They used the Exam to bait us. To weaponize our hope and our hunger to climb. To force us to read books that taught us we weren’t their equals, and never would be. The message was subtle. But it was there, nevertheless, on every page. They were the ones with ki powers. They were the masters. Our job was to fall in line with their vision of the world. If we did so, if we were good in their eyes, maybe we’d get a few crumbs of the pie.
