Geras waited until the hallway sensors showed Kikaru and Paul moving away.
Geras sat back after the door sealed, and the command posture left his shoulders. Age showed in the way he settled into the chair, stripped of rank rather than softened.
"How are you holding up when no one is measuring your answer?" Geras asked.
Elias almost gave the easy version. Training was going well. He was eating. He was sleeping when the System allowed it. His scores were improving. Every official answer sat ready in his mouth because the Cube had taught him how to report survival as progress.
Elias swallowed the prepared report.
"I can still function, but I am not fine," Elias said. "Every answer we get creates three new ways to die."
Geras nodded. "That is a fair read of the current situation."
