Elena’s POV

The sound of chalk scraping across the board usually calmed me down.

It was predictable. Straight lines. Clear answers. No hidden meaning. No fake smiles. Just problems that could be solved if you worked hard enough. That was why I liked school subjects that involved numbers and rules. They did not wake up one day and decide to ruin your life for sport.

People did that.

“Alright, settle down,” Mr. Dalton said, clapping his hands until the noise faded. “I have good ...