---
"Look at the sky. So blue. The color your students are going to get beaten into."
Zeke lay sprawled in the teachers' lounge, his legs resting on the head of the chair in front of him—the chair occupied by Aldric. He had gathered with his reluctant "friends"—Elio, Camille, Beckett, and, surprisingly, Aldric—to watch the students begin the assessment.
"I actually can't argue with that," Beckett said, his eyes fixed on the students in the spectators' stand.
"I can." Camille's voice carried a note of defiance. "Mr. Elio has students who can beat yours. Three kings. And, surprisingly, the remaining two from your trio."
"And I have one of the kings. Or rather, a queen."
"Beckett has a king as well." Camille's smile was smug.
"Aiya." Beckett shook his head, still smiling. "Such a shame students with more than one field can only choose their main field to represent."
