Elena stood backstage at Origin Point's training auditorium, reviewing her notes one final time while Marcus waited nearby, equally nervous despite having delivered his own testimony countless times over the years.
"Ready?" Dr. Chen asked, appearing at the curtain's edge.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Elena said, managing a tired smile.
They walked out together to polite applause from the assembled trainee cohort, nearly two hundred new recruits from dozens of countries, all beginning their journey into international prevention work.
"Good morning," Elena began, taking the podium while Marcus settled into a chair positioned slightly behind her. "My name is Dr. Elena Cole. Some of you might recognize that name from your case study materials. I was nine years old when the first Day Zero ou
