Aiden woke the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed, his mind momentarily blank. For a brief moment, he basked in that peaceful state, letting himself enjoy the soft morning air and the quiet of the dorm room. Then the memory of what awaited him crashed into his mind like a wave. The panel. Today was the day he would be facing the disciplinary panel. His stomach dropped, and anxiety immediately curled its cold fingers around his chest.
He sat up quickly, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes as though he could rub away the sudden nerves. "No," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head as if to shake away the dread. "Aiden, you're going to be fine." He repeated the words to himself softly at first, then firmer, until they became a mantra. The repetition steadied him. With every word, his racing heart calmed little by little, and his mind began to clear.
