Crowned by Fate Chapter 126

Adrian's POV

The robed man slowly walked to the wall and pulled the lever. Our chains began to slide toward the doorway, carrying us away from the abyss below.

As our feet touched solid ground, I immediately went to Lydia's side, steadying her with a supportive arm.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, noticing how she cradled one hand against her chest.

She shook her head, the feathers on her mask rustling softly with the movement. "I'm fine," she assured me, opening her palm to reveal raw, scraped skin. "Just some minor abrasions from gripping the chain so tightly."

Satisfied that her injuries weren't serious, I turned my attention back to the group. As we moved further from the abyss to complete safety, I noticed Ryder's expression remained puzzled.

"Alpha Adrian, why did we win?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice. "He never actually answered 'Yes.' How could you be so sure he'd help us?"

Before I could respond, Skye reached over and lightly smacked the back of Ryder's head.

"I never realized you were this slow!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in mock exasperation. "Think about what Adrian just asked him."

Ryder's brow furrowed as he tried to work through the logic. "He asked... 'If my third question were to ask whether you would pull the lever, would your answer match your answer to this second question?'"

Skye nodded encouragingly. "Exactly. Now think about it. If the man had answered 'No' to that question, then when Adrian asked the third question—'Will you pull the lever?'—the man would have to answer..."

"'Yes'?" Ryder ventured hesitantly.

"Exactly!" Skye's eyes lit up with approval. "Because his answers couldn't match. And if he had answered 'Yes' to Adrian's second question, then when Adrian asked 'Will you pull the lever?' as the third question, the man would again have to answer..."

"'Yes'," Ryder repeated, understanding finally dawning on his face. "Because the answers would have to match!"

"So no matter what he answered to the second question, he'd have to say 'Yes' to pulling the lever for the third question," Skye concluded. "Adrian trapped him in a logical paradox where saying 'No' to helping us became impossible."

I watched Skye with admiration as she patiently explained the puzzle to Ryder. Her intelligence, coupled with her natural teaching ability, only strengthened my resolve to make her my mate permanently once the election was over.

"Alpha Adrian," Ryder turned to me, eyes wide with astonishment, "how did you come up with that solution so quickly?"

I suppressed a smile at his youthful wonder. "When time is limited and lives are at stake, you learn to think efficiently," I replied. "Though perhaps when this election is over, you should consider supplementing your physical training with some time at a human university. Logic and philosophy might serve you well."

The robed man approached us as our chains deposited us safely on solid ground. "Congratulations on passing this phase of the trial," he said, genuine respect in his voice. "Very few candidates solve the paradox on their first attempt. The second round of team competition will commence at 2 PM this afternoon." He gestured toward a corridor. "For now, let me escort you to lunch. You've earned some rest before the next challenge."

As we followed him through the stone hallways, I caught Skye's eye. The pride in her gaze warmed me more than any victory ever could.

***

Skye's POV

The dining hall was notably less crowded than it had been this morning, confirming my suspicions that many teams had failed the first phase of the trial. I scanned the room anxiously, searching for Ethan's familiar face among the remaining competitors.

My gaze locked with Leon's across the room, but he quickly looked away, his cold blue eyes deliberately avoiding mine. He appeared unharmed from his trial, but Ethan was nowhere to be seen. My stomach tightened with worry.

Without access to our phones during the competition, I had no way to contact my brother. A sense of unease settled over me as I turned to Adrian.

"I don't see Ethan anywhere," I said, unable to hide my concern. "I want to ask Leon what happened. Maybe Ethan's injured."

Adrian's amber eyes flicked toward Leon, his expression hardening slightly. "I'll come with you," he offered, already rising from his seat.

"No," I placed my hand on his arm. "I don't want to create any tension between you two. I'll just ask a quick question and come right back."

After a moment's hesitation, Adrian nodded, though I could see he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea.

I had barely taken three steps toward Leon's table when Maya intercepted me, blocking my path with arms crossed over her chest.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, her voice low. "You promised me you wouldn't approach Leon or speak to him directly. Remember our deal?"

"I'm not trying to talk to Leon," I whispered urgently. "Where's Ethan? Why isn't he here?"

Maya's expression softened slightly at the mention of my brother. "He was injured during the trial," she explained. "I'll be taking his place in this afternoon's team competition."

My anxiety spiked. I grabbed Maya's arm, fingers digging into her flesh. "How bad is it? What happened to him?"

"Let go!" Maya wrenched her arm from my grasp, rubbing the spot where I'd held her. "When did you get so strong?" She glared at me before continuing. "I don't know exactly what happened. Warriors get injured all the time in these competitions. You should worry more about yourself and your Alpha."

Her words jolted me back to her earlier warning about someone plotting to eliminate Adrian during today's trial. The team competition would provide the perfect opportunity for such an attempt.

"Maya," I said, lowering my voice further, "please take care of Ethan for me. Make sure he's okay."

She rolled her eyes, but I caught a flicker of sympathy beneath her usual hostility. "Of course I will. I hate you, not your brother."

I returned to our table, my mind heavy with concerns about both Ethan and the potential threat to Adrian. Lost in thought, I barely noticed when Adrian lifted a spoonful of creamy mushroom soup to my lips.

"You need to eat," he said gently. "Keep your strength up for this afternoon."

I blushed, not used to such public displays of affection from him. "I can feed myself," I mumbled, though I didn't pull away.

"Don't overthink things," Adrian said, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Ethan will be fine. Right now, we need to focus on preparing ourselves for whatever comes next."

I nodded solemnly, taking a large gulp of the rich soup. Whatever challenges awaited us in the afternoon competition, we would face them together—and we would be ready for any attempt on Adrian's life.