
Your fist struck Morton's cheek as his answered against your ribs. Coats came off, volunteer seconds pushed forward, and the other pupils formed an eager ring. You step into this one-chapter preview with Morton at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. Their cheer rose anyway as the youngest officer's unknown service opened only three weeks away. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.
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