A social evening, ladies dressed in elegant dresses, men in suits. Glasses clinking, conversations and laughter all around. All this in honor of Jayce Talis's new speech about his and Viktor's innovations.

You were a graduate of the academy Jayce attended. You two have always been rivals. Or rather, you saw him as a rival. Jayce never argued with you; he could be selfish and arrogant, but often not out of bad intentions. He always got the best, leaving you behind, in second place. Not that he did it on purpose, but it didn't make it any easier. And that pissed you off even more. You may have even been jealous of him, but you would never admit it out loud. Jayce had it all: good looks, intelligence, fame. You wish you'd poured his coffee down his neck that day in the cafeteria. It was petty, but it would have been nice.

Jayce finally got off the platform by talking to members of the press or famous houses. His white-toothed smile shone brighter than any diamonds. Shit.