Dawn broke over Eternal Bond headquarters as the first batch of ten candidates approached the trial chambers. The pristine white rooms were featureless except for the System interface pedestals at their centers—ten meters square of judgment where worthiness would be tested and some would die.
Rama and Sekar watched from the observation room, monitoring feeds from all ten chambers simultaneously. Medical readouts displayed vital signs. System compatibility readings showed real-time integration percentages. But they couldn't intervene. Couldn't help. Could only watch as thirty-eight candidates faced trials that would kill approximately six of them.
The morning air felt heavy with anticipation and dread.
Dewi was in Chamber 3. Young, nervous, determined. The girl who'd asked for private training weeks ago. The girl who'd apologized for looking at Rama wrong. She stood before her pedestal, hands shaking slightly, but her expression was resolute.
