"But the school regulations, Lyra," my mother whispered, her eyes wide with panic as she leaned over the table. "The financial aid paperwork you signed... it explicitly states that stipend recipients are not allowed to hold external employment within the trimester period. They want your 'undivided dedication' to the academy's metrics. If the dean finds out you're working a shift in a valley diner, they’ll cancel the scholarship for a policy violation. They’ll say you aren't taking the opportunity seriously."
"They won't find out," I said, my voice hardening with an absolute, unyielding determination. "The ridge is a completely different world, Mom. None of those legacy kids or administration directors would ever set foot on Fourth and Industrial. To them, the valley doesn't exist except a
