Die. Respawn. Repeat.

Rhoran snarled, slamming his fist into his desk. "Someone tell me how a human is moving two layers in a single shift!"

"Seems Gheraa was telling the truth about your temper." Lhore didn't seem particularly bothered by the situation. She leaned back in her chair, observing the events on the screen in front of her with a mixture of interest and detachment. "Careful. You're starting to sound like one of our Trialgoers."

Rhoran growled, but didn't dare contradict her. "Double layer shifts are theoretical," he said instead, getting up and pacing around his desk. "They shouldn't be possible. You need the second layer to get the third. Otherwise the shift rejects you."

"Then he'll just die, won't he?" Lhore shrugged. "That's hardly a problem."

"I don't want him to die." Rhoran glared up at the screen. "He needs to suffer."

"Sadism is not one of your more endearing traits," Lhore noted.

"It's not sadism." Rhoran narrowed his eyes at the screen. A small part of him found some satisfaction in the way Ethan was struggling, but a much larger part of him hated that the human had even been able to pull this off. How many years had it taken him just to get to his third layer? "I don't enjoy his suffering. I just think he deserves it."

"You seemed to quite enjoy his reaction to your raid."

"Gheraa ruined it." Rhoran scowled. "I can't believe he managed to get a skill to Ethan under yourwa—"