I remembered. Esther ...