The silence didn't last long after Ira's disappearance.
Just a few moments, and then… a new door opened in the opposite wall.
But this time, it wasn't a screen speaking, but a human voice.
Footsteps… slow, confident, with a soft metallic click.
A man appeared, bearing no expression of threat or enthusiasm.
He wore a long, buttonless gray jacket, and a small device was clipped to his left wrist. His face was somewhat pale, his eyes half-lidded, but his gaze was sharp… like someone who saw beyond the skin.
He stood before them calmly. He looked at them, then spoke in a dry tone, like someone repeating something said a hundred times:
"I salute you for reaching this point.
The second phase of the test has concluded.
Now... you will move to the rest area."
No one replied. Everyone was burdened, shattered from within. Shock and exhaustion choked any words.
He continued:
"You have three hours to rest and prepare.
After the time expires… I will return personally to escort you to the final phase."
Then he gestured towards the door behind him, which opened slowly… revealing a short corridor bathed in warm, dim lighting, leading to a space unlike anything they had seen before.
A space with dark wooden walls, its floor covered with soft matting, and furnished with low leather seats, a washbasin, and lights resembling a sunset. It was like a luxurious beehive, eerily tranquil.
"Rest"...
But they knew well that the room, no matter how comfortable, couldn't erase what they had lived through. The pain was etched deep within them.
They entered one after another.
Nayan was the last… before she paused at the door for a moment, looking at the empty space where Ira had vanished.
But she said nothing. Just a long gaze, filled with nothingness.
She entered… and the door closed quietly behind them.
As for the man, he remained standing outside the room, jotting something down on his wrist device, in automatic silence, as if he had merely completed a routine task devoid of any human meaning.
🔥Hello again, heroes🔥
This is the second chapter for today, as I have accustomed you to, there are two chapters daily, so tomorrow there will be nothing, but if you want me to add an additional chapter today or tomorrow, support me in the comments and vote for the novel if you like it, as this supports me and encourages me to continue, and thank you. ♥