Chapter 268 She Finished

Chapter 268 She Finished


Atlas’s POV

The moment Selene and Alessia cried out, everything shifted.
I watched them disappear through the exit with a steady exhale, already knowing exactly what that meant.
They had that handled.
Which meant we had this.
The tournament.
It didn’t stop. It never did.
Cassian stepped up beside me, glancing toward the exit before looking back out over the arena with a slight tilt of his head.
“I guess they changed their minds,” he said, amusement threading through his voice.
I followed his gaze upward instinctively, toward the starting platform, even though I already knew who he was talking about.
“I guess so,” I replied, reaching for the microphone.
The weight of it settled easily in my hand as I stepped forward, letting my voice carry clean across the arena. “Alright,” I called out, drawing the attention back in. “As you’ve already seen today… the bar has been raised.”
A ripple of cheers answered me. “Let’s see who’s ready to meet it.”
I paused just long enough to let the energy build again. “First up, Carl from the Glowing River Pack and Arnold from the Rising Tide Pack.”
I lifted a hand toward the starting line. “Warriors… to the start.”
They stepped forward, both looking confident enough, though I had seen that look before. Confidence at the beginning of this course rarely meant anything by the end.
The whistle cut through the air.
They launched.
Both men cleared the first section smoothly, moving with the kind of rhythm that suggested they had trained for this. Clean footwork, controlled speed, no hesitation on the transitions.
Beside me, Cassian let out a low chuckle. “I think the girls scared them a little.”
I smirked faintly, folding one arm across my chest as I tracked their movement. “Maybe for the first few seconds,” I said. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”
They hit the second section. The hanger.
Arnold reached it first, grabbing the first rung with solid form before swinging forward to the next. His movement was fast, but not as controlled as it needed to be.
Third rung.
His hand slipped.
Just like that, his body dropped clean off the structure, hitting the ground below with a frustrated grunt.
“Well,” Cassian muttered, “that ended quickly.”
“First elimination of the round,” I added evenly, not missing a beat as I kept my attention on the remaining runner.
Carl didn’t falter. If anything, the fall seemed to sharpen him. He moved through the hanger with more control, gripping each rung before dropping cleanly into the next section.
“The climb,” Cassian said, leaning forward slightly.
Carl attacked it. His hand strength was solid, better than most we had seen so far. He gripped each hold without hesitation, pulling himself upward with steady momentum, not once losing his footing or slipping out of position.
“Impressive,” I admitted quietly.
“He might actually make it through a few sections,” Cassian added.
Carl reached the top and transitioned straight into the fire sequence.
Flames burst in timed intervals, forcing quick decisions and sharper instincts. He navigated the first stretch cleanly, weaving between bursts with careful timing.
Then he made a mistake. I saw it the moment he hesitated near the final blast.
“He’s thinking too much,” I said under my breath.
Cassian nodded once. “That’s where they mess up.”
Carl dropped low. Tried to replicate Elara’s slide. It didn’t go well. His timing was off by just enough that the momentum carried him too far, and instead of gliding cleanly beneath the flames, he lost control entirely and slid straight off the course.
I exhaled slowly, shaking my head. “And that’s both of them out.”
Cassian leaned back with a small grin. “Not exactly a strong start.”
“No,” I agreed dryly. “Not exactly.”
We rotated through the next runners steadily, announcing names, tracking progress, calling out each success and failure with practiced ease.
By the final rounds, it was clear. No one had finished the course. Not even close.
Cassian exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck as the last pair of runners struggled through the ice section before both losing footing and dropping out almost simultaneously.
“Maybe we made it too hard,” he said, half joking.
I shook my head once. “No,” I said firmly. “We don’t lower the standard. We raise people to meet it.”
He smirked slightly. “You sound like a motivational speech.”
Before I could respond, a voice brushed through the link.
Brianna. ‘Hey, bros, she said, laughter lacing her tone. Clara and I are ready now.’
I looked up instinctively toward the starting platform. And there they were.
Brianna and Clara stood side by side, waving like they hadn’t just casually inserted themselves into the final run of the day. Brianna’s grin was wide and unapologetic. Clara looked excited… and just a little more aware of what she had signed up for.
I shook my head, a quiet huff of amusement slipping out. “Of course.”
Cassian followed my gaze and snorted. “Only them.”
I lifted the microphone again, stepping forward as the last results were cleared. “Ladies and gentlemen…” I called, drawing the arena’s attention one final time. “To close out today’s tournament, we have a special run for you.”
The energy spiked instantly.
“Please welcome our very own Princess Brianna… and Clara.”
The applause rolled through the arena as they stepped into position.
The whistle blew.
They took off.
Brianna moved like she belonged there.
No hesitation. No second guessing. She cleared the first section effortlessly.
Clara kept pace at first.
“They’re moving fast,” Cassian noted.
“They are,” I agreed.
They hit the hanger.
Brianna flew through it.
Clara didn’t.
She slowed significantly, her grip less certain as she worked through each rung with visible effort.
Clara made it through, but the delay cost her. By the time she reached the climb, Brianna was already halfway up.
Clara reached for the next hold and missed. Her hand slipped, and she dropped out.
A collective groan rolled through the crowd.
“Tough break,” Cassian muttered.
Brianna didn’t slow. She cleared the climb with ease and transitioned straight into the fire sequence, her movements confident and fluid. When she reached the final burst, she didn’t hesitate.
She dropped low. Slid clean beneath the flames.
I let out a small breath through my nose. “She’s been watching.”
“Closely,” Cassian added.
Brianna reached the final section.
Ice.
She paused briefly, her posture shifting as she steadied herself, drawing in a few controlled breaths.
Then she moved.
Slower than Elara.
Slower than Trixie.
But precise. Each step placed carefully, her balance steady as she worked across the slick surface without a single misstep.
“She’s playing it smart,” I said.
“About time,” Cassian replied.
Step by step, she closed the distance.
Then she crossed.
Bouncing slightly as she turned back toward us, clapping her hands with pure excitement. “I did it!”
I checked the time immediately, a small smile forming before I lifted the microphone once more. “Ladies and gentlemen,” I announced, letting the moment stretch just enough, “Princess Brianna has completed the entire course…”
The crowd leaned in. “…with a time of three minutes and twenty seconds.”
And just like that the arena erupted again.