Chapter 16 The Leadership Crest

The classroom buzzed with murmurs, the soft hum of students shifting in their seats blending with the occasional rustle of papers. The air was thick with the faint tang of anticipation, a mixture of curiosity and unease. At the front of the room, Jayda stood poised, her marker in hand. Her sharp gaze swept across the room, carrying an air of quiet authority that silenced even the faintest whispers.

She tapped the board lightly with the marker, the sharp sound echoing. "Alright, good morning, everyone. Welcome to today's leadership session. You're here not just to learn the usual academics, but to master the art of leadership. Lucky for you, I'm the one tasked with teaching you." Her voice was calm but carried a hint of playful sarcasm that drew a few chuckles.

"There are **65 of you in total,** divided across **three classes.** In this room, there are 22 of you. Before anyone asks—no, the Wild Card phase isn't happening yet. It's still too early for eliminations. Per the president's directive, no one will be eliminated until the Wild Card is introduced. So, if you're behind, it's not too late to catch up. **Get those leadership points.**" She underlined the phrase "leadership points" on the board with a flourish before turning back to face them.

A few students exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued.

Jayda's lips curled into a wry smile. "Now, I'd love to tell you your class is in last place. That would be amusing—except we don't have class rankings here. What we **do** have are **personal rankings.**"

She paused for effect. "Take out your phones and open the program. Tap on the **Crest of Leadership.**"

There was a flurry of motion as students pulled out their phones, their faces lighting up with the glow of their screens. After a few taps, each screen displayed the program's crest, their school name, and their own name prominently at the top.

"Now, tap on that," Jayda instructed, gesturing with her marker.

The students complied, and the screens shifted to show detailed profiles—photos of themselves alongside information such as their eye color, hair color, age, height, and weight. Beside each photo was a small box labeled **Ranking.**

"See that?" Jayda said, her tone sharp enough to regain the room's full attention. "The **ranking** beside your profile can go **up or down.** Obviously, we want it to go up—and stay there. Specifically, at **#1.** Why? Because the person ranked #1 at the end of the program becomes the **Sovereign Leader.** The person at #2? The **Deputy Sovereign Leader.** These aren't just titles—they're everything you're working toward here."

She paced slowly, letting the weight of her words settle in. "Currently, this class has **five students** with **100 or more points.** If we combine all the points in this room, it totals **1,200.** Sounds decent, right?" Her tone shifted, dripping with mock encouragement.

"But let's compare. The top class has **21 students, all over 100 points.** Their total? **4,000 points.**" She paused, letting the number sink in. "And the other class? **Six students** over 100 points, with a total of **2,000 points.** So, yeah—there's a gap."

The room grew tense, the reality of their position settling in.

A hand shot up. Jayda's eyes locked onto the student. "Yes, your name?"

The girl stood, her voice steady. "Moya Rose. Student Council President and Deputy Head Girl of Hillary-Cas High School."

Jayda raised an eyebrow, impressed but not showing it too much. "Ah, double duty. Impressive. What's your question?"

Moya glanced at her profile screen. "Under the personal details, it lists things like leadership type, drive, special abilities, and ego. What do those mean?"

Jayda's face softened slightly, her smile more genuine now. "Good question, Moya. Those are all things we'll discover **together.** That's part of what I'm here to help you figure out. Each of those categories plays a role in defining the kind of leader you are—or could be. But before we dive into that…"

She turned back to the board and wrote in bold letters: **The Apex Hunt.**

"…let's talk about the **game.** This is your first major challenge: **The Apex Hunt.** At the end of today's session, we'll go over all the rules, strategies, and what's at stake. But for now, I'll leave you with this—"

Her eyes swept across the room, her voice dropping just slightly, forcing them to lean in. "This game will test your ability to lead, to think, and to survive—not just as individuals, but as a group. Every choice you make will define the kind of leader you truly are."