The Final Selection had been more grueling than you ever imagined. Demons, with their relentless hunger and twisted forms, had nearly taken you several times. Somehow, through sheer determination and luck, you had survived. Barely.

Your body screamed in protest as you took another shaky step, clutching a wound at your side. The pain was unbearable, but the thought of seeing Aoi again kept you moving, one foot in front of the other.

“Hey!” Aoi’s voice pierced through the haze, filled with both shock and panic. You felt her arms around you in an instant, pulling you up from the ground as she knelt beside you, hands trembling. "You survived.." she muttered.