I had been the one eager to participate. I had agreed to be tested. But what I hadn’t expected was to be yanked from sleep before sunrise for a brutal wake-up call. Still, fifteen minutes later, I was dressed in leggings, a spandex top, and sports shoes, trailing behind Kenzo toward the training hall. The sky remained cloaked in darkness, and the compound was nearly deserted, save for the patrolling guards who dipped their heads in deference as we passed.

The moment we stepped ...