The simulation arena was dead silent. The holographic projections had blinked out, leaving only the smell of scorched ozone and synthetic turf dust hanging in the stale air. James’s team of "rejects" had just dismantled the school’s top elite squad in a methodical, flawless victory that left the automated scoring system stuttering before flashing green.Marcus was left kneeling in the dirt, staring at his own empty hands."That shouldn't have been possible," Priya said, her voice sharp as she hurried toward the referee’s console, her fingers flying across the input panel. "They bypassed the telemetry protocols. Check their gear. They’re running unauthorized hardware."The referee didn't look up from his tablet. "All diagnostic scans are clear, cadet Carter's team passed pre-match inspection twice.""Then they cheated," Priya snapped, spinning around to point an accusing finger across the turf. "Nobody goes from dead last to flawles

"We train," James said, his voice flat and steady against the polished mahogany of the administrator’s desk. "Harder than they do."Deputy Director Vance narrowed his eyes, the light catching the heavy gold rings on his fingers. "Hard work is a comforting myth for people who cannot afford better technology, Carter. But we will verify every single second of your simulation data. Dismissed."James didn't wait for Priya or Vance to speak again. He turned on his heel and walked out, the heavy oak doors sealing shut behind him with a dull, echoing thud.Noah was leaning against the corridor wall, chewing nervously on a thumbnail. "Well? Did he buy it?""He doesn't have to buy it," James said, rubbing the bridge of his nose where a dull, throbbing ache had settled right behind his left eye. "He just doesn't have proof to the contrary yet.""Yet," Ethan echoed, his expression grim as he fell into step beside James. "Which means we have about twenty-

"You're swaying," Noah whispered, his shoulder pressing firmly against James's side to keep him upright as they crossed the threshold of the training shed. "Don't tell me you're fine. I can practically hear your nervous system screaming from here.""I'm fine," James lied through gritted teeth, blinking rapidly to clear the dark spots swimming in his peripheral vision. The metallic tang of blood coated the back of his throat, a grim reminder of how much biological data he had routed through his own central node during the simulation.Mia slammed the heavy metal door shut behind them, cutting off the echoing noise of the Academy corridors. "You're not fine," she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest as she rounded on him. "You haven't been fine since the arena. Every time I push my Vector Shift, you flinch. Why?"James forced a tight smile, leaning his weight against a wooden equipment crate. "It's just the feedback loop, Mia. Adjusting to the new parameters t

"Let her try," Priya stepped past the curtain, her boots clicking against the linoleum floor. "The whole administration is too busy panicking over your match metrics to care about an unlocked door."James didn't move. He kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling tile overhead, where a small water stain traced the rough outline of a cracked continent. "If you're here to lecture me about unauthorized hardware again, save your breath. Vance already searched our lockers.""I don't care about Vance," Priya said, her voice dropping an octave as she closed the distance to the edge of the cot. "And I don't care about the hardware. I watched the match logs, James. You didn't use tech. You did something else. Something the board doesn't have a classification for.""Is that why you're here?" James turned his head slowly, wincing as the movement pulled against his fractured collarbone. "To ask for a demonstration?"Priya’s jaw tightened. "I’m here because my tea

The water surged against the concrete pylon with a violent, oily hiss, sending a spray of freezing spray over James’s face. Across the flooded channel, three structural beacons glowed a harsh, mocking amber through the industrial fog."Movement in the upper gantry," Noah whispered over the open comms channel, his voice tight with strain. "Glassworks Academy squad. Two approaching from the eastern catwalk, heavy kinetic loadout. They’ve locked onto Ethan's position."James didn't hesitate. "Ethan, hold the pillar. Mia, shift left to flank them. Noah, use the water acoustics to keep their positions mapped.""I'm trying," Ethan grunted over the channel, his voice strained as the metallic screech of tearing steel echoed across the cavernous room. "The concrete is giving way—pylon’s compromised!"A deafening groan cut through the damp air. Overhead, a massive overhead crane arm, rusted and unstable from decades of salt decay, sheared of