Back at the eastern academy, school 12, things had taken a dramatic turn. Over the days, Noah had tendered his apology to Micah for the mistreatment. The upperclassman seemingly bore no grudges against him. So life went on. By life, the second stage of the selection process.
Stage 2 came and passed, leaving in its wake new legends and shattered hopes.
Noah stood atop the Year 1 rankings with a perfect score—something virtually unheard of for a first-generation student with no combat background. Fellow students whispered theories in hallways and dormitory rooms, unable to reconcile the unassuming boy's dominance with his lack of pedigree.
"He's got to be hiding something," Derek Wolfe from 1C insisted to his classmates. "Nobody goes from civilian to perfect tournament scores in three months."