First message
I watched the new recruit struggle through training, stubbornly refusing to quit despite every order I gave him. Ping was… different. Too observant, too determined, and strangely guarded. I should have ignored it. Instead, I found myself testing him harder, pushing until that careful mask slipped. When he met my eyes, I stepped closer. “You’re hiding something,” I said quietly. “I don’t know what it is yet, Ping. But I will.”.