The silence hung thick after my announcement, like the calm before a really stupid, really loud storm.
Julien, Mira, Garrick, Wallace, Felix, Leo—all stared at me, each showing different stages of horror.
"Special training?" Mira finally asked, voice flat and suspicious. "Is that just a fancy way of saying 'death march'?"
I gave her an approving nod.
"Exactly. Points for catching on quickly, Trickster."
She grimaced.
Wallace raised a trembling hand, like a kid about to ask if the fire drill was real while standing in a burning building.
"Uh... what kind of training?"
I unfolded the letter and read aloud in a mockingly serious tone:
___
"In preparation for the next semester's integrated battle classes, all participating students must undergo an external survival and cooperation assessment in a natural environment, supervised by a faculty member. The goal is to foster camaraderie, resilience, and field adaptability."
___
I snapped the letter closed with a flourish.
