The corridors of the National Training Camp didn't echo footsteps. They absorbed them. That was the nature of the place, no sound remained unless it mattered. And in that silence, Pavan Raj walked alone through the inner halls of Dome 4, his grip on the flame-stitched glove case tight but calm. He hadn't come here to chase visibility. He had come to ensure his presence was never forgotten, even when the crowd moved on.
There were no celebration banners, no post-match interviews. Just data logs and shifting lights. Other candidates passed by with hurried strides, whispering strategies, analyzing their own errors. Some walked in packs, brand sponsors trailing them like shadows. Raj walked past them all, untouched and unbothered.
At the exit of the simulation bay, his system reawakened not with a mechanical beep, but with the quiet pulse of something more evolved. More refined.
⟐ SYSTEM INTERFACE: SYNC COMPLETE ⟐
▸ Simulation Trial: Completed with Elite Anchor Rating
