Even after the rest began to steady their breathing, grounding themselves in the knowledge that it had been a trial, the woman could not stop. Her shrieks cut the silence like knives, high-pitched and raw, her nails raking bloody furrows down her arms. The sound set every recruit on edge, their masks turning toward her in uneasy glances. Some looked away, unable to stomach the sight. Others clenched their hands, as if fighting the urge to silence her themselves.
Then—her voice broke off.
Not from exhaustion. But as if cut from outside.
Her body froze mid-motion, mouth still open in a soundless scream, eyes glassed over. The sudden quiet was suffocating. Dozens of masked heads turned forward in unison, toward the figure standing at the front.
