Smoke and heat filled the lower half of the Sector 3 simulation zone.
Metal walls shifted. Flame vents burst from the sides. Sparks danced in the air.
Several hero teams were still pushing through Stage One.
A red-haired boy ducked under a collapsing pipe and rolled into cover.
"That door opened five minutes ago," he said, panting.
His teammate, a tall girl with glowing boots, landed beside him.
"Yeah. Two of them cleared the whole stage like it was nothing."
A third hero dropped down from a ledge and joined them.
He was lean, fast, with short black hair and a glowing visor.
"They weren't even sweating."
The girl clicked her tongue.
"Who are they? I didn't see them in any pre-stage evaluations."
"Kael Seryon and Syrel Vantayne," the visor guy said.
"New names. No records. No affiliations. They just… showed up."
The red-haired boy frowned.
"They're not just new. They're too good."
"That girl—Whisperlash? She made Phase Two look like a warm-up."
