Chapter 169
Raven
The clearing went quiet. All eyes shifted to our team's final member.
Katya stood at the edge of the log, her chest rising with a deep, deliberate breath. The kind of breath you take before diving into cold water—part preparation, part resignation.
Then she smiled. Bright. Confident. Completely unconvincing.
"I'm going up!" she announced, turning to face me with theatrical enthusiasm. "Prepare yourself, Raven! Witness my performance!"
I raised an eyebrow, already sensing the trajectory of this disaster. "As long as you reach the other side before your five-minute window expires, I'll be satisfied."
Her smile faltered. Just slightly. "Come on, don't joke like that! I'm on a team with two legends—there's no way I'd—"
Her foot touched the log.
And immediately slipped.
"Shit!" Katya windmilled her arms, recovering at the last second. She froze mid-step, clinging to the wood like it might buck her off. "These shoes are too slippery! Who designed military boots for ice skating?"
HEART RATE: 94 BPM
STRESS INDEX: CLIMBING
The murmurs started immediately.
"Did she just almost fall on the first step?"
"Her dad's some Russian general, right? Figures. Probably never worked a day in her life."
"Daddy's little princess can't handle a log? Shocking."
Laughter rippled through the group.
Katya's jaw tightened. Her knuckles went white against the bark.
I felt Ethan shift beside me. He'd jogged back from the opposite side, his expression transitioning from mild curiosity to dawning dread.
"Um." Ethan adjusted his glasses, his voice dropping to a private murmur only I could hear. "Even if the two of us succeed flawlessly... we're still going to fail because of her."
I tilted my head, considering the wobbling figure on the log. Katya had managed exactly three steps in two minutes. At this rate, she'd time out before reaching the halfway point.
"Well," I said softly, "It doesn't really matter."
Ethan blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I'm just disappointed I won't get to show off my own performance." I sighed dramatically, brushing imaginary dust off my sleeve. "Such a waste."
Ethan stared at me like I'd announced plans to build a sandcastle during a firefight.
"You're prioritizing your performance... over winning?"
"Obviously." I smiled. "Winning is boring. Everyone expects you to win when you're good. But a truly memorable performance?" I gestured vaguely at the log. "That requires... style."
"Style." Ethan's voice flattened into something between disbelief and existential exhaustion. "We're about to get eliminated, and you're worried about style."
"Exactly." I clapped him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd understand."
"I—" Ethan opened his mouth. Closed it. Rubbed his temples. "I don't understand anything anymore."
"Good." I turned my attention back to Katya, who was now frozen in a half-crouch, gripping the log with both hands like a koala clinging to a eucalyptus tree during a hurricane. "Anyway, we should probably help her."
"Now you care about helping?"
"I always cared." I paused. "I just didn't care about caring until now."
Ethan looked like he wanted to argue. Instead, he sighed—a long, defeated sound—and stepped closer to the log.
---
"Okay, Katya!" Ethan called out, his voice shifting into instructor mode. Professional. Encouraging. The kind of tone you'd use to talk someone off a ledge. "Listen carefully. You need to adjust your center of gravity. Bend your knees slightly—not too much, just enough to lower your center of mass. Keep your core engaged, but don't tense up. Tension creates rigidity, and rigidity reduces adaptability. You want to be like water—fluid, responsive."
Katya nodded earnestly. "Okay. Water. Got it."
She adjusted her stance.
Her foot slipped again.
"AHH!"
She caught herself, barely, her entire body jerking sideways. The log rocked beneath her. For a split second, I genuinely thought she'd go over.
HEART RATE: 95 BPM
STRESS INDEX: CRITICAL
"Fuck," I muttered.
Ethan's face had gone pale. Actual, visible sweat beaded on his forehead. "Okay. Okay, new plan." He forced a smile—bright, desperate, borderline manic. "Katya! You're doing great! Really! Most people would've fallen by now, but you're still up there! That's incredible! You're stronger than you think! You just need to believe in yourself!"
Katya's face softened. She looked almost touched.
"Thank you, Ethan," she said, her voice warm with gratitude. "That's really sweet."
She took another step.
And nearly died again.