In a vast chamber, dozens of monitor screens glowed, each showing fragments of the Trial. Every prospective student, whether fighting alone or with companions was under scrutiny.
Instructors leaned forward in their seats, taking notes, marking names. Potential mattered here, and talent was currency.
Alice sat among them, her gaze sharp and unreadable. Though her siblings' signals were scattered across the monitors, she showed no outward worry. She knew their strength better than anyone. Instead, her eyes roved across the room itself, scanning not the screens but the faces of the instructors, searching for even a flicker of unusual intent.
So far, nothing.
Then, one of the central monitors pulsed, flashing red before expanding to dominate the wall.
"…One prospective student has engaged a Level 3 beast," reported the operator, adjusting the view.
The room stirred. Murmurs rose.
