Damon.
The morning was quiet but the energy gathering beneath the pale sky was anything but calm. I stood at the edge of the raised platform overlooking the courtyard, the wind gently pressing the edges of my cloak against my legs.
The Institute grounds which usually buzzed with drills and the rhythmic commands of instructors, were now closed in a thick tense silence. Every cadet and trainee and ranked officer had gathered in rows so tight it looked like the stone beneath their boots might c***k from the weight of discipline and anticipation.
Their eyes were all trained on me (hundreds of them) and still I felt no weight heavier than the fury boiling in my chest. I have always been in the front of crowd never amongst or behind tjem. It’s nothing new.
The instructors stood behind me
