Adrien stepped forward to the front of the chamber once again. His boots striking against the reinforced floor with steady authority.
The buzz of hushed whispers among the candidates faded instantly.
He scanned the room with his sharp and unyielding gaze.
"I don't need to say anything anymore," Adrien began, his voice carrying easily through the hall. "I already said it yesterday. You know what this is, and you know what's at stake."
He swept his eyes across the assembled faces, then turned slightly toward the observation deck above.
"Are we ready?" His voice rang out, directed to everyone responsible for the operation.
Through his earpiece and from nods exchanged behind the glass, confirmations came one after another.
Medical teams were on standby, stabilizers were primed, the reinforced walls were ready, and the monitoring systems were calibrated.
Adrien gave a single sharp nod. "Good. Then we start now. Candidate number one, step forward."
