Kaius sat still, processing every word.
A year.
Twelve months of tests, evaluations, and an unknown number of brutal challenges.
Everything here had a purpose. He was sure of that.
Then, suddenly, he felt it.
An intense stare.
It was sharp, unwavering… like a blade pressed against his skin.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up, his instincts alerting him to the presence of someone watching him. Slowly, he turned his head.
Dahlia.
She was staring at him, her ice-blue eyes burning into his with an intensity that sent a strange sensation through him.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then, just as swiftly as he had caught her gaze, she disappeared into the crowd, slipping between the others like a ghost.
Kaius narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping against the wooden
