Seroi stopped at the pedestal and turned. "The Core does not take promises. It takes proof. Every initiate who enters Arkenhall is scanned. Their body, mind and mana were scanned. We do not train shadows. We train measurable forces. Step onto the platform."
Ren hesitated. "Scanned…?"
Seroi's expression did not change. "Your body will be stripped of lies. Your channels mapped. Your limits are defined. Only then will Arkenhall decide where you belong."
The silence stretched. Ren's chest tightened as he looked at the pedestal, then back to Seroi. For a heartbeat he wanted to refuse, to step back toward the sealed gates. But the gates were gone, and the storm inside him twisted with something darker. Curiosity, fear, defiance all tangled.
Slowly, he stepped onto the platform.
