“A volunteer application for higher education?”
Leo Shaw stared at the crisp, embossed header of the A4 document, his brow arching in genuine surprise. He looked up from the paper to find May Lewis—or Sonya Sutton, as he called her when the doors were locked—watching him with a gaze that was far more tender than the one she wore in the Academy Arena.
Sonya nodded slowly, leaning back against the edge of her mahogany desk. The afternoon light caught the golden flecks in her eyes, softening the sharp, professional edges of her silhouette. “I received an encrypted communique from the West Martial Military District earlier this morning. The schedule has been accelerated. Tomorrow, the academy will commence the Awakening Ceremony for every student in the senior tier. Immediately following the
