Nathaniel
The hallway outside my office was quiet except for the faint creak of the wooden floor beneath my pacing steps. The leather-bound binder tucked under my arm felt heavier than it should, its weight a tangible reminder of what today meant. Dylan should have been here. He should have been the one to mentor Conor, to pass down his wisdom, his strategies, his heart for the role of Gamma. Instead, it was up to me, and the thought tightened my chest, filling it with a mix of grief and resolve.
I heard Conor before I saw him - the steady thud of combat boots against the floor, purposeful and unyielding. When he stepped into view, it was like seeing a ghost of Dylan. The fiery red hair, sharp green eyes, and strong build were all the same, yet they weren’t. Conor lacked Dylan’s effortl
