The first few days passed in a blur of dorm meetings, and exploring the academy city.

  Noah proved to be a good guide. He'd spent his extra day mapping out D region, finding the places worth knowing about.

  "That café there has decent coffee for cheap," he said, pointing as they walked. "And that convenience store actually stocks good snacks. Avoid the one on the corner—overpriced and the owner's rude."

  Leon took mental notes, following Noah through streets that were starting to feel slightly less foreign.

  On their third day, they passed a clothing store that looked nicer than most of the shops they'd seen. Clean windows, modern displays, quality brands visible inside.

  "Let's check it out," Noah said.

  The store looked well-maintained, displays in the window showing decent quality clothes. They walked in.

  Immediately, Leon felt the shift in atmosphere. The few customers inside all had D1 or D2 on their visible IDs. The person at the counter looked up, saw their D4 cards, and frowned.

  "Can I help you?" Her tone was cold.

  "Just looking," Noah said casually.

  "This store caters to a specific clientele. You might be more comfortable at the general store two blocks down."

  "We're just browsing."

  "I don't think you understand. This isn't really appropriate for your... level."

  Noah's jaw tightened. "We're allowed to shop here. There's no restriction—"

  "Noah."

  Jay appeared from one of the aisles, quickly moving toward them. He grabbed Noah's arm. "Hey, let's go. I know a better place."

  "We have every right—"

  "Come on." Jay's grip was firm, pulling Noah toward the exit. Leon followed.

  Outside, Noah yanked his arm free. "What was that? We weren't doing anything wrong!"

  "You were about to cause a scene," Jay said quietly. "In a store frequented by D1 and D2 students. That clerk would've called security, you'd have been reported for disturbing the peace, and you'd be on record before classes even started."

  "That's insane."

  "That's reality." Jay looked between them. "Look, I get it. This system sucks. But you can't fight every battle, especially not over a clothing store."

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Noah was still angry, but the logic seemed to sink in.

  Jay sighed. "Come on. I'll show you the places where D4 students actually shop. Places where you won't get hassled."

  They spent the next hour following Jay through different areas. A clothing store that was more modest but had fair prices and friendly staff. A bookstore that sold used textbooks cheap. A small restaurant where D4 students could eat without judgment.

  "These are your spots," Jay said. "Stick to them and you'll avoid most problems."

  "So we just accept being segregated," Noah muttered.

  "You accept that you're at the bottom and work your way up. Or you make yourself a target and get nowhere." Jay's expression wasn't unkind. "I'm not saying it's fair. I'm saying it's how things work here."

  Leon had stayed quiet through most of this, just observing. The system was more entrenched than he'd realized.

  They thanked Jay and headed back to the dorm. Noah was still frustrated, venting occasionally. Leon listened but didn't add much.

  That evening, they grabbed dinner in the cafeteria with Emma and a few other students. The conversation was normal—complaints about how expensive textbooks were, speculation about what classes would be like, general adjustment talk.

  After, Leon and Noah returned to their room. Both were tired.

  "Classes start tomorrow," Noah said, checking his schedule on his phone. "8 AM."

  "Yeah."

  "You ready?"

  Leon shrugged. "As ready as I'll be."

  They got ready for bed early. Tomorrow would be their first day attending the academy classes.

  Leon set his alarm and turned off his light. Across the room, Noah did the same.

  "Night," Noah said.

  "Night."

  Leon lay in the darkness, thinking about what tomorrow would bring. Then he closed his eyes and let sleep come.

  Somewhere thousands of miles away, in an office high above a different city, Iris sat at her desk watching two holographic screens.

  On the left, the President of Ethiopia. On the right, the President of Syria. Both men looked uncomfortable, sweat visible on their foreherows despite the climate-controlled rooms they were calling from.

  "The terms are non-negotiable," Iris said, her voice even. "You have seventy-two hours to implement the changes we discussed. After that, the sanctions proceed as planned."

  "Ms. Remeria, if you could just consider—" the Ethiopian president began.

  "I have considered. Seventy-two hours."

  "But the economic impact—" Syria's president tried.

  "Is a direct result of your government's decisions over the past six months. You had opportunities to course-correct. You didn't. Now you comply, or you face the consequences."

  Both men exchanged glances, clearly wanting to argue but knowing it was pointless.

  "Seventy-two hours," Iris repeated. "Confirmation of compliance will be sent to my office. That's all."

  She ended the call. Both holographic screens went dark.

  Iris leaned back in her chair, expression neutral. Her assistant entered immediately, tablet in hand.

  "The quarterly reports from the Asian division," she said, setting the tablet on the desk. "Revenue increased by 18%. The merger with the Korean firm is proceeding ahead of schedule. And the European infrastructure project has been approved by all relevant governments."

  Iris scrolled through the data, making notes. "Good. Send my approval to the division heads."

  "Yes, ma'am." The assistant hesitated. "There's one more item."

  "Go ahead."

  "Leon Ashford enrolled at Valorian Academy last week. The academy wasn't provided with sponsor details per your instructions, so he was assigned D4 status."

  Iris didn't look up from the tablet. "I see."

  Silence stretched for a moment.

  "Will that be all?" the assistant asked.

  "Yes. You can go."

  The assistant left. Iris continued working through the reports, marking approvals and noting items for follow-up. Outside her windows, the city lights spread endlessly.

  She worked for another two hours before finally closing everything down and heading to her private quarters.

  Another day finished.