The final minute ticked down.
Raen sat back from the screen, eyes dry and fingers numb. Around him, others were frantically debugging, compressing files, or praying for a miracle.
But his screen was quiet. His prototype — VoxFrame — had finished its final simulation thirty seconds ago.
It worked.
"Final test case:Task: 'Schedule a three-day meal plan and sync it with my grocery budget.'
Response: 'Understood. Planning three balanced meals per day based on available funds. Would you prefer low-cost options or a varied nutritional spread?'"
He didn't smile. Didn't relax. Just stared.
The countdown on the central hall display reached its final digits:
00:00:05… 00:00:04… 00:00:03…
A shiver passed through him.
00:00:01… 00:00:00
[SUBMISSIONS LOCKED]
The terminals went dark. A silence rolled through the room like fog.
Then came the voice.
A calm, synthetic female voice broadcast through the venue.
"Submission phase complete.Evaluation and testing in progress.Results will be announced shortly."
All screens shifted to the competition logo, and tension returned like static in the air.
Raen stood and stretched. His knees cracked. His back ached.
He made his way outside to get some air. The glass entrance doors revealed a skyline painted in early evening haze. Neon signs flickered on as hovercars zoomed above the lower districts.
He scrolled his feed aimlessly. Too early for updates. Too late to fix anything.
He took a deep breath.
One hundred thousand Lux.
It had seemed impossible. Even stupid.
Three days ago, he was chasing small freelance gigs to buy instant noodles. Now, he might walk out of this place with enough to buy a whole apartment in the lower blocks.
"Just one line of bad code," he muttered. "One line, and it's all gone."
He could feel the system in the back of his mind — quiet, passive, like a predator that only moved when it smelled Lux.
But it didn't stir now.
Not until he earned more.
Not until he pushed harder.
His phone buzzed.
[HexaGrid Alert]:Your submission has been evaluated.Please return to your assigned terminal.
He froze.
The moment had arrived.