"Well," Kriz groaned, "that was both awesome and terrible."
"But informative," Selene added, already making notes. "The elemental combinations showed promise. We just need to refine them, make them more unpredictable."
"And work on our coordination," Brok rumbled. "There were moments when we moved perfectly together, but we lost it too easily under pressure."
Lila nodded, but her mind was already planning the next attempt. "The seventh ring... we almost made it. With more practice..."
"Which you'll get," Lucien's voice came from the doorway.
"You're going to let us try again instead of doing city work?" Kriz asked hopefully.
They shared excited looks. They'd made it further than ever before, and now they had official permission to continue.
"However," Lucien added severely, "You will have company…"
