They were running out of attempts.
No one said it directly.
No number was given.
But it was clear.
Other squads had moved on.
Advanced.
Completed their phase.
Tiger Squad remained.
Still in the same position.
Still repeating the same sequence.
Still failing.
Kai felt it.
The pressure had changed.
Before, it was frustration.
Now, it was limitation.
Each attempt mattered more.
Each failure carried weight.
"Reset."
They reset again.
Mateo stepped forward.
"Stay exact," he said.
Short.
Controlled.
Kai nodded.
But his focus had shifted.
Not just on the movement.
On the outcome.
He could not fail again.
That thought stayed.
Louder than everything else.
"One."
Step.
Kai moved.
"Two."
Pause.
Kai held.
"Three."
Strike.
Kai stepped.
Too late.
The sequence broke.
"Stop."
Kai stepped back.
Breathing slightly uneven.
He frowned.
That should have worked.
He had followed it.
He knew he had.
"Again," Mateo said.
They reset.
Kai adjusted his stance.
Lower.
More controlled.
He focused harder.
Watched Mateo's movement.
Matched Luna's timing.
"One."
Step.
"Two."
Pause.
Kai hesitated.
Just a fraction.
Was it too early?
Too late?
He waited.
Then moved.
Too late.
The sequence broke.
"Stop."
Kai exhaled sharply.
He felt it now.
Not just failure.
Uncertainty.
He stepped back.
His thoughts moved faster.
Too fast.
He replayed it.
The timing.
The spacing.
What he should have done.
What he did instead.
Too many variables.
Too many corrections.
"Again."
They reset.
Mateo's voice was tighter now.
Less patience.
More expectation.
Kai stepped forward.
This time, he decided.
No hesitation.
Commit.
"One."
Step.
"Two."
Pause.
"Three."
Strike.
Kai moved early.
Too early.
The sequence collapsed instantly.
"Stop."
Kai stepped back.
Frustration rising.
"I had to move."
Mateo's response was immediate.
"No. You didn't."
Kai shook his head.
"If I wait, I'm late."
"If you rush, you're wrong."
Kai clenched his fists.
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
Mateo's voice sharpened.
"Be correct."
Kai stared at him.
That answer again.
Useless.
He stepped back into position.
Breathing heavier now.
His focus fractured.
Before, he reacted.
Now, he thought.
Every step.
Every pause.
Every movement questioned.
That slowed him down.
Then pushed him too fast.
The balance was gone.
"Again."
They reset.
Kai stepped forward.
He watched Mateo.
Matched Luna.
Tracked the sequence.
"One."
Step.
"Two."
Pause.
Kai hesitated.
His mind split.
Too early.
Too late.
Move.
He moved.
Late.
The sequence broke.
"Stop."
Kai stepped back.
He ran a hand through his hair.
This was worse.
Before, he was wrong.
Now, he did not know how to be right.
Mateo spoke.
"You're thinking too much."
Kai snapped.
"I'm trying to fix it."
"You're making it worse."
Kai stepped forward.
"I can't just move without thinking."
Mateo held his gaze.
"You could before."
Kai paused.
That was true.
Before, he moved.
Wrong.
But consistent.
Now, he hesitated.
Then rushed.
Then hesitated again.
Unstable.
Luna spoke quietly.
"Your timing is collapsing."
Kai looked at her.
"What does that mean?"
"You are not committing to a decision," she said.
Kai frowned.
"I'm trying to make the right one."
"You are making multiple decisions at once."
A pause.
"That creates delay and error."
Kai exhaled slowly.
That made sense.
But it did not fix it.
They reset again.
Kai stepped forward.
He forced himself to commit.
No hesitation.
"One."
Step.
"Two."
Pause.
"Three."
Strike.
He moved.
Early.
The sequence broke.
Kai stopped.
He did not react immediately.
He just stood there.
Still.
Breathing uneven.
The pattern was clear now.
When he thought, he hesitated.
When he did not think, he rushed.
There was no control.
No balance.
Just extremes.
Mateo stepped back.
Frustration visible now.
Not contained.
"You are getting worse."
Kai felt that.
He did not argue.
Because it was true.
Luna remained still.
Watching.
Unchanged.
She understood what was happening.
Kai was not just behind.
He was unstable.
Under pressure, his decisions fractured.
His timing collapsed.
His control disappeared.
Kai stepped back into line.
Silent.
He looked forward.
At the system.
At the sequence.
At the space he could not enter correctly.
He exhaled slowly.
His confidence was gone.
Not completely.
But fractured.
Unreliable.
Just like his movement.
"Again," Mateo said.
Kai nodded.
But the difference remained.
Clear.
Unavoidable.
He was no longer just unskilled.
He was inconsistent.
And under pressure, that made him worse.