Inside the colossal coliseum, one by one the examinees reappeared, expelled from the simulation. Failure. Already more than two thousand had gathered, and the number kept growing.
"My dream… to become a hero… it's gone."
A young human boy collapsed to his knees, his body limp, eyes red with unshed tears. Years of sacrifice, training, coins, sleepless nights, all of it felt meaningless now.
A friend crouched beside him, giving his shoulder a gentle pat. "Hey… there's still next year."
In the heroes' tribunes above, the tension was suffocating. Conversations shrank to whispers, the hum of unease slithering through the rows of seats. Every gaze was fixed on the colossal screen, where a single number burned brighter than the rest. Number One, an impossible score, held the arena in thrall, silencing even the most seasoned heroes.
