The dean locked the datapad and slid it aside, the soft click of its edge on the desk sounding final."Good. Then we move forward. I'll adjust the parameters—make it harder for anyone to slip something into the field without revealing themselves—but the rest stays.
The students won't hear more than the standard briefing. No sense making them flinch at shadows before the test even starts."
Ardis gave a small, deliberate nod. "I'll be ready."
The dean leaned back in her chair again, some of the weight in her gaze easing, though only by degrees. "We'll see if they will be."
The words hung between them, carrying more than just the obvious meaning.
Whatever else they said after that softened enough that it seemed meant only for the air in the room.
The low hum of the layered shielding stayed constant, almost like it was listening in, holding their voices inside the space and refusing to let them escape.
