Luo called the advancing candidates to the examination grounds the next morning. The service lane race had left Yan’s legs loose and warm, but the old ruin at the edge of the compound tightened his attention again.
The gate stood open. Black lines marked its stone frame, branching like veins beneath the surface. A map table had been set up outside the entrance. Gu He waited beside it, one hand braced against the plank. The gray in his face looked worse than the morning air could explain.
“The next station is an orientation,” Luo said. “No one enters the ruin today. We inspect the outer grounds and review the safe approach.”
Wei studied the marks. “Is this the same formation that caused the odd injury reports?”
“We don’t know that yet,” Luo said. His answer was careful enough that no one mistook it for reassurance.
Gu leaned over the survey. “I need to see the full drawing.”
Luo passed him a copy. The center of the map was blank, cut away in a clean rectangle. Gu’s thumb shook against the paper.
“What is it?” Yan asked.
