Gregório approached me, taking me by the waist and directing me toward a portal. I was afraid to go, but what good would it do to stay? I let myself be led, and we emerged in a quiet, extremely luxurious apartment. I looked around—the view of D'Haime was beautiful, but it wasn't enough to distract me from the thoughts swirling in my mind. Sabrina was with us and soon disappeared through a door that opened in the wall. Gregório poured himself a drink from a table laden with bottles and glass cups filled with colorful liquids.
"_Would you like something, madame?_" he asked, smiling.
"_No, thank you._" I replied, observing my surroundings, trying to see how everything I had witnessed would fit into a test.
"_Relax, my dear. No need to be so tense. Don't you trust me?_" he said, walking. The door opened, and I instinctively glanced back. Sabrina wore an outfit similar to mine and walked with the confidence she demanded. "_Sit, Catarina._" Gregório continued, "_And Sabrina, did you congratulate Catarina on her performance?_"
"_Congratulations._" Sabrina's neutral expression briefly transformed into a smile that would have seemed genuine if it hadn't appeared and vanished so coldly.
"_Forgive Sabrina, Catarina_," said Gregório. "_Many things are difficult for her._" He spoke as if mocking the girl who stared back at him. "_Today, in particular, wasn't easy, was it, my dear? Fighting with two of your friends, facing your own blood... It must have been challenging for you. Return to your tutor and thank her on my behalf for providing me with someone as competent as you._"
"_Excuse me_," she said.
"_Ah, and please, don't diminish the excellence of your efforts in any way_," he smiled. She headed for the exit without making a sound. Her rigid and unfeeling posture made me resent her for leaving me alone with Gregório.
The silence intensified the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He stood by one of the columns that traversed the room, looking at me while stirring the blue drink in his glass. I didn't want to meet his gaze, but I felt unsafe staring out the windows with that look upon me. At times, he seemed to laugh at the situation; at others, he appeared angry, although his expression hardly changed. His eyes remained sharp. He emptied the glass and sighed loudly.
"_What a beautiful day, isn't it?_" he said, turning toward the windows. "_Do you know what makes this place so special, my dear?_" He looked at me, and though I remained silent, he waited inquisitively for my response.
"_I believe it's the mother energy..._" I began, unsure of where this conversation would lead.
"_A clever girl_," he said, turning back to his glass. "_This energy sustains all life here. What you saw down there is part of that energy. Every being in this place is connected by this power._" He paused, and I noticed smoke emanating from his hands, playing with the glass in the air. In a quick flash, I thought I saw a trace of golden energy in place of the glass. I blinked hard, and it returned to its original form. "_See this? It's a correction for natural humans who can't defend themselves. This energy allows us to be free, Catarina. It levels the playing field to make the world habitable. Tell me, do you think I was born here?_"
"_I've never really thought about it_," I replied quickly, pushing away memories of the man dying in the pit.
"_I was born in one of the poorest Villages, far from the river in the coldest, most distant part_," he continued. The glass floated around the room as he seemed lost in thought. "_You probably wouldn't know it, but believe me, life there was harsh. Those who didn't freeze to death became wolf bait. Funny, because when we managed to hunt a wolf, we were technically eating one of our own._" He laughed, and I couldn't fathom how he could find humor in his own misery. After all, there were still people out there hunting wolves. "_When I was chosen, the tests prepared me to be exposed to the rock's energy. Some in my Village criticized my changes, but for those who practiced cannibalism by proxy, my transformation should have been celebrated. In the end, the energy flowed through me, and despite many dying that day..._"
"_Dying? I thought they were just rejected, sent back to what they were before_," I interjected.
"_I endured until the end_," he continued, ignoring my interruption. "_The tests paved the way for strength to emerge. But when the time comes, nothing can prevent integration. Trying to stop it leads to unpleasant and irreversible results._" "_Ironically, what I learned in the village applies here: feed the wolf so it can feed you. In the end, it's not the energy that precisely chooses who advances and who dies. And why am I telling you this?_"
"_Because I can..._"
"_Now finish the sentence. I know you've already reached a conclusion while I was talking_," he said, furrowing his brow in a theatrically annoyed manner.
"_To die..._"
"_But you can also become part of this place. Be like Mirana, develop unique abilities, raise a glass and control the beasts in the pit, or anything within the reach of the purple dawn. But it will depend on you, my dear. The tests will always be rigorous, and your mistakes will define your future. So the process will adapt as much as possible, allowing you to gradually align with the energy. Additionally, we'll need to determine who your mentors will be._"
"_Won't you be my mentor?_" I asked, confused. He sighed irritably.
