When they entered the spacious lobby, their footsteps echoed softly against the polished metal floor.
The space was clean and modern, its walls lined with smooth panels lit by soft, shifting lights that moved in subtle patterns. The illumination wasn't bright or harsh, it felt alive, as if the building itself was breathing.
Ethan took it all in as they walked deeper into the facility. Everything here felt purposeful, refined. He followed Maya toward the corridor she had pointed out earlier, the one that led to the evaluation chamber.
Two figures stood waiting at the end.
The first was a man. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing a tailored black combat uniform that fit like armor. His aura, unmistakably Bronze, hummed with quiet strength. A High Four-Star Ascendant.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. 'A Bronze Ascendant... again.'
He was meeting more of them lately, and each one seemed more refined and deadly than the last.
