Page 101 of The Amber Sunburst

He would be annoyed, but he feels lighter than usual. Like maybe this whole thing isn’t the end of the world.

Everyone just barely makes it into their seats, Lazarus at the board with chalk again, when the intercom blares through the room. Whatever inner quiet he found at lunch with Zeno and his friends is gone at the sound of the Educator’s voice.

“Firstly, congratulations to those whom this announcement concerns. You have made it to the second Trial.

“Do not let this pride blind you. In three days, your accomplishments will be null, and you’ll become just as vulnerable as you were a month ago for Trial Two.”

“Well, that’s nice,” he hears Alexander grumble.

“With that said, your theme for the second Trial:

Thinking is paramount when

mountains are high.

Ration’s in slivers when

rivers are wide.

Icarus fell while

reaching for the sky.

Narcissus drowned while

watching his eyes.

Don’t let it fool you

lest you be a fool.

Death is avoidable

if you keep your mind cool.

“May the Forms grant you wisdom in Justice.”

A static sound echoes through the room before the announcement cuts off.

Silence falls for barely a second before Alexander, true to form, blurts out, “Well, that was definitely a poem.”

Kleitos opens his mouth, probably to say something mean, but Theokleia interrupts. “Maybe more like a riddle.”

“Nice, both of you.” Lazarus tries to smile encouragingly, but he’s sure it looks more like a grimace with ambition. “Split into three groups and try to figure out what it means?” he asks.

“Let’s,” Theokleia says.

During the group brainstorming, Lazarus can hardly bring himself to speak. He’s scared, and every day he grows more so. Friends or no friends, lunch or no lunch, everything is closing in on him, and he doesn’t know how to stop it.

27

ALEXANDER

“The Eighth Arc was established once banishment became a more mainstream technique for punishment…” Zeno reads from the second row. Their teacher decided that they aren’t engaged enough in class, and has tasked them with reading the textbook out loud for the day.

Alexander is absolutely not paying attention. He has his arms pillowed under his chin and he stares blankly at the slides that switch when Zeno moves to a new section of the book.

“Enough, Zeno,” the old professor coughs after several more boring pages. “Kallias, you’re next.”