Chapter 51: Trials of the Awakened (2)
The battlefield simulation dissolved, leaving the group standing once more in the white expanse of the chamber. The holographic walls gleamed sterile and silent, but their breathing filled the space—heavy, uneven, alive.
Ava pressed her hands to her knees, still catching her breath. The aftershocks of power thrummed through her veins, jittery and bright, like she'd swallowed an electric storm.
Zephyr was sprawled flat on the ground, arms flung wide, grinning at the ceiling. "That—was—amazing."
"Exhausting," Alyssa corrected, tugging her hair back into place, her usual sharp tone softened only by the faint tremor in her fingers.
Brian braced both hands on his hips, chest heaving. His shirt clung to his skin, damp with sweat, but his eyes shone with stubborn resolve. "It's nothing compared to what's coming."
