[IRIS]
The arena suddenly fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
For a fleeting moment, I wondered if I had imagined the silence. Then I heard the rustle of parchment.
The instructor glanced down at the list in his hands.
His eyes moved slowly from one name to the next.
Then his voice rang across the ancient training grounds.
"Iris Snow."
My heart stopped.
Every pair of eyes turned toward me.
This was it.
There would be no second chances.
No excuses.
No more hiding behind the weakness I had carried for as long as I could remember.
Whatever slept beneath the chains wrapped around my soul...
It was time for it to awaken.
I forced my feet forward.
One step.
Then another.
The walk toward the center of the arena felt unbearably long.
Hundreds of students watched me.
