At Nova Crest, everyone knows who holds the power. Damon Vance is about to learn that there is one thing money, influence, and fear can't control.

Damon Vance

Full name: Damon Alessandro Vance
Age: 21
Height: 6'1"
Build: Athletic, broad-shouldered
Eye color: Steel grey
Hair: Black, thick, slightly tousled
Skin: Lightly tanned
Nationality: Italian-American
University: Nova Crest University
Major: Finance & Political Economics
Sport: Ice hockey
Position: Center
Team: The Regents, Nova Crest's best hockey team
Jersey number: 19
Family: Vance crime dynasty
Tattoos: Just one snake tattoo that starts at his mid back all the way to his shoulder blade.

Personality: Cold, controlled, dominant, intimidating, observant, fiercely intelligent, competitive, private, and extremely difficult to read.

Damon doesn't waste words. He has an unnerving ability to remain completely calm while everyone around him is losing control. He rarely raises his voice because he has never needed to.

He was raised by a powerful father who taught him that weakness gets exploited and loyalty must be earned. From his mother, a former undercover intelligence operative, he inherited a quieter kind of compassion.

Damon rarely shows that softer side.

He is fiercely protective of the people he considers his own, although his version of caring usually involves quietly solving their problems before they even know there was one.

Likes: Hockey, expensive watches, black coffee, late-night drives, strategy, silence, winning.

Dislikes: Being underestimated, losing control, unnecessary attention, betrayal, dishonesty, people touching his belongings.

Hidden trait: He is much more sentimental than anyone would ever guess.

Reputation: The most intimidating player on the Nova Crest hockey team and one of the most powerful students on campus.

Brittany Hale

Full name: Brittany Elise Hale
Age: 21
Height: 5'7"
Build: Slim, graceful
Eye color: Emerald green
Hair: Long blonde hair
Skin: Fair
Nationality: American
University: Nova Crest University
Major: Communications & Political Science
Family: Hale political dynasty
Father: Mayor of the city

Personality: Charismatic, confident, ambitious, manipulative, socially intelligent, competitive, possessive of her status, and accustomed to getting what she wants.

Brittany is the queen bee of Nova Crest.

She knows everyone's secrets, knows which professor owes her father a favor, knows which students want to be invited into her social circle, and knows exactly how to make someone feel insignificant without ever raising her voice.

She doesn't think of herself as a bully.

She thinks of herself as someone who understands how the world works.

To Brittany, power belongs to whoever knows how to use it.

She is particularly threatened by people who refuse to be impressed by her.

Likes: Parties, designer clothes, social events, attention, winning arguments, influence.

Dislikes: Being ignored, public embarrassment, losing control, people challenging her authority.

Hidden trait: Beneath all the confidence is a deep fear of becoming irrelevant.

Reputation: Nova Crest's unofficial social queen.

Christopher Bennett

Full name: Christopher James Bennett
Age: 21
Height: 6'0"
Build: Athletic
Eye color: Warm brown
Hair: Dark brown, usually messy
Skin: Lightly tanned
Nationality: American
University: Nova Crest University
Major: Business Management
Sport: Ice hockey
Position: Right wing
Jersey number: 11
Family: Wealthy business family

Personality: Charismatic, sarcastic, mischievous, loyal, confident, talkative, emotionally perceptive, and considerably less serious than Damon.

Christopher is Damon's best friend and one of the only people on campus who isn't intimidated by him.

He has known Damon long enough to recognize the tiny differences between Damon's expressions.

A raised eyebrow?

Annoyed.

Silence lasting more than ten seconds?

Very annoyed.

Actually smiling?

Someone should probably call the newspapers.

Christopher is the comedic relief of the group, but he's not stupid. He's extremely observant and often understands what Damon is feeling before Damon himself admits it.

He enjoys teasing Damon purely because he knows Damon can't get rid of him.

Likes: Hockey, expensive cars, terrible jokes, parties, teasing Damon, flirting, food.

Dislikes: Awkward silence, losing bets, early mornings, being ignored.

Hidden trait: He's extremely loyal. If Damon is family, Christopher treats that word literally.

Typical behavior: Says something ridiculous, gets threatened by Damon, does it again five minutes later.

Reputation: The hockey team's resident menace and somehow still one of its most reliable players.

Henry Calloway

Full name: Henry Alexander Calloway
Age: 22
Height: 6'2"
Build: Lean and athletic
Eye color: Ice blue
Hair: Blonde
Skin: Fair with a slight tan
Nationality: American
University: Nova Crest University
Major: Law & International Relations
Sport: Ice hockey
Position: Left wing
Jersey number: 27
Family: Old-money political and legal family

Personality: Competitive, sharp-tongued, confident, disciplined, ambitious, sarcastic, proud, and intensely stubborn.

Henry is Damon's biggest rival on the hockey team.

Unlike most people, Henry doesn't back down when Damon walks into a room.

If Damon says something, Henry has an answer.

If Damon wins, Henry wants the rematch.

If Damon scores three goals, Henry wants four.

Their rivalry is partly athletic and partly personal.

They respect each other's abilities far more than either would admit.

Henry comes from an old-money family and has been raised with the expectation that he will eventually become someone important. Unlike Damon, however, Henry enjoys being seen.

He likes attention.

He likes competition.

And he especially likes getting under Damon's skin.

Likes: Hockey, winning, debates, expensive suits, competition, intellectual challenges.

Dislikes: Losing, being ignored, arrogance, people assuming he's second-best.

Hidden trait: He's far more protective of his friends than his arrogant personality suggests.

Reputation: The only player on the team who can consistently challenge Damon without backing down.

Their Dynamic

Damon + Christopher:
The intimidating genius and the human headache.

Damon + Henry:
Rivals who would rather lose a tooth than admit they respect each other.

Christopher + Henry:
Constant bickering, competitive jokes, and occasional teamwork when annoying Damon becomes the objective.

Brittany + Damon:
Two people accustomed to power, except neither is willing to acknowledge the other's authority.

Brittany + Henry:
A polished social rivalry. Both are competitive, both know how to play the status game, and neither likes losing.

Brittany + Christopher:
Christopher thinks she's terrifyingly entertaining. Brittany thinks Christopher talks too much.

The group overall:
Damon is the center of gravity. Christopher is the chaos. Henry is the challenger. Brittany is the social power player.