The next morning, I woke up early. I packed a small bag with some clean clothes, the box of my mother's photos, and my father's data chip. That was all I needed.
I went downstairs to wait for the academy bus. Usually, I took the public bus, but students with good rankings were entitled to a shuttle that picked them up near their homes. It was one of my new perks.
The bus arrived. It was a luxury bus, quite different from the public ones.
I got on. All the seats were taken. The bus was full of students I didn't know, arrogant faces all wearing the Beta building badge. Ranks C and B.
A boy, sitting near the entrance, looked me up and down. He had a powerful aura and a superior air. He was clearly one of the best in his class.
"Oh, look," he said to his friends. "It's the newbie from the Top 50. Too bad, the bus is full. You'll have to stand all the way to the academy, rookie."
His friends snickered.
I remained calm. I approached him.
