The rain was relentless.
Kai's car rolled to a halt near the great iron gates,
her heartbeat racing in rhythm with the storm.
Beside her, Teanguan sat calm and unshaken,
his composure that of a man who had already set aside every distraction.
For him, from this moment onward,
there was only one thing that mattered...
their mission.
The downpour blurred everything in sight,
the guards struggling to see through the sheets of rain.
They handed over a map,
then pointed wordlessly toward the parking grounds.
After some effort, Kai managed to park the car.
Both of them stepped out,
immediately drenched,
the cold rain biting against their skin.
Still, they followed the markings on the map,
their footsteps splashing against the flooded stone path,
until they reached the Head Court.
The process was the same here....
questions asked,
answers given.
Kai repeated the same story her father had instructed her to tell:
they were here to study,
and they were willing to pay the full fee,
whatever it might be.
But the officials only shook their heads.
"No matter rich or poor,
we do not accept fees.
Only those who pass the examination will be admitted."
And with that, they were dismissed.
Until their evaluation was complete,
they would remain in the Waiting House.
No further questions were entertained.
It was here....
that fate revealed its hand.
Kai was assigned to Room 511,
a room that happened to stand right beside Wee's.
They did not yet know one another,
but fate had been watching,
smiling silently,
pulling strings unseen.
Teanguan, on the other hand,
was given Room 205,
a floor below.
He didn't mind...
his heart was far too steady to be shaken by something so trivial.