The announcement came early Monday.
Teams, sponsors, public exposure everything meticulously organized. The Inter-Academy Strategy Challenge had arrived.
I knew immediately this was more than a school competition.
In the strategy hall, we were grouped with students representing some of the most influential families in Valeria. Scholarship students like me were deliberately paired with elites. Observation was mandatory. Compliance expected. One misstep, and the consequences would ripple outward.
Our first simulation began: border unrest. Resources scarce. International pressure mounting.
The moderator's voice cut through the tense air.
"Decisions matter. Choose wisely. Every action affects the outcome both within the simulation and in public perception metrics."
Public perception.
I answered conservatively.
Negotiation over aggression. Delay over rashness. Safe choices that pleased no one and alarmed no one.
Seraphine Roth leaned toward me, voice low.
"You're very… measured."
"I have to be," I whispered.
She paused. "That's usually what people say when they're hiding something."
I let the words hang, silent.
At home, my sister sent a single line.
They've started asking questions.
About her? Or about me?
I typed back one word.
Nothing.
Then deleted the thread. Because in Valeria, even silence could betray you.
That night, I watched the city lights stretch to the horizon, a glittering network of power, wealth, and carefully arranged destinies.
Somewhere in the palace, engagements were planned.
Somewhere in Crestwood, students were being measured like chess pieces.
And somewhere between a kitchen and a throne, my family existed in a space where mistakes could never be forgiven.
I understood finally.
This wasn't about performance.
It was about positioning.
And the most dangerous place to stand…
Was exactly where I was.