Damian was sitting in a meeting room alongside Clara, Aileen, and Aileen's three friends. The atmosphere wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but Damian felt a certain internal pressure.
Ever since the director had imposed certain conditions for the second exam, he had been racking his brain about how to explain it to Aileen. It wasn't that he feared her reaction, but after everything he had said in front of Samuel, he now felt like he was letting her down.
Meanwhile, Aileen finished introducing her friends. Although they were all in the same class, they had never spoken to Damian or Clara before. Aileen's friends knew Damian through his relationship with Aileen, but they hadn't had the chance to introduce themselves, nor were they close to Clara. To make matters worse, both Damian and Clara had been labeled as outcasts. But now that Aileen had decided to team up with them, her friends had no choice but to follow her lead. Unlike others, they weren't afraid of Samuel, as Aileen also had a powerful leader backing her.
Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, Damian cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Well… I know I said I'd support you and all that…" He averted his gaze, scratching the back of his neck. "The truth is, for this exam, I can only work with Clara."
Aileen frowned slightly. Her expression remained calm, but a flicker of annoyance crossed her eyes.
"Why just the two of you?"
Damian sighed. He had expected this question.
"It's a condition set by the director," he explained. "She wants me to prove my abilities, and to avoid any suspicion about my performance on the previous exam, I can only work with Clara, since she only got a B on the last test. If I work with one of the prodigies who got an S, I won't be able to prove my skills."
Aileen's friends exchanged glances before turning to her.
"So, what are we supposed to do?"
Aileen didn't respond immediately. She understood the logic behind Damian's condition and knew there was nothing she could do about it. However, she couldn't help feeling a slight irritation. After all, it had been a while since they had worked together, and now it turned out that he couldn't help her.
"How annoying… though it's not really his fault," she thought resignedly.
But before she could say anything more, Damian spoke up.
"But I can still help a little. Not during the exam, but right now," he said with a confident smile. "If you want, we can discuss some ideas so you have a clearer foundation for what to do. I know this exam is tough for most people, and since several leaders will be coming to see the results, I don't want you to fall behind just because you don't have an advantage in this field."
Aileen's friends fell silent, surprised by the confidence in his tone.
Aileen looked at him with a raised eyebrow before giving a slight, teasing smile.
"Wow, since when did you become so arrogant?"
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes, but only during this meeting," Aileen clarified, her expression turning serious again. "I don't want to cheat or depend on you for this. We'll exchange some ideas, and I'll decide what to do afterward."
"Fair enough," Damian nodded.
Aileen let out a soft sigh and, with a more relaxed expression, added:
"Thank you."
Her friends blinked in surprise. It wasn't that Aileen had said thank you, but rather that a tender smile had appeared on her face—a stark contrast to the cold, elegant image she was known for.
They exchanged glances, silently confirming what they had already suspected: Aileen definitely had some feelings for Damian. However, they didn't say anything, only murmuring among themselves to ensure he didn't overhear.
Clara, who until now had been unaware of the condition the director had imposed on Damian, looked at him in surprise.
"Wait, really? It's just the two of us?" she asked doubtfully.
Damian gave her a calm smile.
"Yes. Do you trust me?"
Clara observed Damian for a moment, and though slightly embarrassed, she gave a small nod before setting the matter aside and refocusing on the meeting.
"So, Aileen, do you already have any ideas for your exam?"
Aileen crossed her arms and thought for a moment before responding.
"I'm not sure, but I want to do something related to my field."
Her friends exchanged glances before starting to suggest ideas.
"We could do a concert," said one of them. "Something immersive, where people can feel the music as if they're really there."
"Or maybe you could compose a special piece and present it with an impressive visual show," added another.
"What if we created a story with your music as the soundtrack?"
Damian listened attentively, but the more they spoke, the clearer it became that they were still thinking inside the box.
"They're still seeing this as just an extension of what already exists," he thought, resting his chin on his hand.
The exam wasn't about replicating reality but about leveraging virtual experience technology to create something unique. A concert, for example, even if immersive, didn't have any innovative mechanics. It would still just be a concert—something that could already be done with current technology.
