As the third designer finished, the first round of the competition drew to a close.

Nova felt her nerves kicking in, and Joshua was right there, trying to soothe her, “Don’t worry, Nova.”

But Nova was worried. She felt like she’d just been rambling on stage, barely coherent.

“Joshua, I’m really scared I won’t move on to the next round.”

“You did really well, Nova. I believe in you. You’ll definitely advance.”

Nova anxiously awaited the ...