Selena shook her head, denying the offer with a finality that surprised even her. “If I don’t go in there and finish this, they win. And they win forever.”

Rebecca stepped forward and held her by the shoulders with an almost maternal, grounding firmness. “Then you’re going in there. And after you finish, you’re going to report them to the authorities for what they did.”

By 8:55, the panel was complete: Dr. Dominic, famous for tearing theses apart with a single calculated question, alongside Dr. Samira, brilliant and incredibly tough.

There were other academics too, along with students and colleagues from the department—but Selena avoided looking at the front row as she walked toward the podium.

She just wanted to reach the microphone before her body remembered it was allowed to tremble.

But then she saw it, and the sight stopped her breath entirely.