Ahead of them, the final veils sat across the horizon like they owned the place.
Each one was different. Each one hit the senses from a distance, colors moving slowly and strangely across their surfaces, pressure rolling off them in waves that made it very clear these weren't just doors into the next stage. These were something closer to a verdict.
Almond didn't rush. No reason to.
"Final round," Natalia said, already rolling her shoulders out, looking over the options like she was browsing a menu. "Now this looks interesting."
"Interesting," Ainen repeated, scanning the veil line. "Sure. That's one word for it."
Clovelle was quiet for a second, the kind of quiet that meant she was already three steps ahead. "The Pulse distortion is significantly denser here. This isn't just another combat stage. The system's doing something more layered."
Lily wasn't looking at the veils.
She was looking at the other participants.
