"Sagiri, present," he said, and there was silence as even the cadets who had started to stand sat back down. Now one had seen him arrive or move, but somehow he was standing at the centre.
Silence tore through the place loud enough to make squad 25 alert, and they broke into a run.
"The examiners paused and looked towards the innkeeper.
"The cadet was late, but he was not yet eliminated. The exam begins!" he announced with a bit of excitement, and sagiri did not like it at all. Even his lengthy introduction was not called for. Even so, now more than ever, Sagiri had let the cold part of his heart take over. He had managed to push it back by the warmth caused by those around him, but right after what he had witnessed happening to his clan, he did not want to ever feel warmth. He welcomed the cold so it seeped into his heart, and the cold made him feel calm. Perhaps the warmth had just been a hindrance for him to face the reality of how cruel people really were.
