POV: Prospero

The hearing room was smaller than I'd expected for something that would determine the rest of my life.

Council members sat in a semicircle, their expressions ranging from curious to hostile. Principal Lear presided as neutral arbiter, though his sympathies clearly lay with reform rather than punishment. And in the gallery, Miranda and Ferdinand watched with barely concealed anxiety.

"Prospero," Lear began formally. "You stand accused of multiple violations. Unauthorized ...