Alex's POV
The second I stepped into the hall with Dorian, my heart started beating like I’d just sprinted ten laps. It wasn’t just the crowd or the noise; it was the thought that somewhere in this building, not too far from where I stood, was my father.
I kept my head down, shoulders hunched slightly forward, doing my best to blend in with the other boys and not stand out for any reason whatsoever.
There were so many students packed into the auditorium, more than I’d seen gathered in one place since I came to this academy, and not just the new recruits, but older students too, the ones who already had ranks or were close to earning them.
It was chaos. Organized chaos, but chaos nonetheless. But oddly enough, I felt a bit safer hidden among the taller boys.
I wasn’t exactly short, b
