That made usugh even harder.

Leave it in Ryder to remember the exact price of his shoes in a moment like this

A lead crackle filled the air as speakers around thepetition grounds came to life.

“Attention all participants. The third trial has concluded. All empetitors must gather at the main stage immediately”

Ourughter died as reality set in. We’d survived, but we still didn’t know if we’d advanced to the finals. We weren’t allowed to bring watches ipetition, and in the maze, there had been no sense of real time.

We made our way bback /bto the main yes, join the cd of wolves gathering before the elevated stage. Elder Selene stood at the center, her siber catching the afternoon ligt. Her expression remained neutral as she surveyed the assembled parks.

“The third trial tested your ability to ovee illusion and deception,” she began, “Only those who could see through the maze’s tricks and maintain their true purpose could bseed/bb./b”

bShe /bpaused, then announced:

ロー

“Five packs have proven worthy bto /badvance to the bfinal /bround of the Alpha King Election.” Her voice took on a formal tone. Alpha Rodrigo of fromwater

bPack/b.b” /b

Apuse erupted from bone /bsection of the crowd. Rodrigo bstepped /bforward. If I didn’t know he was the one who had hurt Lydia, I might have been fooled by his serious and dignified appearance.

Alpha Leon of Frostshadow Park”

More apuse, Lean moved with confident grace, every inch the alpha prince he’d been raised to be.

Alpha Maxwell of Stormhoul Pack”

My jaw tightened as my uncle’s name bwas /bcalled. He bsmirked /bin my direction before taking his ce.

Alpha Xavier of Silverscreen bPack/bb” /b

The youngest section of the crowd went wild. Xavier waved like the celebrity he fashioned himself to be..

Elder Selene’s eyes found mine across the crowd. My bteam /band I were still making our way through the mass of wolves, having arrivedst from our position

near the maze exit.

And finally, she announced as we reached the stage areab, /b“bAlpha /bAdrian of Oasisbon Pack.”

The silence was deafening.

Then the whispers started, rippling through the crowd like wind through Iravens,

“Gasshom Pack? How is this possible?

“Must have been bpure /bbluck/bb. /bNo bway /bthey beat exjablished bparka /bbon /bmerit,”

I heard they’ve only been established for two years. This has to be a mistake,”

“Desert wolves in the Alpha Kingpetition? What’s best,

I kept my expression neutral, but I could feel the weight of hundreds of skeptical stares

The other advancing alphas studied me with varying expressions.

Xavier pped loudly for me, calling mit “Well done, Alpha Adnt

But Leon, Mayer, and Rodrigo looked at me blike /b1 was prry that had somehow escaped the hunt. Their eyes promised that wouldn’t happen resin

Maxwell gate was particrly venomous. My uncle had clearly not expected me in

Elder Selene raised her band, and the whispers died instantly,

this far,

“Silence,” shemanded. The trials judge worthiness, not reputation. These five

or packs have earned their ce.”

She continued. “The Alpha King bhas /branged for all advancing packs to enjoy the Spirit Spring. This is no onlinary hot spring. Its waters carry ancient healing properties that will restore your wounds and replenish your strength for next week’s final trial.”

Excited mums reced the earlier skepticians..

The Spirit Spring was legendary, avable only during Alpha Kingpetitions. Its waters could heal even serious injuries overnight.

Elder Selene turned to bleave /bthe stage, her duty bdone/b. But Ryder’s voice stopped her.

Tider Selene!”

he paused, turning back with raised eyebrows. The crowd’s attention shifted to my young warrior.

She

“My shoe,” Ryder said withplete seriousness. “I lost it in the maze. I need the Council to retum it to me.”

The bsilence /bthis time bwas /bdifferent. Shocked. Incredulous. In this formal setting, with the weight of the Alpha King Election hanging over us, Ryder was worried about footwear.

bSeveral /balphas actuallyughed. Not kindughter, but the mocking kind that said bwe /bdidn’t belong here.

How could we be seriouspetition if our warrior’s biggest concern was a missing shoe?.

Elder Selene’s expression didn’t change, but I caught the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth. “I will have someone search for byour /bshoe, young warriorb./b”

“Thank youb, /bbElder/b.” Ryder bsaid /bwith obvious relief.

As the crowd began to disperse, I noticed a familiar figure approaching. My mother moved through the crowd with the grace that had made her a respected Luna in two different bpacks/b.

Her eyes found mine, band /bfor the first time in years, bI /bsaw genuine pride there.

“Adrian,” she said softly when she reached bus/b. “Congrattions. You’ve done well.”

The sincerity bin /bher voice caught me off guard. Since I’d left Stormbowl Peckb, /bbour /b/divmunications had been mi

mal and strained.

“Thank you,” I managed

She nced at my bteam/b, her gaze lingering on bSkye/b, I bwas /bhoping we could talk tomorrow. All of us.” She looked between Skye and me meaningfully. There are things that should be discussed.”

The nightmare from the maze mashed through my mind. My mother’s tears. Her helplessness. The fear that I bwas /bwalking the same path as my father.

b“/bAlright.” I agreed. “Tontorrow”

She led, a real sulle that reminded me of better time, then disappeared hack into the crowd.

As we made our way toward the hotel, the weight of what bhad /bjust happened settled bover /bme. We made it to the finals, but barely-

“Thank you,” I said suddenly, stopping in the middle of the path. My team turned to look at me. “I mean it. If you hadn’te for me in that me, I don’t think I would have made it through “

“That’s what bpack /bdoes,” Lydia said simply.

Still, I insisted. Thank you”

We resumed walking, and curiosity got the better of me. “Ime

dal you two break free from the itions? Ryder? Lyda?

“What about you, Ryder?” I asked.

Ivdia spoke first. “My witch bloodline gives me some resistance to mental maniption. Once I recognited the pattern, I realized the pollen from those flowers and the powder on the butterfly wings had hallucinogenic properties. After that, beecking free was simply a matter of will “

He

e shrugged, suddenly locking embarrassed. “My illusion was But then Lydia woke me up.”

bad. I was just back at Danishorn Park, training with everyone. It felt so mal, so happy.fn1bc8 ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find[?]ovel/fn1bc8

His simple words bhit /bharder than he probably intended. For Ryder, paradise wasn’t glory or power or escape. It was home, with his park

Finally, I turned to Skye, She’d been quiet since we’d left the stage, band /bI’d been

“What about youb? /bHow did you break free from the maze’s illusion?”

She

n avoiding asking her about her experience. But I needed to know.

e met my eyes, and something flickered in those green depths. An emotion I couldn’t quite read.

“Leon woke me up,” she said simply.

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