As everyone gathered in the room, I rose from my seat, letting the silence settle until even the shuffling stopped.
"This operation," I began, my voice cutting through the stillness, "is called Operation Emberlight."
Dozens of eyes locked on me.
"The Stronghold competition will end soon. Three factions remain. Two have already made their move against us meaning we need to end this quickly. Valkcross?" I let the name hang in the air. "They already don't favor us."
The statement lingered, heavy in the room.
"Our faction will split into two squads. One will hold the stronghold—this team will be Bastion. The other, Sword, will move on Blue Star."
At my signal, the map on the central hologram flared to life, the Blue Star stronghold pulsing in sharp cobalt light.
"Bastion Squad will have thirteen students. Marlen will take command." A list of names appeared in the air, the text flickering as each name was logged.
