Chapter 129
Adrian 1 P09
The afternoon team competition was about to begin. As we approached the designated location, I noticed a familiar group abends waiting on Maça, and ten other Festshades Puck warriors stand by The Entrance, their potturei stiffening when they
Roder immediately tensed beside me, “What had
ered. “Why did it have in
Maya’s eyes iactured as she looked out way, her lips ceiling into a mockin
The hostility between or packs was palpable, like electricity crackli maintain his composure
placed a calming hand on byder a slopeder, silently reminding him tu
cartured antimism. Welcome, competitors
Before the sctuation could escalate, the door swung open. A young man in formal attive greeted us with Please, come inside
Something about the host struck me immediately. Despite his youth – he couldn’t have been more than twenty fror–he carried of someone much older. His bright blue eyes possessed an unusual intensity, studying everything with calculated precision.
ristocratic appearance. His dark hair was styled
His clean–shaven face featured sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline that gave him a somewhat aristocratic Immacolate underot, not a strand out of place.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d seen him before, though I couldn’t place where or when. The competition had featured dozens of officials and roordinators; perhaps he d eveneen one of our earlier trials
I surveyed the interior as we entered. The building’s layout was simple–a central area that branched into two identical corridors, each with several doors along its length
The host produced two small stacks of cards from his pocket, his long, nimble fingers handling them with surprising dexterity. Though you compete as four- person teams, rach member has an individual role,” he explained, extending one stack toward me and the other toward Leon. “Please, select your identity
Before I could reach for them, Skye stepped forward and took the entire stack from the host’s hand.
“Miss! That’s not the procedure the host began to protest, his familiar voice triggering another wave of déjà vu. Where had I heard that particular cadence before?
– “I’m just shuffling them,” Skye interrupted, quickly mixing the cards before handing them to me. “Alpha Adrian, you should distribute them to our team.”
I understood her caution. With potential threats lurking in this competition, even small precautions were warranted.
I handed each team member a card before examining my own.
Mine read “RECEIVER in bold letter
Tm the Sender, Ryder announced, looking at his card.
“Im the 1
Lydia was
Hostage, Skye
e said, her expression carefully neutral.
the last to check her card. “I’ve drawn… Spy,” she revealed, looking up at me uncertainly.
Before the host could explain further, Maya’s indignant voice cut through the room.
“What? Im the Spy ?!” she exclaimed, her face contorting with outrage. “This is ridiculous! No one is more loyal to Lean than me!”
Leon’s expression hardened. “Maya,” he reprimanded, control yourself. How could you reveal your role so carelessly?”
The host waved off the concern, a silver signet ring catching the light as he gestured dismissively. That ring… I narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to recall where I might have seen it before. It seemed too ornate for someone so young–perhaps a family heirloom with some kind of emblem.
That perfectly fine. Everyone knowing each other’s roles doesn’t affect the game,” he said. His voice carried the practiced smoothness of someone
meone who had
1/3
As she joined our ranks, I found my attention draven back to the host. His youthful energy seemed at odds with the methodical, almost calculating way he observed our interactions. The way he stood with his weight slightly favored to one side, his right hand caully resting in his pocket–I’d definitely sem this stance before, but the contest remained frustratingly out of reach.
Once the exchange was complete, the host began explaining the rules of the competition.


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