Kaden walked alone on the academy grounds late into the night. The air was alive with the distant chirping of crickets, and the soft rustle of leaves swayed with the gentle breeze. The full moon hung high above, casting an ethereal glow across the pathways, illuminating every detail of the roses lining the walkways. The academy looked serene under the moonlight, but Kaden's mind was far from calm.
Jace had told him everything.
Ever since the ranking test, the academy had devolved into a battlefield of hierarchies. The upper ranks bullied the middle ranks, while the middle ranks took their frustrations out on the lower ranks. It was a cruel cycle, fueled by the mandatory rank tags that each student was required to wear at all times. Jace, though reluctant, had named his attackers—a group of five: one middle-rank student and four lower ranks.
