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I look toward Dax. "Two?"

He smiles. "Problem?"

"Not particularly." It is absolutely a problem.

Bell. Wolf first. Obviously. He closes distance fast. Siren hangs back. Bad combination. One controls space. One controls attention. I block the wolf. Turn. Siren catches my gaze. Pressure. Not full mind-entry. Simulated. Still enough. My balance shifts. Wolf hits my shoulder. Hard. I go down. Wonderful.

I roll before he pins me. Kick his knee. Move. Don't fight both. Separate. I circle toward the barrier. Force the wolf between me and the siren. The siren loses visual. Better. Wolf swings. I duck. Use his momentum. He hits the barrier. I don't attack. Move.

The siren changes position. Smart. I throw my smaller dagger. Not at him. At the marker beside his foot. He flinches. Half second. Enough. I take the wolf down. Blade at throat. "Dead." Dax calls. One.

Siren comes immediately. I retrieve nothing. No time. He enters close range. Bad for him. Good for me. We collide. Elbow. Block. Knee. He catches my wrist. I twist. He whispers something in siren tongue. Pressure enters my skull. I close my eyes. Can't control what I don't give access to. He hesitates. I headbutt him. Ow. Worth it. He loses grip. I sweep his legs. No blade. Fuck. I left it across the ring. Adapt. I put my forearm across his throat. "Yield." He doesn't. Pressure returns. I increase. He taps. Bell.

I stand. My forehead hurts. Cassian watches from the next station. He gives me a thumbs-up. I give him a finger. Dax writes. "You abandoned both weapons."

"I survived."

"You're learning." Asshole.

Fourth is Manifestation Control Blood Echo. Three samples. One friendly. One hostile. One unknown. Identify. Do not overextend. Do not lose environmental awareness. Easy. Except Professor Vayne walks behind me while I work. Then someone starts shouting. Then an alarm sounds. False. Then a student runs past. "Vaelith." I ignore Vayne. Blood.

First sample. Friendly. Release. Second. Hostile intent. Release. Third— strange. Weak. I follow. Too far. No. Stop. I pull out. Look around. Vayne is standing directly beside me with a wooden blade at my ribs. Fuck. "Dead." He says.

I glare. "You distracted me."

"Yes."

"That's rude."

"You're dead."

"Apparently still talking."

"Tragic." Reset. Again.

This time I keep one part of myself outside. Blood Echo. Room. Blood Echo. Sound. Blood Echo. Movement. Vayne circles. I don't follow the third sample as deeply. Unknown. Enough. I release. His wooden blade stops six inches from my side. I catch his wrist. "Not dead."

Vayne's expression is profoundly disappointed. "Unfortunately." Pass.

Fifth is Civilian Extraction Mock village. Smoke. Three civilians. One injured, one panicking, one child. No, not a real child. Small training construct. Still. I hate it. "Two minutes." Kaelis says.

"That's impossible."

"Then prioritize." There. The entire examination in one sentence.

I enter. Smoke destroys visibility. First civilian is conscious. Leg injury. "Can you move?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Then move east. Follow the rope."

"But—"

"Go." He goes. Second. Panicking. Frozen. I grab her shoulders. "Look at me." She doesn't. "Eastern exit."

"I can't—"

"You can."