First Trial
Orion had never been a morning person, but today was different. Today was the first day of selection trials.
He sat at the edge of his bed, cracking his neck as he tried to push away the slight headache that had been lingering since that night outside The Haven. It wasn't anything unbearable, just annoying. Like a faint reminder of something he wasn't supposed to forget.
Across the room, Neil was already up, typing away on his holo-tab while occasionally sipping coffee from a chipped mug. He barely glanced up before tossing Orion a protein bar.
"Eat. You'll need it."
Orion caught it, unwrapping it lazily. "You sound like I'm heading into war."
Neil smirked, finally looking at him. "For all we know, you might be."
Orion huffed out a laugh but didn't argue.
By the time they stepped out onto campus, the Academy grounds were buzzing. Groups of students stood in clusters, some chatting excitedly, others pacing nervously.
Today was make-or-break for a lot of people.
---
Arrival at the Testing Grounds
The Dream Exploration candidates were led away from the main campus, toward an isolated wing of the Academy.
The proctor waiting at the entrance was a sharp-eyed woman in her late thirties, arms crossed as she studied the gathered students.
"Your test is simple," she announced. "Survive."
Murmurs rippled through the group. Orion kept his expression neutral, but his mind was already processing.
Survive?
"This will be a shared dreamspace," the proctor continued. "Once inside, your only goal is to last as long as possible. Fail, and you wake up disqualified."
There was no mention of what they'd be facing. No instructions on how to win. Just survive.
One by one, they were given sleek neural interfaces. Orion adjusted his, feeling the familiar cool weight settle around his temples.
Then the world faded.
---
Inside the Dream – The Survival Test
Orion opened his eyes to find himself standing on a platform suspended over a vast, shifting void.
A timer hovered above them: 00:15:00 → 00:14:59 → 00:14:58.
The dream had begun.
The first thing he noticed was how unstable everything felt. The platform beneath his feet trembled slightly, as if it wasn't completely solid.
Then, without warning—
The ground cracked.
One of the students near the edge misstepped and vanished. No scream. No struggle. Just instant removal.
Orion exhaled slowly. Alright. Keep calm. Stay aware.
The ground beneath them continued to shift unpredictably. In the distance, other candidates were already scrambling, some jumping across newly formed gaps, others trying to predict the pattern of the changing terrain.
Orion kept his movements calculated. Don't rush. Observe first.
At five minutes in, half the candidates were gone.
---
The Test Intensifies
As the survivors adjusted, the dream shifted again.
The floating platforms melted away, and suddenly—
They were in a burning forest.
Flames crackled around them, the heat almost too real. The trees swayed dangerously, their branches turning to ash midair. Orion ducked as a charred log collapsed beside him, sending embers flying.
The dream wasn't following any logic—it was pure chaos.
At ten minutes, only seven people remained.
Then things got worse.
The environment started glitching.
The sky flickered between night and day. The ground alternated between solid and nonexistent. One moment Orion was running on dirt, the next his foot almost sank into an endless void.
He barely caught himself. Shit.
At 00:01:30, only five remained.
And then—
Orion stepped forward, and the world shattered.
His foot went through thin air. The dream flickered violently, his vision filled with static. For a split second, he thought he could grab onto something—
But it was too late.
He woke up.
---
The silence was jarring.
No flickering sky. No burning trees. Just the plain white walls of the testing room and the proctor standing nearby, checking her tablet.
She barely glanced at him. "Top five. Not bad."
Orion blinked, still adjusting. "I lost?"
She shrugged. "The dream is unpredictable. You made it far, but not far enough."
No second chances. No redo. That was it.
Orion sat there for a moment, processing. He hadn't expected to win, but it still stung a little.
After a minute, he exhaled, rubbed his temples, and stood up. It's fine. Move on.
Walking Around the Campus
The campus at night was quiet but well-lit. The selection trials were still happening in different divisions, but Orion was already done.
He walked slowly, the cool air helping to clear his thoughts.
A few students passed by, talking about their own trials. Some were ecstatic, others looked frustrated. It was a mix of emotions, a reminder that not everyone won.
His head still ached, but it wasn't from anything mysterious. Just exhaustion.
Orion stuffed his hands in his pockets, exhaling.
Tomorrow, the results would be official.
But for now?
He just wanted to sleep.
---