OAKHAVEN
The alarm clock in my room didn’t just ring; it shrieked. It was 6:00 AM, the start of my final birthday before Selection Day. In Oakhaven, that’s not just a birthday. It’s the day the government decides your entire life. You pass the test, you become a Scholar and live in the high towers. You fail, you work in the mines until your back breaks.
I rolled out of bed, my feet hitting the cold floor. My parents were already in the kitchen, their faces pale. They were terrified for me, even if they tried to hide it behind forced smiles and burnt toast.