The automatic doors of the Warden Branch Headquarters in Arvale District slid open with a soft hiss. The moment Zeydan stepped inside, the grandeur of the place made him stop in his tracks.
The main hall stretched wide, its dark-gray marble floor gleaming under the lights, while the walls were lined with massive monitors displaying maps of Santara: frozen biomes, deserts, dense jungles, even a blazing red inferno. Warden agents hurried past in different uniforms—some in black tactical suits with eagle emblems, others in white coats like medics, and some wearing headsets, speaking rapidly in coded language.
"Whoa… this is more like an international airport mixed with a military base…" Zeydan muttered, his mouth slightly agape.
(My eyes don't even know where to look first. Brother Ivan… is this really the kind of place you work in every day?)
Rainer, walking beside him, glanced over. "Close your mouth. If you keep gaping like that, they'll mistake you for a lost rookie."
"Heh, well, I am a rookie," Zeydan replied with a forced grin, though his nerves were obvious.
Rainer snorted softly. "Thin line between a rookie and a tourist."
Several agents passing by cast quick glances at Zeydan. Some whispered to each other, others ignored him. The weight of those stares made Zeydan scratch the back of his neck uncomfortably.
(Great… this is just the lobby and it already feels like national hazing day.)
They passed a large reception desk with the Warden insignia emblazoned proudly on the wall behind it. A female officer typed furiously on her keyboard, barely lifting her head as Rainer strode past.
"This way," Rainer said, patting Zeydan's shoulder before leading him down the right corridor.
The hallway was quieter, lined with reinforced steel doors, some marked with labels: Medical Bay, Briefing Room, Simulation Chamber. A faint mechanical hum resonated in the distance, like the steady heartbeat of a giant.
At last they reached a room with a digital sign: Registration & Assignment Office.
The sliding doors opened, revealing a hall filled with long desks, computers, and nervous new recruits waiting in line. Some faces were tense, others a little too confident.
Zeydan swallowed hard. "So… this is it?"
"Yes," Rainer answered flatly. "You'll be registered, given basic tests, and judged whether you're fit for training. Fail, and you go home. Don't cry about it."
"Wow, thanks for the pep talk…" Zeydan muttered with a crooked grin.
Suddenly, someone stood up from the waiting chairs. A girl with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair, still in her school uniform—gray skirt, navy blazer. Her sharp green eyes locked onto Zeydan.
Zeydan froze. "…Mireya?"
Mireya Solstice raised an eyebrow. "Zeydan? Don't tell me you're also… applying to the Wardens?"
Zeydan stammered, his face caught between shock and panic.
(Why… why is she here too?!)
Rainer simply glanced at the two teenagers and sighed. "…Looks like today's going to be noisier than usual."
Mireya folded her arms, eyeing Zeydan up and down with a smug expression, though a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"I thought you only knew how to skip class and nap on the school rooftop. Turns out you actually had the guts to sign up here."
Zeydan raised his hands halfway in protest. "Hey, don't spread lies like that. I wasn't skipping—I was just… efficiently using my break time."
Mireya tilted her head slightly, blinking slowly. "Efficient? Hm. Another word for lazy, right?"
Zeydan quickly looked away, pretending to study the flickering registration board.
(Ugh, she always knows exactly what to say to crush my defenses.)
"Enough," Rainer cut in, his tone heavy. "This is a registration office, not your classroom."
Mireya clamped her mouth shut, flashing a quick smile, while Zeydan just shrugged helplessly. Together, they moved to the registration desk.
A short-haired woman with a headset glanced up briefly. "Name, age, school."
Zeydan blinked nervously. "Zeydan Arvane. Sixteen. From Arvale Central Academy."
"Mireya Solstice. Sixteen as well. Same school as him," Mireya added firmly.
The officer typed swiftly, then scanned their faces with a small device. A holographic display lit up with their data: names, ages, school records, behavioral notes.
"Arvale Central, huh?" she murmured. "That school usually sends students for academic programs, not the Wardens." She cast a sidelong glance at Rainer, as if silently asking why two high-schoolers were here.
Rainer just stared back without answering.
After completing the digital signatures, the officer handed them two thin metal wristbands. "Wear these. Temporary IDs. Every action you take inside headquarters will be logged."
Zeydan slipped it onto his left wrist. It felt cold and slightly heavy.
(Like being shackled with premium handcuffs. These rules are intense.)
Mireya strapped hers on without hesitation, tapping it twice to test the sensors. "Come on, Zeydan. Don't make me wait."
