Theo lay awake. Sleep was a distant country his body had no interest in visiting. His limbs lay heavy and

The training bay dimmed. Frost spread across the transparent partitions, clouding the glass until the other students became silhouettes. Mateo

The dining hall calibrated its meals to biometric readings nobody at the table wanted to discuss. Behind tempered glass, chefs

The observation balcony above the training hall was not technically restricted, but it functioned that way. Students passed beneath it

Dr. Patel’s office felt the same each time Aisha entered, and that constancy mattered more than she cared to

Nobody called it a competition. Nobody needed to. The bay had reconfigured before they arrived. Shallow ridges broke up the

Julian woke knowing exactly where he was. That was new. Before Neurovia, there had always been a gap, half a

A new clarity opened in Julian’s mind, like a window thrown wide in a room he hadn’t realized

The waiting area outside the surgical suites had seats for twelve. Seven were occupied. Julian sat in the second chair

Julian’s console glowed a patient blue in the dark of his room. GUARDIAN CONSENT: PENDING If the field changed,