Elena's POV.
"Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!" a student exclaimed, her voice laced with concern. Mercy rushed to my side, pulling me back and examining me with worried eyes.
"What's going on? Are you okay? You're hurt!" she asked, her voice trembling. I forced a reassuring smile, trying to downplay the situation.
"I'm fine, just chill," I said, not wanting to reveal my true concerns about Derek's safety in front of everyone. But Mercy wasn't buying it, her eyes filled with skepticism.
"You can't tell me to chill when you're bleeding all over the place!" she argued, her voice rising.
I gripped her hand, pulling her outside the classroom, but not before Anna's snide comment pierced the air.
"A weakling calling someone a weakling? I haven't even touched you and you're already bleeding!"
The class erupted into laughter, and I felt my face burn with embarrassment and frustration. I pushed aside Anna's taunt, my mind focused on the urgent matter at hand.