Cloud City University - Monday Morning - 9:15 AM
Emily sat in Professor Harrison's Advanced Economic Theory class, trying to focus on supply chain optimization models while her mind kept drifting to Switzerland, Clara Mueller, her mother's hidden documents, and Alexander sitting in a palace thousands of miles away pretending to mourn a woman he'd poisoned.
Normal student life felt surreal when her real life involved international espionage and reclaiming stolen kingdoms.
Ming Li sat behind her as usual, though today she was being remarkably quiet , probably because Timothy had given her a very stern talking-to about "appropriate classroom behavior" after last week's incidents involving weaponized wheat and tactical chemistry questions.
Emily's phone buzzed silently in her pocket. She glanced at it discreetly under her desk.
A message from Timothy: CERN invitation officially arrived. Check your university email. It's time to make the announcement.
