Tobias' POV
The car eased to a stop just outside the gates.
Anderson didn't say much. He never did when it really mattered.
But this time, it almost felt like he wanted to.
"You know what to do. I'll drop your clothes off," he muttered, eyes fixed on the campus ahead. A slow breath. "Good luck."
I stepped out in front of the gates of Aegis academy, the towering structure of glass and steel rising before me like a modern citadel against the backdrop of a cold, snowy horizon. The academy sprawled across Albano hill, it's sleek buildings cutting through the frosty landscape.
Winter had turned the world around me into a quiet expanse of white, the snow reflecting the pale, almost nonexistent light of the early morning sun. I've always hated the cold but there was something about today's snow that was calming.
It was a far cry from the bustling, neon-lit streets of Kantō haven—a place that felt distant in both geography and memory.
As I passed through the gates, I felt it—something shifted in the air. Cleaner. Sharper. Controlled.
The plaza beyond was already buzzing. Dozens of applicants stood around in clusters, pretending not to size each other up. Some were pacing. Others were trying to look relaxed and failing at it.
I didn't slow down.
Then someone slammed into my shoulder.
Deliberate. Heavy.
I stopped. Turned.
The guy was built like a wall with legs—tall, broad, full of energy that needed a target. He looked at me like he expected something to happen.
"You," he said.
I blinked.
He took a step closer, expression tightening. "You serious? You don't remember me?"
I stared at him. Blank. "Should I?"
He squinted. "You were there. You—" His voice trailed off, frustration rising in place of clarity.
"Doesn't ring a bell"
His jaw tightened. "You trying to be funny?"
"No," I said. "That would require effort."
He took a step in, fists balling.
And that's when a voice sliced through the tension like a blade.
"Enough."
Everyone turned.
A woman approached—white uniform, red accents, mirrored smart-lenses over her eyes. Her boots made no sound. Her presence made too much.
"If you feel the urge to fight before the exam begins," she said coolly, "please step forward and disqualify yourself."
Silence.
The guy backed off, muttering something under his breath.
My wristband pinged.
APPLICANT 007 – GROUP 1 – SIM POD BAY A
I glanced at his.
Same group.
Of course.
I moved toward the corridor without looking back. The arrows on the walls pulsed gently beneath my feet, guiding us through a curved hallway into a room bathed in blue light.
Sim Pod Bay A.
Thirty-five immersion pods stood in a ring—sleek, black, softly lit from within. Steam hissed from coolant vents. It was clean, quiet, and cold.
Others were already there. I didn't pay them much attention—until one of them walked in, Applicant 001.
She didn't just move through the room. She cut through it.
Tall, straight-backed, long black hair. Eyes like sharpened rubies. No hesitation. No fear. She looked at nothing and no one—like we were all already behind her.
She didn't say a word.
But everyone gave her space.
I watched her for a half-second too long, then turned away.
A projector at the center of the bay lit up, displaying a 3D map—hovering and rotating slowly.
Paris, the 7th arrondissement. A detailed layout: narrow streets, monuments, courtyards, marked civilian zones.
The voice returned—neutral, sterile.
"Phase One: Urban Crisis Simulation."
"Location: 7th arrondissement, Paris. Threat level: C."
"Objectives:
Civilian Rescue. City Evacuation. Defend key zones."
"You have 30 minutes."
No more details. Just the timer, the pressure.
"Neural sync initializing. Please enter your pods."
I moved to Pod 007.
It was already open, softly glowing inside.
I stood there a beat too long.
The opening was narrow. The fit—perfect, too perfect. No wiggle room. No escape. My fingers flexed once at my side.
I slid in.
The lining was cool. The shape locked around my shoulders. My breathing stayed steady—but slower, focused.
The hatch sealed shut with a hiss, blocking out the light.
And the space got smaller.
Just a machine, just thirty minutes.
Neural sync established.
Simulation loading…
I let out a slow breath. Not relief. Just control.
—
The world exploded into light.
Cracked streets and burning buildings first came into view and smoke and sirens filled the air.
A HUD flickered to life in the corner of my vision.
Time Remaining: 29:59
Merit points: 0
I stood in the middle of a narrow boulevard. Cars overturned. Storefronts shattered. Far off, a child screamed.
Footsteps behind me. The others were spawning in. Dressed in that all too familiar Sentinel combat suit.
No one spoke yet. Everyone just scanning the space, trying to understand what we'd been thrown into.
Then the sound came.
A screech.
Low, twisted, Inhuman.
Then another, then dozens.
I turned my head.
Far down the street—massive shapes surged around the corner, snarling and shrieking. Foam laces tusks. Hulking with twisted muscle and armor-like hide.
Boars, mutated, rapid, fast.
The system voice cut in again, cold, empty.
"Begin."
"Survive."