"Geez, give me a sec," Zeydan grumbled, raising his arm to show the wristband.
They walked back toward the door, where Rainer stood with arms crossed. His sharp gaze made both of them straighten instinctively.
"Done registering?" he asked curtly.
"Yes, sir," Mireya answered quickly.
"Good. Then it's time for the first stage." Rainer signaled to a muscular agent nearby, who immediately approached, his face unreadable.
Zeydan blinked in confusion. "First stage? What kind of test?"
Rainer stepped closer, locking eyes with him. "A survival test. You two will enter the simulation world. Your task is simple: stay alive for five minutes."
"Five minutes?!" Zeydan almost shouted. "That's not simple! That's like being the first victim in a horror movie!"
Mireya smirked, glancing at him. "If five minutes is enough to scare you, maybe this place really isn't for you."
Zeydan pouted.
(Why does she always get the last word, and it always stings?)
Ignoring them, Rainer's voice rumbled through.
"If you can't last five minutes in simulation, don't expect to last a single second in Santara's reality."
The steel doors groaned open, revealing a vast chamber that looked nothing like a building interior. Zeydan gulped as he stepped inside.
A violet-blue artificial sky stretched overhead, clouds hanging thick. Mossy earth spread beneath their boots, towering trees with tangled roots all around. The air was damp, filled with the sharp scent of wet soil. Strange insect noises echoed from afar.
"…Astrea," Zeydan whispered, eyes widening. He reached into his bag, brushing against Ivan's notebook.
(Exactly… just like my brother wrote in his journal. A humid forest with drifting mist, soil marked by broken stumps. This is… Astrea, a level-1 hazardous biome in Santara.)
An armored agent approached with equipment. "Light-caliber pistol, synthetic steel shortsword, composite shield, and standard Warden body armor."
Mireya accepted her gear silently, strapping the black armor with practiced ease. Zeydan fumbled, straps tangled, nearly dropping his shield before adjusting it.
"Man, this thing's a pain. Armor's as heavy as lugging around a fridge," he complained.
Mireya smirked. "If a fridge keeps you alive, then carry it."
Zeydan muttered under his breath.
(This girl always has the perfect comeback.)
From behind the observation glass, Rainer's voice crackled through their helmets.
"Zeydan, Mireya. Remember: your goal is only to last five minutes. Don't be reckless. If your vitals drop too low, the system will shut down the simulation."
"Yes, sir," Mireya replied instantly.
"Uh, y-yeah… ready, ready," Zeydan stammered.
A countdown echoed.
"Three… two… one—"
Mist thickened, shrouding the biome. Zeydan and Mireya walked cautiously among the giant trees. Every snap of twigs and whisper of wind made their skin prickle.
Zeydan gripped his pistol tightly.
"Focus. Don't daydream," Mireya's voice cut in.
"Oh—yeah, right."
They moved deeper. Suddenly, low growls rumbled from the fog. One by one, glowing red eyes lit up.
"Monsters?" Zeydan whispered.
Mireya raised her sword. "Looks like more than one."
From the underbrush, hulking wolf-like beasts emerged, spines bristling across their backs, drool dripping from jagged fangs. Two in front, three behind.
"Seriously?! Five minutes, and they throw a whole hellhound pack at us?" Zeydan muttered, cold sweat running down his temple.
Battle broke out. Mireya lunged, blocking claws with her shield before stabbing into a wolf's gut, black blood spraying. Zeydan, though nervous, fired twice—both shots striking another beast's head.
"Got it!" he shouted proudly.
"Don't show off, there are still three left!" Mireya snapped.
Just as they braced for the next attack, static buzzed in their comms.
"—Zeydan! Mireya! Hold on!—" Rainer's voice crackled, then vanished completely.
"Huh? Comm's dead?" Zeydan tapped frantically at his helmet.
"Interference, most likely," Mireya replied, though her tone was tight.
Suddenly, the fog grew even thicker. The growls of the beasts vanished, swallowed by silence. The eerie stillness pressed down on them.
Then—footsteps. Slow, deliberate.
From the mist emerged a woman.
Her skin was metallic gray, gleaming faintly under the simulation light. She wore an elegant black-and-white coat, stark against the long katana gripped in her right hand. Her left eye was dark, but her right burned crimson, glowing like a mechanical lens.
She stopped a few meters away, staring at them without expression.
Her voice was soft, yet chilling.
"…Forgive me."
Zeydan stiffened, cold sweat dripping down his cheek.
(Who… who is she? Why is someone like this in the simulation? Is this part of the test… or something else entirely?)