The system waited until their breathing slowed.
Then it rewrote the room.
The walls faded to black, replaced by floating columns of light. Names appeared, arranged vertically, each accompanied by a number.
Ethan's name sat near the top.
Not first.
Second.
Next to it:
Ethan Carter — Net Temporal Expenditure: 3y 1m 14d
A new label pulsed beside the list.
[Internal Ranking: Contribution Index]
"Ranking?" the short-haired woman whispered. "So it's a game now."
"No," the woman replied. "It's accounting."
Another name shifted upward.
Liam H. — 0y 8m 2d
Lower contribution.
Lower cost.
Yet Liam stood above someone else who had paid more.
Ethan frowned.
"That doesn't make sense," he said. "If it's just cost, I should be higher."
The system responded instantly.
[Clarification]
Ranking is not determined by cost alone.
Efficiency, Impact, and Compliance included.
Efficiency.
So paying wasn't enough.
Paying correctly mattered.
A new panel unfolded.
[Temporary Privileges Granted]
– Rank 1–3: Early Notification
– Rank 4–6: Standard
– Rank 7: Delayed Access
The punished man's name dropped to the bottom.
Rank 7.
He cursed under his breath.
"What's early notification?" someone asked.
They got the answer moments later.
A pulse of light flashed—and Ethan, the woman, and Liam received a private alert.
[Upcoming Event Detected]
Type: Individual Assessment
Risk Level: Variable
The others saw nothing.
The room stayed silent.
Uneven.
"You're serious?" the short-haired woman hissed. "They get warned and we don't?"
The woman crossed her arms. "That's the point. Scarcity creates behavior."
Liam smiled.
A small, careful smile.
"So," he said, glancing at Ethan, "how much are you willing to spend to stay near the top?"
Ethan met his gaze.
"As little as possible," he said. "But not zero."
Liam's smile widened.
"I plan to spend less," he said. "And let others absorb the risk."
The system didn't react.
Which told Ethan everything.
That strategy was allowed.
A countdown appeared beside the ranking.
[Assessment Begins In: 04:00]
Names started dimming—one by one.
Those without early notice flinched as their screens suddenly lit up, late and abrupt.
The punished man panicked.
"What is it? What's coming?"
No one answered.
Because no one was allowed to.
Ethan felt the weight of it settle in.
Not fear.
Responsibility.
The ranking wasn't about who sacrificed the most.
It was about who understood when to sacrifice.
Another private notice appeared.
[Behavioral Pattern Logged]
Subject: Ethan Carter
Trait Identified: Cost Anticipation
He exhaled slowly.
The system wasn't testing courage.
It was training foresight.
And it was perfectly willing to let the rest learn the hard way.