Chapter 35

~Valeria~

The moment the whistle blew, I knew we were screwed.

Not because we weren’t strong enough, or smart enough. No, we had all of that. But something about this challenge just made it seem like they were hell bent on humbling us.

Maybe it was the way the organizers smirked as they explained the rules. Or maybe it was the fact that no one really knew what kind of tasks we’d be facing. All we were told was that we had to complete a series of challenges in a limited time.

That meant puzzles, physical obstacles, and probably some surprises meant to throw us off.

Alerion was our captain. That was obvious, he was the strongest, the fastest, and the one everyone naturally followed. Caius was the brains of the team, the strategist who could solve problems under pressure. Zane and Lysander were the muscle, fast and brutal when needed.

And me? I was the backup.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t important, I had to observe, find things they might miss, and provide the kind of support that could ma