Back at the Academy…
"Look, this wasn't my fault. How did he even get past the instructors you hired in the first place?" Donovan complained, rubbing his hands together against the cold brought by the relentless rain.
Gideon Cross, his jaw clenched in frustration, wasn't pleased. "I don't know, but I wasn't expecting a kid to get past someone as skilled as you. So, tell me—do you really think this kid is more skilled than you?"
"Of course not," Donovan said, pacing back and forth. "But you've seen what he's capable of. Every move he made, every decision—it was all calculated, planned to the last second."
Gideon leaned forward. "And Akshar? Was that part of the plan too?"
Donovan shook his head. "No, definitely not. Akshar probably just followed him out."
At that moment, an instructor entered the room. "Headmaster, everyone is accounted for inside the academy. Except three."
