Crowned by Fate Chapter 125

Adrian's POV

"Everyone, stay calm!" I shouted as the floor continued to crumble beneath us. "Move toward me!"

My pack members scrambled in my direction, their eyes wide with panic as wooden planks splintered and fell away. The collapsing floor revealed what lay below—a sheer cliff face dropping into darkness. The sight sent a fresh wave of terror through our small group.

"Shit!" Ryder exclaimed, his foot slipping through a newly formed gap. He barely managed to leap to a still-intact section. "Not another damn cliff!"

"These Council members are so devious!" Skye shouted over the cracking sounds of splintering wood. "How do they come up with so many deadly traps?"

My mind flashed to Skye's father's story from two days ago—the tale of the Seesaw challenge and its hidden lesson. Stay calm. Think clearly. The Council's purpose wasn't to collect corpses; they wanted to test us, not kill us. There had to be a solution.

As if answering my thoughts, several chains slowly descended from the ceiling, dangling just within reach.

"There!" I pointed upward. "Everyone grab a chain!"

Ryder reacted instantly, his athletic frame propelling him upward as he secured his grip on the nearest chain. Skye followed with equal agility, her silver hair catching the dim light as she swung herself to safety.

But Lydia—her physical abilities weaker than the others as she was never trained as a warrior—missed her grab. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she began to fall.

I lunged forward, my hand shooting out to catch her arm. The sudden weight nearly pulled my shoulder from its socket, but I held firm, gritting my teeth against the pain.

"I've got you," I assured her, muscles straining as I maintained my grip. "I won't let go."

Lydia nodded, her eyes wide with fear behind her decorative mask. After taking a shuddering breath, she reached up with her free hand to grasp the chain above us, then wrapped both arms around it in a death grip, her knuckles white with the effort.

Just as we all secured ourselves to the dangling chains, a figure appeared in the doorway. A man in Council robes observed us with an unnervingly calm expression—a stark contrast to our precarious position suspended over the abyss.

He began to applaud slowly. "Congratulations, Alpha Adrian. I'm impressed that your entire team has made it this far."

Anger flared in my chest at his casual demeanor while my pack dangled in mortal danger. "Skip the pleasantries," I growled. "Can't you see some of us are barely holding on?"

"Please, don't be alarmed," the man replied, his voice infuriatingly steady. He glanced up at our suspended forms before continuing, "You're currently undergoing the final phase of this trial. There's a lever beside me—if I pull it, you'll be safely lowered to the ground behind this door. No one will be harmed."

Following his gaze, I noticed a small, unassuming lever beside the wooden door. The dim lighting had concealed it from our initial inspection.

"Listen carefully," the man continued, taking a step forward. "This game is called 'Yes or No.' Your team may ask me three questions in total, to which I will answer only 'Yes' or 'No.' I will not lie. After your three questions, if I agree to help you, I'll pull the lever. If my answers remain 'No,' you fail the trial."

I tightened my grip on my chain, mind racing. Three questions with only yes or no answers? This was an unexpected challenge.

"So will you let us down now?" Ryder blurted out.

"Stop!" I tried to intervene, but it was too late.

"No," the man replied without hesitation. "Two questions remaining."

"Ryder!" Skye hissed, glaring at our young warrior. "Don't say another word!"

Ryder hung from his chain with one hand, using the other to scratch the back of his head sheepishly.

"From now on, I'll ask the questions," I announced, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the strain on my muscles.

I drew a deep breath, carefully considering our options. The situation demanded precision—we couldn't afford another wasted question.

But the more I thought about it, I realized we didn't need three questions. We didn't even need two.

This game wasn't about convincing him to pull the lever—it was about understanding the logic of "Yes" and "No."

I paused momentarily, then asked with deliberate precision: "If my third question were to ask whether you would pull the lever, would your answer match your answer to this second question?"

"I..." The man faltered, clearly caught off guard. Then a broad smile spread across his face as he broke into laughter.

"Alpha Adrian, you truly are an interesting character."

"We've won," I stated coldly. "Now lower us down."

Ryder's confusion was evident even through his strained expression. "What just happened? How did we win?"