nik had always found the blackthorne boys intimidating, but now? now he had a reason to find them downright terrifying. even when he learned this was a spy school, he’d thought that no way had any of his fellow students would have to take a life, it had barely even crossed his mind. (sure, he’d read threat elimination, and that thought had lingered, but- it felt more theoretical than anything.) but now, now he knew that the blackthorne boys were okay with that thought, expected to do so, and that was... well, it was something else. would he have been admitted to blackthorne, he wondered, and even if he would’ve, as soon as he heard about the final exam he would have fucking left. if he would be allowed to leave.
and now, he had to meet with a man who would have been a year away from performing this final exam, to spar. sure, alec seemed like a good guy, had seemed kind and genuine, but he couldn’t help his obvious anxiety when he met alec’s eyes in the gym. “hey,” he offered, unable to look alec in the eye. “ready to spar?”