The air on selection day didn't carry the warmth of anticipation. It was heavy, dense, charged with the kind of silence that meant something important was about to happen—and not everyone would survive it. Pavan Raj stood in the open courtyard outside Dome Central, watching the sunlight trace long lines across the concrete. Candidates moved around him in tight groups, adjusting pads, pacing in silence, stretching like boxers before a title bout.
But Raj didn't move. He didn't need to warm up his body. His mind had been in the match since before sunrise.
Inside his glove case, the stitched threads of Silent Flame v1.0 pulsed softly, waiting for him to wear them like memory itself. His fingers flexed once at his side, not out of habit but readiness. This wasn't just a match. This was his match.
→ ⟐ SYSTEM SYNC STATUS: LIVE ⟐
▸ Event: National Selection Match – Open Visibility Tier
▸ Squad: Alpha vs. Gravex Trial Eleven
▸ Player Tag: Pavan Raj (Silent Thread – Public Label)
