The announcement did not come as a summons.
It appeared as a structural update to upper-tier coursework: Integrated Field Simulation — External Perimeter, 72-Hour Window, Mixed Command Authority. Attendance mandatory for selected candidates.
Dreyden read the header twice.
External perimeter meant outside the sealed tactical chambers. Not the open city. Not true exposure. But close enough to the boundary that the illusion of isolation thinned.
Lucas noticed the slight change in his expression.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Field simulation," Dreyden replied. "Mixed command."
Lucas's mouth curved faintly. "So they're not separating us."
"No. They're formalizing without calling it that."
Lucas straightened from his seat. "Command rotation?"
"Likely."
Lucas rolled his shoulders once, testing the quiet weight inside his chest. It settled without protest.
"When?" he asked.
"Tomorrow."
