Chapter 17: A Knife in the Mirror
Most cadets came out shaken.
Some cried. Some laughed. Some stood blank-eyed in the hallway for twenty minutes afterward.
The Hall of Mirrors wasn't literal — not made of glass — but the name stuck. A high-tier psychological simulator laced with neural feedback triggers and predictive AI. Built to test a cadet's mental and emotional resilience.
Every first-year had to go through it.
Alone.
Rook stood outside the chamber door, reading the regulation note on the wall.
Hero Aptitude Cognitive Loop v4.3 — H.A.C.L.All scans are confidential. AI logs are sealed. Trainees will not receive transcripts.
Lies.
Every file went somewhere.And Hernan knew exactly where.
"Rook Vale," the tech said from behind the glass. "You ready?"
"Yes."