Chapter 2 Rejected
The white mechanical door opened.
Shawn Bracewell stepped inside. The door shut behind him with a metallic clang.
For a long moment, the hall was silent.
Then—BZZT!
Sparks of green energy flickered from beneath the door, followed by a deep hum that vibrated through the floor. Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Minutes later, the door hissed open again.
Shawn Bracewell stepped out, his breathing slightly ragged, his green hair standing on end as if struck by lightning. He adjusted the linen-wrapped object on his back and walked away without a word.
No celebration. No disappointment. Just... silence.
People whispered among themselves. Had he succeeded? Failed? What had happened inside?
Zane, however, barely spared him a glance. His focus remained on the steady stream of candidates—one after another, stepping inside and emerging with either joy, despair, or hollow acceptance.
They were all just statistics.