Crowned by Fate Chapter 124

Adrian's POV

As abruptly as it had begun, the arrow shower ceased.

My legs throbbed where the arrows had struck, blood soaking through my torn pants and pooling beneath me. Despite the momentary reprieve, I knew we couldn't relax. This was only the beginning.

"The arrows will return in ten minutes," I announced, my voice tight with pain. "We need to find a solution before then."

Skye immediately dropped to her knees beside me, examining my injuries with gentle hands. Her forest-green eyes widened with alarm as she assessed the damage.

"You've been hit five times in your lower legs," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "There's so much blood, Adrian."

"I'll be fine," I assured her, trying to keep my tone steady despite the burning pain. "I'm an Alpha, remember? The wounds will heal quickly."

I scanned our team, relieved to see that Skye and Lydia had escaped unscathed. Ryder had suffered only the minor ear injury. My relief was short-lived, however, as my legs suddenly gave out beneath me. If not for Ryder and Skye's quick reflexes, I would have collapsed completely.

Ryder glanced at his watch, his young face grim with determination. "That barrage lasted exactly one minute. We've got about seven minutes before the next wave hits." His eyes darted around the room. "We need a plan, fast."

I stared at the four wooden shields we'd created, frustration building as I tried to envision a better defense strategy. Our current approach had failed miserably. We couldn't possibly survive two more arrow barrages.

Lydia reached into her pocket, producing a small ornate container. "This salve will accelerate healing," she explained, her voice calm despite the urgency of our situation. "It contains herbs I gathered specifically for the trials."

Skye didn't hesitate. With careful precision, she pulled each arrow from my legs, ignoring my stifled grunts of pain. Tearing a strip from Ryder's already damaged t-shirt, she wiped away the blood before applying Lydia's ointment.

"The healing process has already started," I told her, noting the familiar tingling sensation as my Alpha physiology began repairing the damage. "Use less on me. Ryder needs it for his ear too."

"This isn't just any healing salve," Skye replied, her fingers working deftly as she spread the green paste over my wounds. "Lydia and I developed it together. It contains bamboo leaves—not only speeds healing but dulls pain too."

"Bamboo leaves..." I repeated slowly, something clicking in my mind.

Despite Skye's protests, I pushed myself to my feet, limping toward our improvised shields. An idea was forming—something so simple we'd overlooked it in our panic.

"Ryder," I called out, "split these shields again. Make eight pieces instead of four."

Without question, Ryder obeyed, his claws making quick work of the wooden panels.

Skye approached, her eyes bright with excitement. "You've figured it out, haven't you?"

I nodded, a plan crystallizing. "Have any of you ever seen newly sprouted bamboo shoots? The way they emerge from the ground?"

Lydia's eyes lit up with understanding beneath her mask. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "If we arrange these panels in the formation of bamboo shoots..."

"...we create a completely enclosed shelter," I finished, relieved that she'd grasped the concept so quickly.

Recognition dawned on Skye and Ryder's faces as they too understood the strategy.

"That's brilliant!" Ryder exclaimed, jumping excitedly before wincing as the movement aggravated his injured ear. "Ouch!"

"We need to work quickly," I warned, checking the time. "The next barrage will start in less than three minutes."

Together, we arranged the wooden panels into a conical structure, overlapping the edges to create a sealed shelter reminiscent of bamboo shoots emerging from the earth. The design was simple yet effective—the arrows shooting down from the ceiling couldn't reach us in our protective structure anymore.

We barely managed to squeeze inside our makeshift fortress before the second wave of arrows whistled through the air. The projectiles struck our shelter with resounding thuds, but none penetrated the overlapping wooden panels. The design held, protecting us from all angles.

When the third and final barrage came, one of our panels cracked under the sustained assault, but the structure remained intact enough to shield us until the arrows finally stopped.

As silence descended upon the cabin, we collapsed onto the floor, exhausted but triumphant.

"That was amazing, Alpha," Ryder grinned, his youthful enthusiasm returning despite his injured ear. "With thinking like that, we're definitely going to win this whole competition."

"This victory belongs to all of us," I replied, looking around at my small but determined team. "If Skye and Lydia hadn't mentioned the bamboo leaves, I might never have thought of the solution."

Skye laughed, the sound light with relief after our ordeal. "I hereby declare bamboo my new favorite tree!" she proclaimed, earning chuckles from all of us.

The wounds on my legs had nearly closed, my Alpha healing accelerated by Lydia's salve. Ryder's ear would take longer to heal. Skye applied more ointment to his wound, causing his face to flush bright red. Whether from the exertion of our defense or Skye's proximity, I couldn't tell.

This wasn't the time for jealousy, I reminded myself. We had survived the first phase of the trial—that was what mattered.

The cabin door swung open with a soft click, revealing our path forward. We had passed this part of the challenge. Now, we only needed to succeed in the team competition to complete the second trial.

"Let's go," I said, leading our team toward the doorway. "Stay alert. This trial is far from over."

We had barely stepped into the adjoining room when the floor beneath us began to crumble and collapse.

"What the fuck!?" Ryder shouted as the ground disappeared beneath our feet.