"_Let's just say that, given your aptitude, we'll have to work with multiple forms of testing. You were exceptional and need something worthy of you. For now, change your clothes and prepare for the night of honors. Tonight, you'll begin to discover the delights of D'Haime._" He pointed to the door through which Sabrina had exited. I stood up and walked toward it. Before placing my hand on the sensor, I looked back. Gregório was playing with the glass in the air. Suddenly, he hurled it against the wall, making me hold my breath. Calmly, he started preparing another drink without even touching the bottle.
I quickly placed my hand on the sensor, and the door opened. It was different from the closet I knew. I entered, and my identification appeared, indicating where I should go next and which steps to follow. I walked through the narrow corridor following the lights, and it didn't take long for the environment to change. Suddenly, I found myself in a bathroom—a luxurious one at that. The bathtub resembled a small pool, with a showerhead cascading water into it. Blinking indicators instructed me to undress.
I followed the command and stepped into the tub. As soon as I did, a burning sensation shot through my cuts, much more intense than usual. I realized it wasn't just water; there were other substances mixed in. Examining a scratch on the back of my hand, I watched it fade and stop hurting. The same happened with the other wounds. I was still analyzing my injuries when the showerhead extended over my head. I obediently washed my hair, following the device's suggestion.
The dimly lit room had walls of smooth, scratched steel—quite different from my home. Just as I was about to step out, a glass partition rose from the edges of the tub, reaching the ceiling. A purple substance was released into the water, and my skin began to burn. Panic surged—I couldn't escape. The water level rose rapidly. I pounded on the glass, desperate to get out, but it remained unyielding. I submerged, searching for a drain, but the pain intensified, and I resurfaced, my entire body feeling like it was burn.
"_Help! Someone, please help!_" I screamed in vain. The water was already reaching the ceiling, and I didn't know what to do. I took my last breath of air and submerged. The pain intensified throughout my body, making me thrash about. I kept my eyes shut, and a vision of a dark, dense cloud over a field flashed through my mind, accompanied by sounds of cries and roars I had never heard before. I didn't realize when the water began to recede, but as soon as I felt the floor, I opened my eyes desperately and gasped for air. My body still burned, and I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
What was that? I pounded on the glass to escape and jumped when the shower soaked me again, easing the burning sensation on my skin. As the glass lowered, I rushed out, grabbed a towel from the edge of the tub, and wrapped it around myself. I sat against the cold wall, staring at the unfamiliar place. It didn't feel right to be there. I had waited all these years for this moment, yet I couldn't find joy in experiencing it. Even Sabrina seemed unaffected.
I stood up, and the wall in front of the tub rotated, revealing how I should prepare. A massive mirror with white lights around it awaited me. I looked at my reflection—I needed to create four braids and secure them at the top. I was supposed to paint my face, but I didn't know how. Still, I would do anything to leave this place as quickly as possible.
I started with the braids and followed the instructions for drying my hair and other tasks. Most of the devices in front of me were unfamiliar, which frustrated me deeply, leading to muttered curses. Eventually, I managed to resemble the mirror's proposal. After attaching the final crystals to my face, I stared at my reflection and felt utterly strange. Was this how I would appear after the tests? Or would I resemble the inhabitants of D'Haime's underground? They seemed clever and even beautiful, but lacked the exuberance of the selectors. They appeared more gaunt and miserable. That place was anything but inviting to me.
I searched for my clothes and found a drawer with a fresh set of garments. I unfolded them—a white jumpsuit with a single strap, simple on top with twisted fabric, and adorned pants similar to the makeup's crystals. The flowing skirt had lilac sections reminiscent of the golden hues that appeared when a selector walked. Alongside it was a transparent heel.
I dressed and returned to the door, which opened as soon as I stepped into the exit area.
"_I imagine the bathroom startled you_," Gregório said with his usual irony, not bothering to rise from the sofa. His statement made me question my privacy there. "_Come here._"
I walked over and stood in front of him. He smiled, sending a shiver down my spine. Perhaps he hadn't been watching me; the bathroom was quite different, and as a villager, he knew it would be strange for me. I would repeat this as many times as necessary. The day was already completely out of the ordinary.
"_You look magnificent, my dear!_" Gregório stood up, walked around me, and stopped to stare. He placed his hand on my chin. Despite the pain in my stomach, I tried to appear calm. "_Maintain your posture, walk as if you're already D'Haime's new Icon. And at least during the festivities, allow yourself to be more immersed in what D'Haime has to offer, okay?_"
"_Okay_," I confirmed immediately.
"_Any questions?_" he asked, breaking from his advisory demeanor.
"_No_," I needed to breathe. I wouldn't question anything until I felt secure again.
"_Then prepare your best smile. You'll be the dazzle of tonight. And dear, don't satisfy your village friends' curiosity about your every move until victory. They shouldn't and can't know too much about the selections; otherwise, it robs them of the genuine actions that catch our attention, understand?_" I nodded, and we continued.