The dorms of Goldridge Academy Sweden hummed with energy. It was the night before the SATs, and across the campus, students responded in wildly different ways. Some barricaded themselves in study rooms, reciting formulas and vocabulary until their throats went dry. Others… couldn't care less.
Because for many, the excursion had stopped being about exams a long time ago.
Zion's Observation
Zion leaned against the railing of the dorm balcony, the night air cool against his skin. From above, he watched as students from different branches moved between buildings, slipping into each other's rooms under the pretense of "last-minute study sessions." He smirked, knowing better.
"They're throwing away their edge," he muttered. "All for a few hours of distraction."
Behind him, Mabelle joined him, draped in her academy sweater. "Not everyone can keep their head as cool as you, Zion. For some of them, this trip is the first taste of freedom they've had away from their parents. You can't blame them for indulging."
Zion turned to her, eyes sharp. "Indulgence is weakness. Tomorrow, the test will show exactly who let themselves slip."
Mabelle smiled faintly, brushing her hand against his. "And you'll be the one standing tall as always."
The Study Hall Divide
Inside the main study hall, the contrast was even starker. On one side, Amara from the US branch drilled her group with ruthless precision, pacing the aisles like a commander. "Ten minutes left. If you can't solve it in time now, you won't solve it in the exam. Push harder."
Meanwhile, in a corner, a circle of UK and Swedish students lounged with books unopened, laughter and teasing filling the space. A pair leaned against each other, lips brushing between whispered jokes. Another group snuck out, their hands clasped, heading for the darkened garden where supervision was thinner.
Mikey sat somewhere in between, caught between Celeste's insistence on studying and the constant distraction of other couples around them. Celeste tugged his sleeve firmly.
"Focus, Mikey. Just one more practice essay."
He groaned but obeyed, knowing she wouldn't let him slip. Still, his eyes wandered now and then, watching others tumble into intimacy while he fought to keep his head in the game.
The Whisper Network
By midnight, rumors swirled like wildfire. Isla whispered to one of her friends that she'd seen two students from the US and Sweden sneaking into the music room. Another girl swore she heard sounds from the library stacks that definitely weren't the flipping of pages.
Phones buzzed with messages, teasing and mocking the ones who had "fallen prey" to temptation. But beneath the gossip, a deeper current ran: anxiety. The SATs loomed like a storm cloud, and some students were using anything—romance, laughter, or late-night rebellion—to distract themselves from the pressure.
Zion's Resolve
Zion ignored the noise. In his room, he sharpened pencils, laid out his ID card, and reviewed formulas with mechanical precision. He wasn't studying to survive—he was preparing to dominate.
Mabelle sat on his bed, scrolling through her phone. She looked up and asked, "Do you ever get nervous, Zion?"
He paused, then shook his head slowly. "No. Because I know myself. Tomorrow isn't about chance—it's about proving what I already know."
She watched him with admiration, the calm in his voice wrapping around her like a shield. In that moment, she understood why she'd chosen him over anyone else. Zion wasn't just talented—he was inevitable.
Midnight in Sweden
As the clock struck midnight, the campus quieted only slightly. Some lights flickered off as exhausted students finally surrendered to sleep. Others burned brighter, filled with whispered secrets, hurried kisses, and promises that wouldn't survive the dawn.
And yet, beneath all the noise, the truth was clear: when morning came, the SATs would expose everything. The prepared. The distracted. The focused. The reckless.
Zion closed his eyes with a smirk as he lay down to rest, his final thought before sleep a silent vow:
"Tomorrow, I'll remind them all—there's no catching me."