The lights glared down on her, every single person in the room looked at her. She started praying that, perhaps, the power could be cut, or somehow a false alarm could ring somewhere else in the academy. But there was nothing.

Perfectly nonchalant, despite what he was about to reveal, the instructor walked towards her. He gave her the little handbook and, to the whole crowd, announced, “And, last but not least, is the youngest member ever to enter the Knight’s Academy… Virse of Aecara.”

She wished she could’ve gone back to a few hours ago to assure herself that, yes, things could always get more uncomfortable…

…

“Do I have to..?” Virse was quiet, trying to take up as little space as possible. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself.

“Of course you do,” Tris’s voice responded through the crackling phone. “All you’ve got to do is get yourself past the damn initiation ceremony. Is that so hard to ask?”

“S-sorry, it’s just… there’s a lot of people here. And a lot of the other kids came with their parents…”

“I’ve got business to do here. Besides, you’re stronger than to need me to hold your hand. You know the kinds of things you shouldn’t be getting into. Don’t let anything distract you and don’t do anything you won’t want me hearing about. You might be staying there for the next two years but you better remember who’s still the one who takes care of you.”

“Yes, I know, Tris…”

“Good. Now go out there and make me proud.”

Then he abruptly hung up.

She hated this. Well, perhaps that was too general of a statement. She was actually quite honored to be here, as anyone would be; it was her talents alone that led her to be accepted into the Knight’s Academy. It was that she hated the exact situation she knew she’d get into. She didn’t know what to expect out of the initiation ceremony and she was too scared to ask—in fear that, in turn, she’d be given questions she didn’t want to answer.

“Alright, everyone!” one of the instructors called. He’d introduced himself to the new students earlier but she forgot his name. “Tell your parents or siblings or whatever that you’ve got to go. We’ve got a little bit before the ceremony and I’m in charge of making sure you’re all ready for it.”

Virse, even if she knew he didn’t hear her, mumbled some sign of understanding. She quickly checked to make sure that the phone was properly hung up again, then went to follow him before she completely lost track of him.

And that seemed to be the best course of action, because he didn’t really wait for all of the other new students to come. While he walked to show them where the ceremony will take place—she assumed the rather large auditorium she knew was somewhere within the academy—he explained more about what they’d be doing.

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“You’re going up there by age—someone else is going to make sure you get in the right position and stay there. The director’s got to say a couple of words, but once you’re called up there, you need to go up in an orderly line. No pushing, no shoving, and absolutely no fooling around. Need I remind you it’s not too late to make your enrollment in the Knight’s Academy a very, very short one…”

One of the others asked, “How long is the ceremony going to be?”

“It usually takes about an hour or two for the main speech and initiation. After that, there’s going to be a dinner and showcase you can spend with friends and family.”

“And when do classes start, again?”

“All of your schedules might be a little different, but probably in the next few days or so. You’re in the same two-year program as most others who come through here—we’ve got no time to waste if we want to get you in shape before graduation. There’s just some more events we have to run until everything’s free.”

There were a couple more questions after that but, really, they just faded into silence. By the time they were all lined up it sounded like the director was halfway through his speech.

And it wasn’t long until he reached the end. “Now, with all that out of the way… Give a round of applause for the talented individuals who will make up the Class of 1700!”

As the applause began, the director walked out and mumbled something to the instructor. He muttered a response, gestured to another teacher to grab a box, then went on stage. All of the kids trailed behind her.

Virse was nervous, yes, but she thought that the worst of her fears wouldn’t come true. After all, the other teacher had used first names—she only called last names if there was more than one with the same name, and Virse hadn’t been one of them. So maybe she’d be safe…

The instructor pulled out a book from the box and went to the first student. “Let these be your guides throughout your time here—and may you feel the presence of our ancestors as you move forward.” He turned to the first student. “First, Kostok Danan of Theteih. You’ve been rather persistent to get in. I hope you make us proud.”

The crowd cheered and clapped as he accepted the book; even some of the other students clapped. Virse didn’t.

She felt like she could disappear right then and there.

From then on, she felt everything—the glare of the lights, the occasional glances the crowd would give her. She started hoping that something—anything—would go wrong, just so then they didn’t get to her.

But the spirits were running out of time to do anything, because soon enough, the instructor was nearly to her.

“Nikluar Shalana of Nayah, this is yours,” the instructor said as he walked up to him. “I’ve seen your skill earlier, I’m sure you’re full of potential.”

That student got his fair share of applause, then the instructor moved on. This was the last person before Virse.

“A lot of the staff are familiar with Carona Dorrel of Shenu,” he said as he handed her the book. “Expectations are high for someone with such a prestigious heritage.” The student looked prideful and the crowd seemed to give her the most applause.

Oh, great. Someone with a family history that was going to make Virse look all the less significant… not like that already wasn’t showcased in everything she’d done and will do in her time here. She prayed one last time that something could happen.

But nothing did. Nothing stopped the instructor from nonchalantly walking over to her and handing her the handbook.

“And, last but not least, is the youngest member ever to enter the Knight’s Academy… Virse of Aecara.”

Then the entire room fell dead silent. With all attention on her, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Not a single person clapped, cheered, or even stirred from their spot. Not until the director came back to give some closing words.