They were not taken out of the facility immediately.
After the gate closed and the simulation officially ended,Team 07 was taken to a medical observation room, a sterile space with clean white walls, blindingly bright lights, and rows of scanning machines in the corners.
Instructor Yashida stood by the door,observing them one by one with an unreadable expression.
"You will undergo a standard medical examination,"he said in a flat tone. "Mandatory procedure after simulation. To ensure no harmful spore exposure remains in your bodies."
Rin felt her chest tighten at the word'medical examination'.
She glanced at her hand,still hidden in her jacket pocket. The green pattern wasn't just on her palm anymore. It had now spread to her wrist and part of her forearm, like a network of roots creeping under her skin.
If they examine my hand, it will all be over.
Mei stood beside her,her face still calm, but her eyes flickered briefly towards Rin's hand, then to the security camera in the corner of the room.
As if she was calculating something.
"You will be called one by one,"Yashida continued. "Starting with the most injured."
Shun immediately raised his hand anxiously."I-I... I got a small scratch on my arm..."
Yashida nodded."You first. Follow the medic."
A medic in white entered,carrying a tablet and a small scanner. Shun followed with unsteady steps, glancing back with a pleading look, but no one could do anything.
The door closed.
The room fell silent again.
Jian sat on a metal bench in the corner,cleaning his machete with a cloth, even though it was already clean. His movements were mechanical, as if he needed something to distract his mind. But he occasionally glanced at Rin, a sharp, suspicious gaze.
Kai sat huddled next to Akira,her face still pale. She hadn't spoken since leaving the simulation, just staring blankly at the floor. Her hands trembled occasionally, as if she was trying to suppress something.
Akira sat with his back against the wall.His breathing was steady, but his eyes kept darting towards Rin, as if there was a big question he wanted to ask but didn't dare.
And Rin stood in the corner,looking out a thick glass window displaying a view of the distant Yellow Zone.
The green mist still moved slowly,like a living creature waiting.
"You are beginning to synchronize."
Mei's words still echoed in her head.
Synchronization.
Every time I use that ability, I get closer to them.
And further from myself.
Fifteen minutes later, Shun came out of the examination room.
He looked relieved,but still tired. He sat next to Kai without speaking.
"Hayato Shun,passes examination. No harmful contamination," the medic said while noting on his tablet. "Next, Kaiyu Rin."
Kai flinched,then slowly stood up. She glanced at Rin briefly, an unreadable look, then followed the medic into the examination room.
The door closed again.
Yashida stood in front of the door,observing them with a sharp gaze, like a hawk watching prey.
"You all fought well,"he said suddenly. "But there's one strange thing."
Everyone looked at Yashida.
"Team 07 is the only team this year that successfully stopped a Rootbound Titan in the simulation."He paused, letting the words sink in. "Even teams from elite military families failed. They were all forcibly evacuated after three members were severely injured. But you, a group of kids from Sector-7, Sector-4, and one Tianlu survivor, not only survived. You made the Titan retreat."
Jian smiled cynically,but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "We were just lucky."
"Not luck,"Yashida replied sharply. "We have complete recordings. We know how you moved. How you made decisions." He looked directly at Rin. "And we know who made the most critical decision."
Rin felt her chest tighten.
Yashida stepped closer,standing right in front of Rin.
"Asakura Rin,"he said softly, but with a very serious tone. "You were the one who decided not to fight the Titan. You were the one who stopped it in a way unexplained by standard protocol."
Rin did not answer.
"How did you do that?"Yashida asked.
Rin swallowed."I... don't know."
"Don't lie,"Yashida said coldly. "You released something from your hand. We saw it in the recording. Something that shouldn't exist in a human body."
Silence.
Akira spoke up,his voice slightly trembling. "Instructor, Rin was only trying to save us. Whatever she did, it was because she had no other choice."
Yashida looked at Akira briefly,then back at Rin.
