Trust was an ugly word.
Too soft for how often it killed people.
The chamber waited beneath the carved command, silent except for the low hum of roots moving inside stone. Five pressure plates circled the pedestal. Five students stood around them. One objective marker floated above the center like bait pretending to be a prize.
PROVE THE VILLAIN CAN BE TRUSTED.
The words remained on the wall in black script, fresh and wet-looking.
Aiden read them twice. His expression changed after the second reading.
Not fear.
Concern.
That cut deeper.
Concern tried to reach places fear avoided.
Liora pointed her blade at the wall. "Is the scenario insulting you specifically?"
"Yes."
Niko's voice cracked. "Can it do that?"
"No," I said.
Elara looked at the roots. "But it is."
Accurate. Unhelpful.
The Ledger flickered like a blade catching light behind my eye with a faint delay, as if even the system disliked the room.
[Low-Grade Correction Event Prototype]
