Veil of the forsaken.

"Vady."

The trial room had emptied out, the final echoes of clanging metal and controlled explosions still reverberating in the corners as the recruits made their way out, some still panting, others visibly shaken. The blonde girl, along with the others, slowly filtered through the exit, their faces a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

The air outside felt different—cooler, less charged with the intensity of the trials. The once oppressive, thick atmosphere of the test space was replaced by the calm quiet of the aftermath. But for some, it was still a struggle to settle their nerves.

Among the first to emerge were Veil, Lady, Arlos, and Sei-do. Their movements were deliberate, precise—an almost effortless grace to each step, despite the grueling challenges they had just faced. Each of them had navigated the trial with an unshakable resolve, as though it were second nature, even as the others staggered out, still trying to catch their breath.

Veil's eyes were sharp, scanning the area with practiced attention, though there was a certain weariness around her. Her hair, short and messy from the exertion, fell slightly over her eyes, and the faintest glint of sweat traced her sharp features. She wiped her hands against her sides, the familiar weight of her gauntlets a comforting reminder of the tools that always saw her through. There was a quiet satisfaction in her expression, but it was tempered with a sense of quiet anticipation—as if she knew this was only the beginning of something larger.

Lady followed shortly behind, her demeanor calm as ever. Despite the physical toll, she was the picture of collected elegance. Her ice-blue eyes swept over the other recruits, noting those still struggling, but she didn't linger too long. Her raspberry-red hair, though tousled from the trial, still carried an undeniable grace. She offered no visible signs of fatigue, her strength always rooted in her ability to remain composed, both physically and mentally. If there was an edge of concern beneath her calm exterior, it remained hidden—tucked away with the unspoken fears she carried inside.

Arlos moved beside her, his presence a striking contrast to the tense atmosphere. His usual warm smile was nowhere to be found, but the relaxed ease in his posture suggested he hadn't been phased by the trial at all. His dark skin gleamed slightly with sweat, but his purplish-blue eyes were sharp and focused, the calm of a man who had seen worse. His movements were fluid, almost graceful, as if the trial had been a simple training exercise. He made eye contact with the blonde girl as she walked out, offering a small, reassuring nod—acknowledging her, even if the challenge ahead was far from over.

Sei-do trailed behind them, her small but fierce frame still exuding a quiet confidence. Her pixie-black hair, though slightly disheveled, framed her face, and her blood-red eyes gleamed with an intensity that made her seem untouchable. Unlike the others, she wasn't one to speak much about her feelings, but the way she carried herself said everything. Every trial, every test, was a step toward something more—a challenge to prove that she was unshakable. She didn't smile, but her eyes scanned the other recruits carefully, a trace of approval in the way she assessed them. She wasn't just a participant in these trials—she was an observer, silently measuring everyone's worth.

The group found their way to a quiet corner near the exit, the others still filtering out slowly. Lady turned toward the others, her voice steady and cool, a sharp contrast to the buzzing tension in the room.

"Finished with ease," she said simply, the words not carrying a boastful edge, just a matter-of-fact tone. "We've done our part, now we wait."

Veil gave a small, barely noticeable nod, her gaze flickering briefly to the recruits who were still catching their breath. Her lips parted, ready to speak, but she didn't—she let the silence stretch between them.

Arlos stretched his arms, a little more relaxed than the others. "It wasn't much of a challenge. I thought they would push us harder," he said, his voice a little louder than necessary, carrying a hint of amusement.

Sei-do didn't respond, her blood-red gaze still on the recruits, but her expression was unreadable.

As the last of the recruits staggered out of the trial room, a man in a dark uniform approached, clipboard in hand. The blonde girl stood quietly, watching the exchange from a distance, unsure of the significance of the moment, but feeling the weight of what had just transpired settling in her chest.

Lady turned her attention back to the others. "It's only a matter of time now. We wait until the results are in," she said, almost too calm for the circumstances. The future was still uncertain, but for now, they had done what was needed.

The hum of quiet conversations filled the space around them, but Lady's focus remained on the blonde girl. The others had already scattered, some heading toward the lockers or the debriefing room, but Lady remained. She hadn't yet made a move to leave.

As the blonde girl lingered near the walls, her shoulders tense from the weight of everything she'd just endured, Lady walked over and sat beside her, her posture as poised as ever, her ice-blue eyes calm but searching. For a moment, they both sat in silence, the faintest echo of the trial still lingering in the air.

The blonde girl, still catching her breath, looked over at Lady. She couldn't help but notice the ease with which Lady sat there, as if the trials had been no more than a passing thought. Her hair, though slightly disheveled from the physical exertion, still held an undeniable grace. There was a calm in her presence, a quiet authority. She was beautiful in a way that made it hard to look away.

Lady stayed for a moment, her hands resting calmly in her lap, her gaze flickering briefly to the others who were beginning to filter out of the area. Then, without turning to her, Lady spoke.

"You've done well," she said, her voice smooth, almost imperceptible. It wasn't a compliment—just a statement, one that carried weight, as though she had seen more than just the girl's performance in the trial.

The blonde girl didn't know how to respond, so she simply nodded, the words feeling too heavy to voice.

Another pause stretched between them, and for a moment, Lady let the silence settle. She wasn't one for many words, and yet, the girl could sense she was waiting for something.

"May I have your name?" Lady finally asked, her voice as quiet as a whisper. There was no pressure behind it—just a simple question, an inquiry that didn't need an answer, yet there was a strange weight in how it was asked.

The blonde girl looked over at Lady, surprised by the directness of the question. For a moment, she wondered why she cared, why this woman—who seemed to have everything together, everything perfectly in place—was asking. But maybe it wasn't about her name at all. Maybe it was just about knowing who she was in this moment. The girl took a deep breath and decided..

She didn't answer.

Lady's expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—curiosity, perhaps, or understanding. It didn't matter. She didn't press. She simply nodded, as though she had heard more than the words themselves. There was something about her quiet demeanor that made the girl feel... not judged, but seen in a way that no one else had.

"Very well," Lady replied softly, standing up with graceful ease. "Perhaps we'll find out soon enough."

With that, she turned, her silhouette a calm and collected presence against the backdrop of the trial room. There was no fanfare, no promise of anything in particular. Just a quiet acknowledgment of the girl's presence, of her persistence.

The blonde girl sat there for a long moment, her mind still swirling with the intensity of the trial, Lady's presence lingering even after she had left. The weight of the woman's gaze, the words that weren't said, left an imprint on her mind.

End of part.