Chapter 78 Danger
Maddie Pov
The final day of sports week arrived too quickly. I woke up early even though I had barely slept. My stomach was churning with nerves. My whole body felt tense and wrong.
"Today is the day," Gory said in my head. "The obstacle course. Whatever Jace is planning happens today."
"I know," I whispered. I got out of bed carefully so I wouldn't wake my roommate. "I'm ready."
"Are you?" Gory asked. "Are you really ready for what might happen?"
I didn't answer. I just got dressed in my athletic clothes. Black leggings. School colors shirt. Running shoes. The same outfit everyone else would be wearing.
I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked tired. Scared. Like someone about to face execution instead of a sports competition.
"You can do this," I told my reflection. "You've trained for this. You're strong. You're fast. You can get through the course without exposing yourself."
But even as I said it I didn't quite believe it. Something felt wrong. Something felt dangerous. Something felt like a trap waiting to spring.
I met Elara at the dining hall for breakfast. Neither of us ate much. We just pushed food around our plates and tried not to think about what was coming.
"You ready?" Elara asked.
"No," I admitted. "But I don't have a choice. Participation is mandatory."
"You could fake sick," Elara suggested. "Say you twisted your ankle or something."
"They'd just make me run it another day," I said. "Better to get it over with now."
"I'll be watching from the stands," Elara promised. "If anything goes wrong. If anything looks dangerous. I'll intervene somehow."
"Thanks," I said. "That actually makes me feel better."
We finished pretend eating and walked to the athletics field together. The obstacle course had been set up overnight. It looked massive. Intimidating. Dangerous.
Rope climbs. Balance beams. Climbing walls. Monkey bars. Mud pits. Everything designed to test strength and agility and endurance.
"Looks brutal," Elara said quietly.
"Yeah," I agreed. "It really does."
Athletes from both schools were gathering near the starting line. Keane students in blue and gold. Silverthorn students in silver and black. Everyone looked nervous. Everyone knew this would be the hardest event of the week.
I saw Jace standing with his team. He was watching me. When our eyes met he smiled slowly. That same mocking smile from yesterday. The smile that said he knew something I didn't.
My stomach dropped. He had done something to the course. I knew it. I could feel it. This wasn't just a normal competition. This was a trap.
"Danger," Gory said urgently in my head. "I can feel it. Something is very wrong here."
"What do I do?" I asked silently.
"Be ready to shift if you must," Gory said. "If it comes down to your life or your secret choose your life."
"I won't shift," I said firmly. "Not here. Not in front of everyone. I'll find another way."
"There might not be another way," Gory warned. "Whatever they've planned might force your hand."
"Then I'll deal with it when it happens," I said. "But I'm not giving up my secret without a fight."
The announcer called all competitors to the starting line. I walked over slowly. My legs felt heavy. My heart was pounding. Every instinct screamed at me to run away. To leave. To hide.
But I couldn't. I had to do this. I had to prove I could compete. I had to show that I belonged here.
Calix was standing near the sidelines. He was watching the course with a strange expression on his face. Worried. Tense. Like he knew something was wrong too.
Our eyes met for just a second. I saw concern flash across his face. Saw the mate bond pull. Saw him take a step toward me before stopping himself.
He knew. Somehow he knew there was danger. But he wasn't going to help. He was going to stand there and watch like always.
I looked away from him and focused on the course ahead. The starting line. The first obstacle. The rope climb that would begin everything.
"Competitors ready," the announcer called out. "On my mark. Three. Two. One. Go."
The whistle blew. Everyone took off running. I ran with them. Keeping pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. Just average.
The first obstacle was a low wall. Everyone scrambled over it easily. I followed. My muscles worked smoothly. Everything felt normal so far.
Then came the rope climb. Twenty feet straight up. Hand over hand. Using only arm strength to pull yourself to the top.
I grabbed the rope and started climbing. The rough texture bit into my palms. My arms burned with effort. But I made steady progress upward.
I was halfway up when I heard it. A sound like something snapping. The rope jerked in my hands. Then it started to give way.
The fibers were breaking. Unraveling. The rope was failing.
"It's been cut," Gory said urgently. "The rope has been tampered with. It's going to break."
"What do I do?" I asked frantically.
"Climb faster," Gory said. "Or let go and drop. Those are your only options."
I climbed faster. My hands moved quickly up the failing rope. The fibers continued to snap. I could feel it giving way beneath my weight.
I was three quarters of the way up when the rope broke completely. One second I was climbing. The next second I was falling.
The ground rushed up toward me. Twenty feet. Fifteen feet. Ten feet. I had seconds to react.
"Shift," Gory screamed. "Shift now or you'll die."
"No," I said. I twisted my body in midair. I reached out. I grabbed for anything.
My hand caught the edge of the platform at the top of the climb. My fingers barely gripped the wood. My body slammed into the support beam. Pain exploded through my shoulder.