"Endure the fire, and you'll emerge as steel." — Nero Adams
°°°°°
Nero did not immediately return to the dorm. Instead, he unfurled a simple mat upon the ground, the fabric brushing lightly against the earth, and lowered himself into a seated position. The quiet of the courtyard embraced him, a silence broken only by the faint whisper of wind against the trees.
From within his spatial ring, he drew out a small, elegant bottle—the prize of their first mission inside the pocket world, awarded for seizing first place: the Blood Revitalization Pill.
