PROLOGUE

Rin sat completely still. She felt the press of wood from her low backed chair and the cool surface of her school desk flat against her forearms. Her hands were neatly folded on the polished plane—a high-grade rosewood that shone with a worldliness that belied the wealth of the school's students. It only took a single glance around the room to understand that this was a place where education was taught to the privileged. It was a shame then, that almost none of the desks were filled.

Students pressed themselves against the wall facing the outer courtyard. Their necks craned out the windows as they cheered and waved with a reckless abandon until…SNAP!

Hundreds of students froze with bated breath. A silver haired boy with the air and stature of one who was almost a man stood on the grassy lawn, his hand poised in the air. He bared his teeth in a grin of pure satisfaction.

"Follow me to Nationals!"

And the crowd roared once again.

The lone sitting figure in the classroom gave a long, quiet sigh.