The evening sun cast long shadows across Elmbridge Academy's Grand Hall as four hundred fifty delegates gathered for the assembly Headmaster Sariah had announced during their afternoon orientation. The exhaustion from yesterday's examination had mostly faded, replaced by restless energy as everyone speculated about what came next.
Raze stood near the front with the other top ten performers, arranged in a loose semicircle that made their rankings visible without being overtly hierarchical. Gareth Valorian radiated confidence to his right, the Duke's son clearly comfortable with leadership expectations. To his left, Seraphine Lumis maintained serene composure that suggested either genuine calm or exceptional emotional control.
