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came to a stop in the center of campus and Shifter motioned for Ryan to follow him. Ryan hesitated. He wondered if he had the ability to overpower both Shifter and the driver and take off with the car until he found someplace they couldn't find him. The sight of the thin band on his wrist stopped him. Breathe. He couldn’t rush. Planning and patience would surely open a chance for him.
    “This is the main part of the campus,” Shifter said with a sweeping gesture once they were standing in the center of a courtyard.
    Cobblestone walkways branched out in complicated patterns over the perfectly manicured grass leading to different areas of the campus, most of which could barely be seen due to the thick forest covering the majority of the grounds. Surrounded by hyacinths, an elaborate stone fountain dominated the center of the courtyard. Ryan recognized the plant because it was one of Alex's favorite flowers. Thinking about her caused a pang in his chest. He wondered what she thought about his disappearance. How long had it taken her to realize he wasn't coming back? They had been a team for so long. What if her gambling wasn't enough to support her? Would she go to Paul for help?
    Ryan was jolted from his panicked thoughts by Shifter clearing his throat in an obvious manner.
    “As I was saying, this building has mostly faculty offices, but a few of the general classes such as math, literature, and history are held here. The other buildings are for specific concentrations.”
    The edifices in that area all had dark elements to them and appeared to be made out of black marble. Large columns and elegantly intimidating features made up the buildings' exteriors.
    Shifter pointed to one of the larger structures. “That building is for retrieval specialty and combat specialty. You'll probably have some fitness tests in there. Eva, whom you've already met, runs her team training sessions in there on occasion. The building next to that is reserved for the medical and science concentrations.”
    “See those hedges over there?” Shifter asked. Ryan nodded. “That's a garden maze. You have to go through it to get to the entrance of the building for the strategy and information specialties. Every so often they change the maze's layout overnight, and then the students have to race against the clock to get to their classes on time.” Shifter's eyes glazed over and a small smile appeared on his face as if he were remembering something.
    “That building,” Shifter said while pointing to the tallest and most modern one, “is for technology and transportation. There are training grounds spaced over the entirety of campus as well as few smaller gymnasiums and shooting ranges to allow teams the opportunity to train privately.”
    “Where are the dormitories?” Ryan asked.
    He didn't want to sound interested, but the campus was fairly impressive. He doubted the dorms would be of the same caliber. In his mind he could picture the type of residences the student Belligerents lived in: small rooms with a cot and no windows, doors that locked from the outside, and complete isolation outside of classes. He had heard the rumors. No one knew what a Belligerent academy was like except for the Belligerents, Owners and the school staff. Elites, Commoners, and Exempts never had a reason to set foot on a Belligerent campus and often debated over the true nature of the campus. As a former Commoner, Ryan had participated in those speculations quite often.
    Shifter chuckled and pointed to a spot in the distance. “That would be your residence.”
    Ryan squinted as he tried to make out exactly what it was that Shifter was trying to indicate. Across the large lake, on a cliff, there seemed to be some kind of boxlike structure. It was huge and had no windows. Those were the only details that Ryan could decipher.
    “What’s that?”
    “That is the villa you will be sharing with your seven roommates. Each group has their own villa. You're expected to