Aria started the two-minute clock as Hajin and his one-Ring duplicate faced the observation bench under the silo grates.
Juna watched the original's breathing as closely as the duplicate's stance, since the two forms shared one reserve.
Two identical young men stood side by side in the center of the ring, wearing matching dark tunics and plain gray trousers.
The two figures breathed in identical quiet unison, facing the observation bench with calm composure while five bronze rings rotated overhead.
"Two minutes on the clock," Aria announced, her fingers gripping the brass stopwatch with professional precision.
"Remember the primary parameters of the trial: maintain full manifestation without verbal interference from either vessel!"
The duplicate did not merely stand like a rigid dummy awaiting orders in the cool underground air.
It glanced down at a tangled measuring cord near the chalk line, bent smoothly, and straightened the fiber without being asked.
