A sharp, mechanical chime rang through the training facility, followed by a crisp, authoritative voice over the speakers.
"Building Simulation Exercise commencing in T-minus thirty seconds."
The room hummed with quiet anticipation as cadets adjusted their stances, some stretching, others rolling their shoulders to shake off the tension.
Astron, Asher, and Caden stepped forward toward the designated teleportation gate, a large, circular construct embedded into the ground, glowing with intricate mana runes. The air around it shimmered, charged with energy, waiting to transport them into the simulation.
"All assigned teams, prepare for deployment."
Astron didn't hesitate as he stepped onto the teleport pad, the others following close behind. The moment all three were inside the boundary, a low-frequency hum vibrated through their bones.
The world flickered.
Mana surged around them, folding space itself.
Then, in an instant—they were somewhere else.
