"Education is survival." Alexander's voice was quiet but firm. "Most of us lost our childhoods when we became mimics. Lost our families, our identities, our futures. But the young ones here—" He gestured to where several child-shaped mimics were playing near the construction site, their forms flickering but happy. "They deserve a chance to grow up as more than just survivors."
Marron's throat tightened. "That's... that's really good, Alexander."
"We learned it from you, actually."
"I didn't teach you to build a school—"
"You taught us that we deserved better." Alexander looked at her, his expression serious. "That wanting more than survival wasn't greedy. That learning, growing, improving—those weren't luxuries. They were necessities." He paused. "The school is just us applying that lesson."
Marron didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. Just watched the foundation being laid, brick by brick, for a place where mimic children would learn to read.