As the girls continued exchanging ideas, Damian began thinking of alternatives that would truly stand out. He only had this meeting to guide Aileen, so he needed to make sure she had a clear concept to work with.
Thinking of music-themed video games, several titles came to mind: *Guitar Hero*, *Sayonara Wild Hearts*, *Beat Saber*… but he quickly dismissed *Sayonara Wild Hearts* as it was too elaborate an experience to explain in such a short time. Without a clear understanding of the game and its details, it wouldn't work. As for *Beat Saber* or *Guitar Hero*, while simpler, they relied heavily on a large library of music to avoid becoming monotonous.
"By the way," he interrupted suddenly, "can we use a big playlist of songs for this exam?"
The girls fell silent for a moment before shaking their heads.
"Not exactly," Clara replied. "We can use resources and music, but we're limited to royalty-free pieces. If we want to use popular songs, we'd need permission from the leaders who manage them, and it wouldn't be cheap."
"Besides," Aileen added, "it wouldn't make sense to create a game with this theme if we just used other people's music. That would defeat the purpose of the exam."
Damian understood the point. Realistically, even if Aileen pushed herself, she could only compose one or two decent pieces in a week. That wasn't enough for the games he had in mind.
"So… I need something that doesn't rely on a large number of songs," he thought.
As he analyzed his options, a memory from his childhood surfaced: *Rhythm Heaven*.
It was a rhythm game developed by Nintendo, but unlike other titles in the genre, it didn't rely on popular song libraries or complex mechanics. Instead, it featured small minigames with simple controls where players had to follow the rhythm of the music to complete absurdly fun tasks—from assembling parts in a factory to hitting ping-pong balls or cheering on a sumo wrestler.
It was simple, addictive, and, most importantly, it didn't require a massive soundtrack. Just short, catchy melodies.
"This could work… plus, it's not a hard concept to explain, and even though the platform is different, it could be adapted to virtual reality," he thought.
The girls were still discussing among themselves when Damian interrupted again.
"Picture this," he said, capturing their attention. "You're in a factory. On a moving platform, two circular pieces with a hole in the center align at a specific point. Your job is to place a nut through those holes at just the right moment."
The girls exchanged confused glances.
"Well… if the pieces are moving fast, it could be tricky," Clara commented.
Damian nodded.
"Exactly. But now imagine that after failing a couple of times, a melody starts playing on your next attempt. And by following the rhythm of the music, suddenly the task becomes much easier."
Aileen blinked, then widened her eyes in surprise.
"Oh…"
"Do you get it?" Damian asked with a slight smile.
"Yes…" Aileen murmured, impressed. "It's such a simple concept, but it would be something innovative for this exam."
Damian nodded and continued.
"Now think of other scenarios. Dodging obstacles to the rhythm, guiding a band, even controlling a choreography."
The girls started getting excited, throwing out their own suggestions.
"It could be like an escape room," said one of Aileen's friends, "where each room has rhythm-based challenges to overcome obstacles."
"Or we could create an interactive journey where the music guides the player's movements. Like crossing a river by jumping on platforms that only appear with the right rhythm."
Damian watched as their ideas began to take shape, moving from conventional thinking to exploring something more dynamic.
"Good," he thought with satisfaction. "It seems they finally have an idea they can work with."
Damian couldn't help her anymore, at least not now. If he kept giving her ideas, the director might suspect he was helping with Aileen's exam. So now, it was all up to her.
Aileen, though motivated by the idea, seemed to remember something. Her expression turned serious as she looked at Damian.
"Hey… are you sure you want to give me this idea?" she asked in a more reserved tone.
Damian raised an eyebrow.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because this idea is yours to begin with," she pointed out. "And this exam isn't exactly easy."
Damian smiled calmly.
"Don't worry about that. I already have another idea in mind for my exam, so you should focus on creating a unique experience with this concept."
Aileen watched him silently, trying to figure out if he was serious or just saying it to reassure her. But in the end, she sighed and gave in.
"Alright. Then I'll give it my all."
Aileen's group started saying their goodbyes as they gathered their things. Before leaving, she paused for a moment and looked at Damian.
