"…This place isn't what I remembered," Otto murmured, his steps echoing faintly against the too-clean floor, the white light above casting no shadows.
The hallway stretched before them, pure alabaster from ceiling to walls to floor, too symmetrical, too quiet. It was the kind of silence that hummed—not from stillness, but from machinery buried beneath skin-deep perfection.
Mobius giggled beside him, her voice curling like a ribbon of perfume in the air. "Well, I had to change the place up, didn't I? It was so boring and outdated the last time I came here. Like walking through a forgotten movie theater."
Yuzuki muttered something under his breath about being too white. Kiana, meanwhile, was spinning slowly as she walked, arms out, eyes wide.
"Whoa… this is so cool. It's like we're in a sci-fi movie or something," she whispered, as if speaking too loud would shatter the sterile illusion.
Then the far wall—if it could be called a wall—rippled.
A hiss of soft pressure parted it open, revealing a massive chamber beyond. Pristine white, just like the hall. No seams. No corners. The kind of space that defied depth, like the inside of a dream before it formed detail. If not for the transparent panels lining the far right wall, and the soft blinking of interface screens beyond it, it would've felt like they'd walked into the void.
Eden waved at them from the control deck behind the glass, fingers graceful and gentle, a smile touching her lips as she pressed one hand against the panel.
"Now this," Kiana grinned, turning in place, "this feels like an important scientific magic room!. You've got the creepy white space, the oh my god-level tech, thebeautiful glowing lady behind glass—ten out of ten!."
Chris gave a low hum behind them, gaze drifting toward Otto with a sigh. "... Can you at least try to hide your emotions?"
Otto didn't answer. He just looked pleased, hands behind his back like a polite aristocrat playing tourist. His long blonde hair shimmered faintly under the lights, expression unreadable save for that content little smirk dancing at the corner of his mouth.
Victor stepped forward, hands in his pockets, eyeing the chamber with a low hum of disapproval. Then, casually, without even glancing at them, asked—
"…How did you get here before me?"
Mobius clicked her tongue and leaned forward with a grin, walking ahead like she owned the place. "Tch. A lady has secrets, you know."
Behind her, Eden gave a tiny wink from behind the glass.
Victor blinked once. Slowly.
And sighed.
"Of course."
The doors slid open with a soft hiss, and the group stepped into the control room—sterile, sleek, and humming faintly with the circulating power. Panels lined the walls like sleeping machines, waiting for instruction. Transparent glass overlooked the vast chamber outside, remaining still and endless, like a blank canvas.
Eden stepped back from the console as the others entered, folding her hands in front of her with her usual soft grace.
Her expression was calm—welcoming—but her eyes lingered on Victor with a bright smile on her face.
"So," Mei finally spoke up, her voice breaking the silence as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "what exactly are they going to do, Professor?"
Mobius' lips curled. "My little experim—"
Chris raised a hand, cutting her off mid-word with a lazy but deliberate gesture. He stepped forward, posture relaxed but gaze sharp.
"They'll be entering reenactments," he explained, eyes scanning the group. "Simulations built from real recorded events—past missions, turning points, histories burned into the archives."
He glanced briefly toward Victor and Kiana. "The goal isn't just to test combat. It's to test judgment. What they do, what they choose, what they sacrifice. The kind of test that reveals if they're Valkyries in title… and in soul."
Mobius let out a dramatic raspberry and rolled her eyes, twirling one finger beside her temple. "Ugh, all just pomp and pretense. I mean, really, Victor? If he fails, what does that make everyone else? Peasant slime?"
Chris snorted. Otto shook his head with a weary smile. Eden let out a soft sigh and murmured something under her breath that no one caught.
Mobius turned with a spin, flouncing toward the main terminal. "Eden, dear, get our princess ready, will you?"
Without another word, Eden nodded and moved to the panel as the white void outside stirred. The floor shimmered—black lines etching themselves across the pristine surface like a painter dragging ink across silk. The geometry shifted, forming a precise grid. Cables snaked down from the ceiling, their ends glowing faintly. In the center, two smooth chrome headsets rose from hidden compartments, accompanied by a low chime.
Yuzuki blinked at the display, arms folding as he leaned on the glass. "This technology's insane…"
Mobius glanced over her shoulder and snickered. "You've seen nothing, Yuzu. With your help, I could make something that redefines how reality percieves itself~"
She didn't get to finish.
"Mobius." Otto's voice came low. Calm. But edged in steel.
Mobius froze mid-twirl.
"…Kidding~" she chimed, a little too quickly. Then hummed and went right back to typing on the touchscreen.
Yuzuki squinted, confused. But before he could ask, Eden tapped gently on Kiana's shoulder, her voice soft. "It's ready."