The academy buzzed with nervous energy the next morning. Students moved in tight clusters, voices low but urgent. Some looked at me with something close to awe. Others with barely concealed suspicion. Winning against Gideon, even partially, had made me more than just another student.

I sat at the edge of the courtyard with my notebook open, staring at blank pages. Caleb leaned against the stone railing beside me, watching the crowd.

"They're quiet. Too quiet."

"They're trying to figure ...