The door slid open before anyone could settle.
"Unit. Move."
No warning. No time.
Zane groaned softly.
"Do they ever knock or is that illegal here?"
Kael was already walking.
"Move."
Zane muttered, "Yes sir, scary sir…"
They stepped into a wide training arena. Cold steel floors. High ceilings. Observation windows above. Weapons racks along the walls. And guards—everywhere.
Mira looked up immediately.
"More cameras."
"Always more cameras," Zane said. "I feel famous."
A sharp voice cut through.
"Line up."
They did. Instinctively.
The man from before stepped forward. Hands behind his back. Eyes scanning. Always scanning.
"Today, you begin physical evaluation."
Kael's posture straightened slightly. Ready.
"No weapons."
Zane blinked. "Oh great. So we just politely argue them to death?"
No reaction.
"Combat reveals instinct."
The man's gaze shifted between them.
"Instinct reveals truth."
He turned slightly.
"Pair them."
A guard stepped forward, pointing.
"Kael. Zane."
Zane froze. "Wait—what? No. No, no, no—this feels targeted."
Kael cracked his neck slightly.
"Stand up."
"I am standing—just… emotionally sitting," Zane said.
"Yuki. Tala."
Tala looked at Yuki gently.
"We'll go easy, okay?"
Yuki didn't respond. Just nodded once.
"Mira. Noor."
Mira smirked. "This should be interesting."
Noor smiled back. "I was thinking the same."
A pause. Then—
"E-7."
Erza stepped forward.
"Observe."
Zane pointed. "Oh come on—she gets to skip?! That's favoritism."
Kael didn't even look at him.
"Focus."
Fight 1 — Kael vs Zane
"Begin."
Zane raised his hands awkwardly. "Okay, listen—we can talk about this—"
Kael moved. Fast. Too fast.
Zane barely dodged, stumbling back.
"WOAH—okay, no talking, got it!"
Kael didn't stop. Strike. Block. Strike again. Precise. Controlled.
Zane ducked clumsily.
"You trained before this or were you just born angry?!"
No response.
Kael swept his leg. Zane hit the ground hard. Air knocked out of him.
Before he could recover—Kael's fist stopped inches from his face.
Silence.
"Dead," Kael said coldly.
Zane blinked up at him.
"…Rude."
Above—
"Combat instinct: high."
"Subject adapts poorly under pressure."
"Noted."
Fight 2 — Yuki vs Tala
"Begin."
Tala didn't move immediately.
"Yuki… we don't have to—"
Yuki moved. Silent. Fast. She slipped behind Tala—knife-hand strike—Tala gasped, stumbling forward.
Yuki stopped. Pulled back.
Tala turned slowly. Not angry. Just… understanding.
"You're holding back," she said softly.
Yuki looked at her. No expression.
"But you didn't miss," Tala added.
A small pause. Yuki stepped back. Fight over.
Above—
"Precision: high."
"Emotional restraint present."
"Interesting combination."
Fight 3 — Mira vs Noor
"Begin."
They circled each other. Slowly.
Mira tilted her head. "You're not a fighter."
Noor smiled. "Neither are you."
Mira lunged first. Testing.
Noor stepped aside smoothly. Barely touched.
"Too predictable," Noor murmured.
Mira smirked. "I wasn't trying to hit you."
Noor paused—just for a second. That was enough.
Mira swept her footing. Noor stumbled—but recovered instantly.
They froze. Both smiling now.
"Manipulation," Noor said.
"Strategy," Mira corrected.
Above—
"Both subjects: high cognitive adaptability."
"Potential pairing effectiveness: strong."
Then—Erza
"E-7."
Erza stepped forward. Calm.
The man looked at her.
"Apply what you observed."
Zane whispered, "No pressure or anything…"
A guard stepped in front of her. Larger. Stronger. Trained.
"Begin."
The guard attacked first. Fast.
Erza moved—but not like the others. She didn't block immediately. Didn't strike back. She watched. Step. Pause. Adjust.
The second attack came—she dodged. Barely.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"She's not fighting…"
Mira leaned forward slightly.
"No… she's learning."
The guard attacked again—this time—Erza moved. Block. Turn. Strike. Clean. Precise.
The guard stepped back slightly. Surprised.
Zane blinked. "Okay—what just happened?"
Kael spoke quietly.
"She copied it."
The guard lunged again—Erza countered faster this time. Adaptation. Real-time.
Above—
Silence. Watching. Calculating.
"Learning speed… abnormal."
Below—
Erza stopped. Stepped back. Lowered her stance. She looked at the guard. Then—
Very calmly—
"Again."
A pause. Even the guard hesitated.
Above—
"Confirmed."
The same cold voice from before:
"She doesn't just adapt."
"She evolves."
"Enough."
The room fell still.
"You will train daily." The man's voice echoed.
"You will improve."
"You will become useful."
Zane exhaled. "I'm starting to hate that word."
Kael looked at Erza. Direct. Focused.
"You held back."
Erza met his gaze.
"So did you."
A pause. Then—a small shift. Not trust. But respect.
Mira crossed her arms. "Yeah… we're definitely not normal."
Zane nodded. "Speak for yourself. I'm extremely normal."
Noor smiled faintly. "Of course you are."
Tala looked at all of them. Then quietly—
"We survived day one."
Yuki added softly—
"Barely."
Erza looked around the room. At each of them. Different. Strong. Broken. Useful.
Her eyes lifted slightly—toward the observation glass.
She knew. They were watching.
And for the first time—she let them.