I looked at the Sentinel section of the room. Found Julian's golden hair among the crowd.
He was smiling.
"That's not random," Isabelle said from beside me.
"No it's not."
"Commander Valerius arranged it."
"Almost certainly."
"Julian will try to sabotage you."
"Almost certainly."
"What are you going to do?"
I stood from my chair. Stretched my shoulders. Cracked my neck.
"Win anyway."
Team Seven assembled in a designated preparation area. Four unfamiliar faces watched me with varying degrees of suspicion.
Derek Chen. The Cobalt Viper I'd knocked out with one punch during the duels. His jaw still showed bruising. His eyes showed resentment.
Maria Santos. Scarlet Phantom. Fire manipulation. Average skill. No notable achievements.
Chen Wei. Azure Dragon. Enhancement type. Big guy. Muscles on his muscles.
Julian Valerius. Broken hand. Burning hatred. Family connections that probably explained why he ended up on my team despite the astronomical improbability.
