>>149963835
>Roma nodded, folding her arms as Willow walked back to the chairs. Her classmates swarmed her immediately, cheering her on with wide grins and pats on the back. Aya hugged her shoulder, Norm clapped her on the tail, and even Gwendolyn blushed while telling her, “That was amazing…”
>Only Ronnie stayed quiet, watching carefully as Willow soaked up the praise. "She’s earned their respect. And Roma’s. That means something."
>Coach Alan raised his voice. “Stay here, all of you. We’ll be back in a minute. No wandering. No trouble. Understood?”
>The class nodded, though unease lingered. The siren still echoed faintly in their ears.
>And as the three teachers turned toward the Academy, the students were left in a cloud of questions—and Willow sat among them with her heart still pounding, wishing the match could have gone on just a little longer.
>The three teachers disappeared into the halls of the Academy, leaving the students murmuring among themselves. The echo of the siren still seemed to rattle through the air, and though their training session had been cut short, the tension only grew heavier.
>Minutes passed. Willow fidgeted with her fingers, her heart still half-stuck in the rhythm of her match with Coach Roma. Ronnie leaned back on his chair, eyes half-closed but mind racing. Norm tried to joke to cut the silence, Aya nearly fell asleep on Gwendolyn’s shoulder, but no one was truly relaxed.
>Then, the doors at the far end of the training field slammed open. The three teachers returned, but this time their faces weren’t calm. Coach Alan’s usual grin was gone, Mrs. Mavis’s long fennec ears were visible and bristling ever so slightly, and even Coach Roma—who was usually a storm of fire and confidence—carried a grim heaviness in her eyes.
>The chatter among the students died instantly.