By now, midnight had rolled around.
Ash, however, couldn't sleep.
She'd been watching—watching the broadcast of the exam all day long. And now, she understood the appeal.
It was undeniably entertaining. Most fights ended quickly, the skill gap between participants far too wide to make them interesting.
But every now and then, two opponents of equal strength clashed—and that was a spectacle worth seeing.
The other side of the coin, however…
Slaughter was commonplace.
Most names in the top hundred owed their rank to the mass killing of weaker candidates.
That included Ash's companions as well.
They didn't actually die, of course, but the sight was still gruesome—broken bodies fading into motes of light, the forest floor painted in colors that made the audience cheer instead of gag.
Still, it gave the people of the capital a day-long parade of rare and powerful attributes to marvel at.
Now the day was over. Time to rest.
Easier said than done.
Based on what she'd seen, Ash was almost certain Vael and Kiera would be admitted.
But her own deadline was approaching. Fast.
A day and a half left before she had to make her choice—and she had barely made any progress.
Ash leaned against the cool windowsill, eyes unfocused as she stared out over the sleeping city. The streets below were empty save for the occasional lantern-lit patrol. The capital's skyline, usually so loud with color and movement, was hushed—like a predator holding its breath.
Her reflection in the glass was faint, half-swallowed by the darkness outside. She barely recognized it these days.
A day and a half.
Every tick of the clock seemed louder now, each one tugging her closer to the point of no return. She told herself she was only waiting to see how Vael and Kiera fared, that the decision would be easier with more information. But deep down, she knew that wasn't it.
It wasn't about facts. It was about courage.
The kind you either had when the moment came… or didn't.
Her fingers tightened on the windowsill. Somewhere out there, in that forest lit by moonlight and blood, her friends were fighting for their future.
And here she was, fighting herself.