Reddy's head throbbed.
His wrists burned where the restraints had been tied too tight. His ribs ached from where that bastard Ashbourne had kicked him.
He forced his eyes open and saw chaos.
Grace's opening explosion had done more than break formations. The temporary alliance between Class A, Class B, and Class C was collapsing in real time, not through betrayal but through sheer incompetence. Their groups overlapped. Their signals conflicted. Students kept getting in one another's way, blocking attacks or stepping into friendly fire.
The Class B student who had been assigned to guard him was gone.
Probably thrown aside during the blast, or dragged into the fighting when the lines collapsed.
Reddy twisted his wrists against the restraints.
The knots were tight, but whoever tied them had rushed the work. One loop had already loosened during the chaos.
He pulled harder, ignoring the burn, and felt the binding give.
Then his hands were free.
