Dominic Vale tapped the hologram, scrolling through the list of names with exaggerated concentration. The classroom felt like a lottery drawing—everyone holding their breath, waiting to see if today would make or break them.
"Before I assign your teams," Vale said, "let me explain how this works. This first-year class is fifty students per house. If we put you in squads of five, how many squads will there be total across all houses?"
His eyes scanned the room. Several hands shot up.
"Yes, you with the red hair! Stand up when you answer."
Blair Davenport rose from her seat, her custom-tailored uniform somehow looking more expensive than everyone else's. Her short red hair caught the morning light streaming through the windows. Every movement radiated aristocratic precision.
"There are ten squads per house," she answered, voice crisp and confident. "Fifty squads total across all five houses."
