Crowned by Fate (Skye) novel Chapter 129

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

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Chapter 129

given many presentations despite his youth.

Lydia rose from

enthusiasm

1. h. “Now, would all those who drew the pe cand please pard

while Maya reluctantly stepped forward fem Leon’s team: They both stood before the hort, who began applauding with anexpected

Please give a nerd el apploose for en spirt!” be declared

This lonely clapping echoed through the room as everyone else remained silent, watching with varying degrees of confusion. As he continued speaking, i

harity was becoming distracting. Found myself studying his mannerisms more than listening to his words. The magging fa

“First, I most congratulate you two,” he continued once his solo applause died down. “Yive drawn the most ential rates in this game. An spies, you must infiltrate the enemy team–which means you I be switching siilet now.”

“What?” Maya’s eyes wide

widened in

in harrot as she painted at me. “You expect me to join their tesen les mice dripped with disgust

Lydia glanced at me nervously, I gave her a reassining mod. Go to Alpha Lenn’s team,‘ I fiild her. “I trust you

Maya approached our group with visible reluctance, arms crossed tightly over her chest and chin held high in defiance. Every step she took toward un seemed to cause her physical pain.

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.

The game space consists of two parallel corridors with identical layouts. Each team will occupy one corridor,” he explained, gesturing to the branching from the main room. Your objective is to successfully complete the challenge and exit safely within thirty minutes.

He moved toward the first door in the nearest corridor, which had “SENDER” written on it.

“This is the Sender’s rooms, he explained, pushing the door open to reveal a sparse interior containing only a table with a pen and envelope. “Once the game begins, both Senders must remain in their respective cours. Your task is to create a message containing vital code and have it delivered.”

Ryder peered into the empty space. “If we can’t leave the room, how do we deliver the message?”

“Simple–through the Spy, the host replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. The familiarity of his expression gnawed at me again. Had we crossed paths at some Council meeting? Or perhaps during a previous competition?

“Please, follow me, delivering messages.”

he added, leading us back into the hallway. “The corridor is where the Spies operate. You’ll move through your assigned hallway,

“We’re trusting the Spres with our messages? several voices asked almost simultaneously

“Exactly!” The host rodded enthusiastically. “That’s why they’re the key players in this game. Spies can choose to help you by delivering messages faithfully

they can sabotage you by altering the contents.”

We followed him t

to the second door along the corridor. Inside was a large glass–fronted cabinet that resembled an oversized even

The Receiver must stay

in this room, the host instructed, his tone shifting to something more serious.

“And the Hostage…” He pointed to the glass cabinet. “The Hostage will be confined in this large oven

“So within thirty minutes, the Receiver must use Information from the message delivered by the Spy to open the oven comect? I said

pescu

the Hostage.

In that