One by one, the applicants were called in.
The first student—a tall girl in a crisp beige suit—walked out ten minutes later, her tight smile doing little to hide the sweat gathering at her temple.
She didn't speak as she took her seat, just pulled out her phone and stared at the floor.
Another followed. Then another.
Whispers started brewing in low voices.
"Ten minutes each?"
"Feels like an ambush."
"No clue what they asked me. My brain just... froze."
Noel tapped his foot, his fingers tracing the edge of the clipboard they were given earlier.
Notes, reminders, half-read facts—it all blurred now. His stomach hadn't settled since morning.
Beside him, Luca was unusually quiet. Not scrolling. Not talking.
A name was called. The guy two seats down stood, his hand trembling just slightly as he fixed his collar. Gone.
Then—
"Noel Avery."
He froze for half a second.
Then stood.
Before he could move, a hand touched his forearm—firm, grounding.
Luca.
