Memories of the Hall of Reverse Summoning caused it to be the kind of place that made Altair want to turn around and leave.
Finn stood next to him, arms crossed.
And a few feet away, Ryka and Svenja had positioned themselves close.
"You ready?" Ryka asked.
Altair shrugged. "As ready as I'll ever be."
The noise in the hall lowered as Instructor Scathach walked in.
"Good morning," she said, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Welcome to Phase Two of your final examination."
She gestured broadly at the reversed seals covering the walls.
"In a moment, all of you will be reverse summoned to a secure location known as Area 99."
A few students shifted uncomfortably.
"Area 99 is one of the Academy's most heavily guarded zones," Scathach continued. "The base topography can be reconfigured as needed. For this examination, it has been set as a dense forest environment."
She paused, letting that sink in.
