“My freedom,” he said. “They won’t put the commander’s daughter on trial.”

I snorted, the noise too loud in the quiet night. “You can’t seriously believe that,” I said.

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” he said.

“Well, let’s hope you never believe it, then,” I said, “because I’d rather not go on trial if it’s all the same to you. So chill for a second, will you? I need to think.” I put my head in my hands and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Think about what?” he asked. “About what the inside of the Academy jail looks like? Because we know that one already. Remember our field trip three years ago?”

“I do,” I snapped back. “You thought it would be funny to shove me into one of the empty cells and lock the door.”

“I didn’t think that was funny,” he said. “That was funny, and even though I wasn’t the one locked inside that cell crying my eyes out for the five whole minutes it took the guard to get it unlocked, I know I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in there.”

I looked back at him, eyebrow raised. “You don’t do chill very well, do you, Mason?”

Elliot bristled at me. “Some of us don’t have that luxury, Fitz. And, for the record, you’re right. I have exactly zero chill. Not when it comes to this,” he said, pointing at the letter.

“I half expected you to march in here with security officers,” I admitted. “I might have if the situation was reversed.”

“Don’t think I didn’t think about it,” he said.

“Well,” I said. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “I guess.”

We stood there for a second, not saying anything as the noises of the night pressed in around us. I’d thought that seeing the letter would make things perfectly clear for me. That I’d know what to do once I had the full picture and could talk to Elliot. But in reality, nothing had changed.

“Don’t you think that it’s pretty convenient that it says I’m not supposed to level up tomorrow?” Elliot said, tapping the letter. “How do I know this isn’t just future Regan messing with me?”

“Yeah,” I said. “You’re right. I’m sure future me risked life, limb, and prison to mess with you so you wouldn’t take a stupid simulation test.”

Elliot stared at me a second and then sagged. “Okay, so maybe that’s a bit extreme. But you have to agree that this letter is ridiculously vague. I mean, if we are going to risk everything, shouldn’t we know what we are risking it for?”