The hall hadn't been repaired.
It was sealed.
Not fixed.
Metal plating covered the breach.
Temporary.
Obvious.
The damage still showed.
Students stood outside it.
Watching.
Not talking.
Noah walked past them.
Didn't slow.
Didn't look.
Ren followed.
"…they're not even hiding it."
No answer.
Elia's gaze lingered on the seal.
"They can't."
A pause.
"If they fix it too fast, people stop thinking about it."
Ren let out a short breath.
"…I'd rather stop thinking about it."
No one laughed.
The main hall was already active.
Not like before.
More controlled.
More restricted.
Instructors present at every section.
Watching.
Not training.
Managing.
The screen shifted as they entered.
Not slowly.
Immediately.
TEAM: VIRE / KAIRO / VOSSSTATUS: PRIORITY
Ren stopped.
"…since when are we priority?"
Noah didn't answer.
Because it didn't matter.
The instructor stepped forward.
Same one.
Always the same one now.
"You don't return to standard rotation."
Flat.
No buildup.
"You deploy."
A pause.
"Immediately."
Elia stepped closer.
"…deploy where?"
The instructor looked at her.
Then—
"No further containment attempts will be made in the city."
Silence.
That wasn't an answer.
It was worse.
Ren frowned.
"…what does that mean?"
The instructor didn't hesitate.
"It means the source is no longer outside."
A beat.
"It's inside."
Silence dropped hard.
Noah didn't move.
Didn't react.
Because he already knew.
The screen changed.
No flicker.
No delay.
DEPLOYMENT TARGET: BLACK SPIRE — ENTRY LEVELACCESS STATUS: GRANTED
The room didn't react immediately.
Because for a second—
no one processed it.
Then—
voices.
Low.
"…they're sending them in already?"
"…they're not ready—"
"…no one is ready."
Ren looked at Noah.
Then the screen.
"…guess we're doing this."
Noah's gaze didn't shift.
"Yes."
Not confident.
Not hesitant.
Just—
final.
Elia stepped closer to the screen.
Reading everything.
Processing.
"They're not sending teams."
A pause.
"They're sending us."
That landed.
Different.
Intentional.
The instructor didn't correct her.
Didn't explain.
Which meant—
she was right.
"You leave now," he said.
"No preparation window."
Noah turned.
Already moving.
Ren followed immediately.
"…no downtime, huh."
Elia didn't respond.
She was already walking.
The path to the Spire wasn't hidden.
It never had been.
But now—
it was open.
The academy doors parted.
Beyond them—
the city.
And past that—
The Black Spire.
Closer than before.
Larger.
Heavier.
Like it had always been waiting.
The transport didn't stop this time.
Didn't slow.
It took them straight there.
No conversation.
No instructions.
Only movement.
The closer they got—
the quieter it became.
The city faded.
Noise dropped.
Until—
there was only it.
The Spire.
No light reflected off it.
No detail held.
Just—
presence.
The vehicle stopped.
Doors opened.
No guards.
No barrier.
Just an entrance.
Wide.
Dark.
Waiting.
Noah stepped out first.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't slow.
Ren followed.
"…this is it."
Not excitement.
Not fear.
Something else.
Elia stepped out last.
Her eyes didn't leave the structure.
"…no."
A pause.
"This is just the beginning."
Silence.
The system flickered.
Not unstable.
Different.
[LOCATION: BLACK SPIRE — ENTRY LEVEL]
A pause.
[STATUS: ASCENT INITIATED]
No countdown.
No warning.
Noah stepped forward.
Into the dark.
And the world changed.