St. Bernards Academy
The Sovereign Table - Semester 1, Term 2
Setting: The Spire, beneath the library's east wing.
A circular chamber of obsidian stone and white marble. The walls are etched with each Pillar's symbol in precious metals.
In the center—an onyx table carved with the words: "Those who reign, dictate."
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[Scene Opens]
A door clicks open—not loudly. Nothing is loud in The Spire.
Only deliberate.
Carmen Alviero enters first. Of course she does.
Tailored black overcoat sweeping behind her like a war banner, corset—tight shirt pressed to precision, every ring on her fingers whispering wealth. Her wolf-cut shadows her eyes just enough to make people uncomfortable.
She doesn't greet. She claims her seat.
Betty Grimes is already there, legs crossed, sipping from a crystal glass of something expensive and suspiciously amber. She doesn't look up. She doesn't have to. Her aura is already screaming you should be afraid.
"You're late," Betty murmurs, gaze locked on nothing in particular.
"I'm not," Carmen replies smoothly, "You're just early enough to be desperate."
They don't smile.
The screen behind them lights up with encrypted data streams and term predictions. As if summoned by code, the third chair turns.
Calum Callahan. Nearly 21. Hoodie zipped halfway under a graphite trench coat. His eyes, steel-blue and dead-serious, don't blink as they scroll through three holographic panels at once.
"Power grid stabilized. Surveillance reset. 92% of the student body has arrived. Six are already flagged for 'incidents.'"
"We're off to a promising start," Carmen hums, removing her gloves with the elegance of someone disarming a bomb.
The final chair opens with a hiss.
Ajax Savier steps in. Straight back. Slate-colored uniform sharp enough to cut glass. There's no tie. Just his presence.
"Carmen."
"Ajax," she answers coolly, not even pretending to be cordial.
"No bickering before the briefing," Betty says, sipping again.
"Save it for the blood sports."
They all sit.
For a moment, there is only silence-the kind that settles over kingdoms before conquest.
Then Calum, voice flat:
"As per tradition, Sovereigns will now present their predictions, objectives, and surveillance anomalies for the semester."
Betty flips a file open with a painted nail.
"Vantaire's been too quiet. Something's brewing. I want oversight on everyone ranking above 15. The new kids especially."
Carmen: "You're afraid of being overthrown, Grimes?"
Betty: "I just don't like surprises. Especially when they wear perfume and lip gloss."
Carmen's lips twitch at that. Barely.
Ajax cuts in.
"There's a leak. We've had information from the Caelus subcommittees leak before orientation. That shouldn't be possible."
Calum glanced up, "Then someone in your house has access to mine."
"Or yours is letting them in." Ajax countered.
The tension flicks up like a knife.
Carmen's gaze drifts to the side screen.
A security image flickers across the glass:
Alia Reivas, stepping out of a car. Sunglasses. Candy pink nails.
The scanner reads:
Classified Access - Noctis.
Betty leans in, intrigued.
"Well. That's... interesting."
Carmen doesn't flinch.
"It's not news,"
Ajax stares at the screen. His jaw tightens, just barely. But Carmen doesn't see him.
She's still staring at Alia's scan.
"Let's proceed," she says, standing.
"You didn't give your prediction," Betty points out.
Carmen's eyes flicker-half-shadow, half-fire.
"This semester?" she says.
"Someone's going to fall. And it won't be me."