Belle grabbed my arm.
"Did she just say highest?"
"She did."
"We got the best score?"
"Sounds like it."
Jordan sat up fully. His grey eyes actually open for once.
"Wait. We're seventh but we got the best rating?"
"Rankings are cumulative," Misato said from my other side. Her voice tight. Controlled. "They're factoring in our baseline stats from Tuesday. Our formation drills. Academic scores. Gate performance is weighted heaviest but it's not everything."
The screen moved to the next squad.
RANK 6: OBSIDIAN ELITE - HOUSE OBSIDIAN
Blair's face filled the screen.
Then Charles. Javier. Hikaru. Dante.
All of them looking sharp and dangerous in their photos. Even Javier somehow pulled off confident despite his perpetual nervous energy.
The man spoke.
