"All failed newbies are dismissed. Except Orion Spade. You will spend the night in the dungeons and await execution."
The words hit the stone walls of the great hall like a death knell, each syllable reverberating through the assembled crowd of trembling students.
Some gasped. Others whimpered.
A few of the braver ones shot pitying glances toward the figure standing rigid in the center of the room—the one who'd just been handed a death sentence like it was nothing more than a detention slip.
But Blazar—known to these fools as Orion Spade—didn't flinch.
She stood there, shoulders squared, chin lifted in defiance that made several of the kings exchange meaningful looks.
Her heart hammered against her ribs like a caged bird desperate for freedom, but her face remained a mask of cold indifference.
Let them think she was brave.
Let them think she was stupid. It didn't matter what they thought, as long as they didn't suspect the truth.
