Chapter 23: The Double Life Begins
The first full week of training felt like living in two dimensions simultaneously.
By day, Jaden Sterling was the perfect #2 student. He sat in his usual seat at the back of Calculus. He raised his hand in class exactly twice per session to avoid suspicion. He maintained a steady 98.5% average, which was high enough to keep his cover but low enough to explain the slight decline in focus.
By night, he was JD-Zero.
The training schedule was brutal. They'd finish school, April would work her shift at the tutoring center, then they'd meet at the PC cafe at 9 PM. From 9 PM to 2 AM, Jaden would play under Tomas's guidance while April analyzed opponents, documented strategies, and made notes on what needed improvement.
By 2 AM, they'd be exhausted. By the time they got home, there were only a few hours until school started again.
