Meanwhile, Bale sat alone in his private monitoring corner, the glow of the holographic screen washing pale light across his face. The room around him hummed softly, machines breathing, cables vibrating faintly beneath metal floors, the VR pods pulsing with residual mana. Steam curled from the cup in his hand, the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee mixing with the cold, sterile air of the control chamber.
He exhaled long and slowly.
"Viris," he murmured, lifting the bracelet slightly, "show me the final report."
A soft beep answered him.
The holographic interface bloomed open like a mechanical flower, petals of blue-white data unfolding into the air. Lines of information streamed past in neat columns until the full report finally pieced itself together before him.
Bale leaned back in his chair, the weight of exhaustion tugging at his eyelids as he read.
The report glowed.
[Virtual Reality Immersive System — FINAL TRIAL SUMMARY REPORT]
[Number 1 Recruit: Bruce Ackerman]
