Raj hadn't said a word since returning from the temporary leadership trial, yet every pair of eyes in the Flame Zone campus followed him with a new kind of weight. Not curiosity. Not rivalry. Something else. Like they had finally realized what kind of silence walked beside him.
The dome lights flickered in quiet rhythms as he moved through the corridor, his steps echoing with the calm precision of someone who didn't need to prove his flame anymore. But the system wasn't finished testing him—because this wasn't just about his squad anymore. It was about the shape his presence left behind in others.
At exactly 9:00 a.m., a notification bloomed across his interface.
⟐ SYSTEM NOTICE ⟐
▸ Category: External Influence Event
▸ Subject: RC-042 (Raj)
▸ Trigger: Cross-Squad Flame Drift Detected
▸ Description: Members of rival squads have begun adopting thread behavior from your trials, posture discipline, and match rhythm cues
