RONAN'S POV

Graduation was in two weeks. Final exams are over. Grades posted. Rankings finalized.

Elias graduated rank two. I graduated rank one. Same as always. Same as when we started.

But everything else was different.

The graduation committee asked Elias to speak. Give a speech representing the graduating class. First time an Omega would speak at Academy graduation. First time most things, actually.

He was terrified.

"I can't do this," he said for the tenth time that week. We sat in ...