"Choice?"He smiled thinly, not a friendly smile. "Or a capability that has been hidden all this time?"
Rin tensed.
Before she could answer,the examination room door opened.
Kai came out,but her face was different. Pale. Her eyes wide, as if she had just seen something terrifying.
The medic behind her whispered something to Yashida.
Yashida nodded slowly,then looked at Kai sharply.
"Kaiyu Rin,"he said softly. "You will be observed further. There is a minor anomaly in your scan results."
Kai tensed."A-anomaly? What does that mean?!"
"Not dangerous,"Yashida answered quickly, too quickly. "Just standard protocol. You will be transferred to the observation facility in Sector-2 for further examination."
"For how long?!"Kai asked, panicked.
"Two days.Maybe three."
Kai looked at the team with a pleading gaze,but no one could do anything.
Two officers entered,escorting Kai out of the room.
Kai managed a glance back.Her gaze met Rin's, then the door closed.
She was gone.
The atmosphere changed.
No one spoke.
Jian stopped his movements,staring at the door with a dark gaze.
Akira clenched his fists,his jaw tight.
Shun could only stare blankly,as if losing hope.
And Rin felt something cold creep up her spine.
They know.
The Dome Council knows something is wrong with them.
And they are starting to separate them.
"Next," Yashida said while looking at the tablet in his hand. "Jian Feng."
Jian stood up slowly.He looked at Yashida sharply, but said nothing. He entered the examination room without protest.
The door closed.
Rin felt the pattern on her hand moving faster,as if responding to the tension in the room.
Mei stood in the corner,arms crossed. Her face remained calm, but her eyes were carefully observing every corner of the room.
Then she whispered,softly enough that only Rin could hear.
"Don't show your hand."
Rin glanced quickly at Mei.
Mei continued without looking at Rin."I know what's on your hand. And they will know too if you go into that examination room."
"So what should I do?"Rin whispered back.
"Refuse the examination."
"How?!"
"Say you feel nauseous.Say you need time. Anything. But don't go into that room. At least until I can help you hide that pattern."
Rin looked at Mei,confused. "Why are you helping me?"
Mei was silent for a moment,then finally looked directly at Rin.
"Because I am also Mycelites,"she whispered. "And I know what they do to people like us if they find out."
Before Rin could ask further, the examination room door opened.
Jian came out.His face was flat, but there was something in his eyes. Suppressed anger.
The medic whispered to Yashida again.
Yashida nodded,then looked at Jian. "Jian Feng, passes examination. But you will be called again tomorrow for additional tests."
Jian didn't answer.He just sat back on the bench, staring at the floor with an empty gaze.
But before Yashida could call the next name,Jian suddenly spoke up.
"Instructor,"he said in a flat tone. "I have a question."
Yashida looked at him."What?"
"Why did you separate Kai?"Jian asked directly. "She didn't look sick. She wasn't badly injured. So why?"
Yashida was silent for a moment,then answered coldly.
"That is not your concern."
"But she is our teammate,"Jian said. His voice rose slightly. "We have a right to know."
Yashida looked sharply at Jian."You have the right to know what we allow you to know. Nothing more."
Jian clenched his fists,but he didn't speak again.
Yashida looked back at the tablet."Next, Kurohana Mei."
Mei stepped forward without hesitation.But before entering, she glanced at Rin.
The message in that look was clear.
Don't go in.
Then she entered the examination room.
The door closed.
Ten minutes passed.
Rin stood in the corner.Her hands trembled in her pockets. She could feel the green pattern moving faster and faster, as if sensing danger.
Akira sat beside her,looking at Rin with worry.
"Rin,"he whispered. "Are you okay?"
Rin did not answer.
Because she didn't know what to say.
Am I okay?
Or have I already started to change?
The examination room door opened.
Mei came out.Her face remained calm, unchanged.
The medic whispered to Yashida.
Yashida nodded."Kurohana Mei, passes examination."