"Damian," she began, glancing subtly at Clara. She didn't feel comfortable leaving them alone, but for now, there was nothing she could do. "Since there won't be classes these next few days, we'll all be busy with the exam, so we won't see each other much this week…"
Her tone softened slightly at the end, as if she hesitated to say it.
"Good luck with your project," she added quickly before turning and walking away, maintaining her calm expression, though the faint blush on her face betrayed her attempt to stay composed.
Damian watched her leave with a smile, but Clara couldn't help but notice the scene with some suspicion.
"Does Aileen… have feelings for Damian?"
It wasn't a certainty, but the idea had planted itself in her mind after seeing Aileen's reaction. More than that, what really piqued her curiosity was what Damian felt. However, she didn't have the courage to ask.
Now alone in the room, Damian turned to Clara.
"Alright, now that we're alone, let's get started."
But before continuing, he opened his Panel and navigated to the section for the second exam. There, he filled out the corresponding form, registering their two-person group and sending the information to Professor Meredith, who was overseeing the exam.
Once that was done, Clara, who had been watching eagerly, didn't hesitate to ask:
"So, what's your idea?"
Damian gave a slight smile before beginning his explanation.
"It's called *Firewatch*."
---
Damian began describing the premise of the game.
"It's a first-person story that follows a man named Henry, who takes a job as a fire lookout in a national park. His only companion is a supervisor named Delilah, whom he communicates with only through a radio."
Clara tilted her head slightly, processing what she had just heard.
"So… is it like one of those virtual tourism simulations? Or something like a nature exploration experience?"
Damian shook his head.
"Not exactly. We're not aiming for players to just wander around a virtual environment, camping and enjoying the scenery. Instead, the player takes on the role of a character and experiences his story in first person."
Clara frowned, trying to understand.
"But what would someone do in this story? If it's not tourism or a simulation, what's the point?"
"Explore, observe the environment, uncover the secrets of the place, make decisions, and immerse themselves in the story through dialogue," Damian explained calmly. "There's no action or complicated challenges. Our job is to set objectives so the player follows the story."
Clara seemed intrigued, but it was when Damian began describing the visual aspect that her curiosity grew.
"But it's not just the story that makes it special," he continued. "It's also the art. It doesn't aim to replicate reality with precision but to convey emotions through a unique artistic direction."
"How so?"
Damian closed his eyes for a moment, searching for the right words.
"Imagine a forest surrounded by mountains. Not with the hyper-realistic details we usually see in simulations, but with intense, stylized colors. A sky bathed in orange and purple hues at sunset, long shadows stretching across golden grass, simple shapes that evoke nature without needing to replicate it perfectly…"
As he spoke, Clara tried to visualize it in her mind.
"Wait, this sounds more like a painting…"
"Exactly," Damian replied. "The goal isn't to imitate reality but to convey a specific feeling. It's not hyper-realism that makes the player feel immersed in the world, but the atmosphere, the colors, the lighting… Everything is designed to immerse you in a melancholic, lonely environment."
Clara's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
"So… you don't need to recreate every detail of the real world to make something feel immersive?"
"Exactly. What matters is what it conveys."
Clara fell silent, absorbing the idea. For someone who had always seen virtual reality as a way to replicate the world with the highest fidelity possible, the notion of creating an artificial space that didn't try to look real was entirely new.
But far from rejecting it, she found it exciting.
---
Hours passed as Damian explained more details and answered her questions. Both of them had stayed in the room much longer than expected, engrossed in the conversation.
When they finally left the academy, the sky was already painted in shades of red and blue.
Clara walked alongside Damian, still deep in thought.
"This is going to be amazing…" she murmured excitedly. "I can't wait to get started."
Damian smiled calmly.
"We'll meet at the academy tomorrow at nine. We'll request some virtual reality pods and start working."
Clara nodded with determination.
"Yes!"
The two continued walking together until, at a certain point, their paths diverged.
"See you tomorrow," Clara said, still enthusiastic.
Damian nodded and watched her walk away.
Once she was out of sight, he stood in silence for a moment. Then, he turned in another direction.
He still had one more place he wanted to go before the day ended.