The first real failure didn't look dramatic.
There was no explosion. No scream.
Just a wrong angle.
11:26 — Tier B Tactical Practicum
Autonomous Rotation Format
The projection grid shimmered into place, hazards set to mid-spectrum variance. Two clusters were assigned overlapping suppression lanes. It should've been routine.
It wasn't.
A miscommunication—small, almost invisible—caused both clusters to commit to the same collapse axis. One anchor stepped two degrees inward instead of out. Someone else trusted that movement without confirming.
Compression folded instead of expanding.
Mana flared.
Not a spark.
A surge.
The projection destabilized and snapped outward with recoil feedback.
Three students were thrown hard. One hit the reinforced wall at a bad angle. The sound wasn't loud—but it was wrong.
The hall went quiet.
Not panicked.
Waiting.
Everyone looked up at the observation glass.
It remained dark.
Lucas moved first.