Mei walked back to the corner of the room and stood beside Rin,close enough to whisper.
"I bought some time,"she said softly. "I said there was a system error in the scanner. They will recalibrate for fifteen minutes. After that, you have to go in."
"How can I hide this pattern?"Rin whispered. Her voice was almost desperate.
Mei pulled something from her jacket pocket.A small tube containing a pale blue gel.
"Apply this to your arm,"she whispered. "This gel will mask the spore emission from your skin for two hours. Enough to pass a basic scan. But after that, you'll have to find another way."
Rin looked at the gel disbelievingly."Where did you get this?!"
"Not important,"Mei answered quickly. "What's important is you must use it now. Before time runs out."
Rin took the gel with a trembling hand.She pretended to cough, covering her mouth with her right hand while secretly applying the gel to her left arm under her jacket.
The gel was cold,like ice touching her skin.
The green pattern on her arm slowly faded.
Not gone,but masked. Like a thin mist hiding it.
Rin breathed a sigh of relief,but only a small one.
Because she knew this was only a temporary solution.
Sooner or later,they would know.
Yashida looked at Rin. "Asakura Rin. Your turn."
Rin stood slowly and looked at the examination room door.Her heart pounded hard.
This is it.
She stepped inside,and the door closed behind her.
Inside the examination room.
A small room with a single metal table in the center,a large scanner in the corner, and two medics standing with tablets.
"Asakura Rin,"one medic said. "Please lie on the table. We will scan your body to ensure there is no harmful spore exposure."
Rin lay down.Her body was tense. She forced her breathing to be steady.
The scanner began to move.A blue light swept over her body from head to toe.
Rin watched the screen beside her displaying the scan results in real-time.
Head:Normal.
Chest:Normal.
Right hand:Normal.
Left hand:
The screen flickered.
Rin held her breath.
Then,normal.
Rin internally breathed a sigh of relief.
The medic examined the results carefully,then nodded. "No anomalies. You pass the examination."
Rin sat up slowly,trying not to look too relieved.
"But,"the medic added suddenly, "there is one thing."
Rin froze.
The medic looked at the screen again."Your heart rate is slightly irregular. And your body temperature is 0.5 degrees below average. Do you feel anything strange? Dizziness? Nausea? Hallucinations?"
Rin shook her head quickly."No. I'm fine."
The medic looked at her longer,then nodded. "Alright. But if you experience any symptoms within the next 48 hours, report immediately to the medical facility."
"I understand,"Rin answered.
"You may leave."
Rin walked out.Every step felt like walking on thin ice that could crack at any moment.
The door opened.
She immediately met Mei's gaze.
Mei gave a small nod.
Safe. For now.
Thirty minutes later, they were finally taken out of the facility.
Team 07,minus Kai, stood outside the gate, looking at the dome's sky which was beginning to darken.
Yashida stood before them for the last time.
"You have officially passed the Third Stage selection,"he said. "Congratulations. You are now Frontliner Cadets. Intensive training begins in three days. Use your time to rest."
He paused for a moment,then looked at them one by one.
"But remember one thing,"he continued in a lower voice. "That simulation was just the beginning. The real Yellow Zone is far more dangerous."
Then he turned and left.
The five of them stood in silence.No one spoke.
Slowly,they dispersed.
Jian left without a word.His back was tense, as if holding back anger.
Shun followed with unsteady steps.His face pale.
Akira looked at Rin for a long time,as if wanting to ask something, but finally just nodded slowly and walked away.
Only Rin and Mei remained.
Mei looked at Rin seriously.
"You have two days,"she said. "After that, that gel won't be enough anymore. The pattern on your hand will become clearer, and they will know."
"So what should I do?"Rin asked. Her voice was almost desperate.
Mei was silent for a long time.
Then she answered in a tone devoid of hope.
"Learn to control it.Or accept that you will not be fully human anymore."