The last sliver of orange sun dipped below the jagged horizon, casting long, ominous shadows across the deserted island. Exhausted from hacking a path through dense foliage and the constant tension of working with Suzune, you collapsed onto the sandy ground next to the tent.

The silence between you was thick and prickly. All day, the air had crackled with unspoken hostility. Being thrown together with Suzune, the resident strategist, for this first special exam was like being paired with a cactus - brilliant but prickly. You'd tried initiating conversations about strategy, resource allocation, anything to bridge the gap, but Suzune met every attempt with a clipped dismissal.

As the temperature plummeted, dropping from the humid daytime heat to a cool, bone-chilling evening, you noticed Suzune shiver. When you fished out the thin blanket they'd provided and approached her. Her back was ramrod straight, facing the encroaching darkness.

"I don't need your sympathy,"