Crowned by Fate Chapter 148

Skye’s POV

The crowd erupted in a mixture of cheers and anxious murmurs. Teams began moving toward their assigned entrances, and I felt my wolf stir uneasily beneath my skin.

Something about this trial felt different.

As we approached the maze entrance, I had to admit Elder Selene was right about one thing, the design was undeniably romantic.

The entrance wasn't carved from cold stone or twisted metal like I'd expected. Instead, it seemed to grow from the earth itself, an archway woven from living vines that bloomed with midnight-blue roses.

Their petals shimmered with an otherworldly iridescence, as if dusted with starlight. Delicate silver threads ran through the structure like veins, catching the light and creating patterns that shifted with every angle.

"It's beautiful!" I said.

"Just like women," Ryder quipped, his eyes scanning the entrance warily. "The more beautiful they are, the more dangerous."

I rolled my eyes. "And how many women have you dated to become such an expert?"

"Hey, I've had my share of—"

"There's writing here." Adrian's voice cut through our banter, drawing our attention to the archway. He pointed to small, elegant script etched into the silver threads.

I stepped closer, squinting to make out the delicate words:

*"Long ago, an Eastern philosopher had a dream.*

*He became a butterfly—free, joyful, drifting on the wind, unaware he had ever been a man.*

*Then he woke up.*

*Lying in bed, he wondered:*

*Was he a man who had dreamed of being a butterfly,*

*or a butterfly now dreaming he was a man?"*

"What does that mean?" Ryder asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"That philosopher had interesting thoughts," Lydia mused. "Perhaps it means life is but a dream? What if our lives are just dreams of the Moon Goddess?"

"Then I hope my life is one of her pleasant dreams," Ryder said with a smile.

Adrian's jaw tightened. "Let's go. We only have an hour."

We stepped through the archway together, and the world transformed.

It was like tumbling down Alice's rabbit hole. The narrow paths were lined with flowers of various colors. Butterflies danced through the air, their wings like stained glass catching sunlight that couldn't possibly reach this deep into the maze. November in the mountains should have killed any butterfly, yet here they thrived.

The path beneath our feet wasn't ordinary dirt or stone—it seemed to shimmer, changing texture with each step. One moment it felt like walking on clouds, the next like wading through water, though our feet stayed dry.

"If we weren't in the middle of a competition, this would be perfect for a picnic," I said, reaching toward a particularly stunning flower. Its petals looked like spun gold, and it smelled like honey and summer rain.

"Don't touch anything!" Lydia's sharp command froze my hand inches from the stem. "These plants could be poisonous. Some of the most beautiful flora are the deadliest."

I pulled my hand back quickly, grateful for her expertise. The flower's sweet scent suddenly seemed cloying, dangerous.

We continued deeper into the maze, the paths twisting and turning until I lost all sense of direction. The walls grew higher, the vines thicker, blocking out more of the sky above.

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the maze—high and terrified, cutting off abruptly. We all froze.

"That came from the east," Lydia said. "Maybe three hundred yards."

"Should we help?" Ryder asked.

"No." Adrian's response was immediate. "We don't know if it's real or part of the maze's illusions. We stick to our plan."

We pressed on, more cautious now. When we reached the first fork in the path, we stopped.

Two passages branched off from our location. The left path glowed with soft golden light, flowers blooming in warm sunset colors. The right path was shrouded in silver mist, barely visible beyond a few feet.

"No signs, no clues," Ryder muttered, peering down each path. "How are we supposed to choose?"

Adrian studied each option carefully, his tactical mind working through possibilities. "Remember what Elder Selene said—follow your heart, not your mind."

"Great advice," Ryder said sarcastically. "My heart says both paths look equally deadly."

"Wait," Lydia interrupted, kneeling beside the fork. "Look at the butterflies."

We followed her gaze. The butterflies seemed to favor the left path, dancing in and out of the golden light in intricate patterns.

"Nature knows," she said simply.

Adrian considered this, then shook his head. "Too obvious. This maze is designed to trick us." After a long moment, he spoke decisively. "We split up."

"Adrian—" I started to protest.

"Two groups cover more ground," he continued, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Ryder, you're with Lydia. Protect her at all costs."

Ryder straightened, taking the responsibility seriously. "Yes, Alpha."

Adrian turned to me. "You're with me."

Of course I was. Even in the middle of a trial, he couldn't help being protective.

"If you encounter danger or hit a dead end," Adrian instructed Ryder, "mind-link us immediately. We'll regroup. Unlike the spy trial, we can use our connection here."

Ryder and Lydia took the left path, the golden light swallowing them within moments. Adrian gestured toward the right path, the one shrouded in silver mist.

"Shall we?"

I nodded, and we stepped into the fog together.

The mist was cool against my skin, carrying a strange scent. Visibility dropped to mere feet, forcing us to stay close. Adrian's warmth beside me was reassuring, even as the silence between us stretched.

The ground beneath us began to slope downward, subtle at first, then more pronounced. My wolf senses, usually so reliable, felt muffled in the mist.

"Why haven't we encountered any other packs?" I asked.

"The maze must be larger than we imagined," Adrian replied, his voice thoughtful. "Or perhaps it's designed to keep teams separated."

A flutter of wings made us both tense. A butterfly, larger than any I'd seen before, circled us twice before landing on Adrian's shoulder. Its wings were pure black with silver edges.

The butterfly's wings opened and closed slowly, almost hypnotically. Then, without warning, it burst into a shower of silver sparks that rained down harmlessly around us.

"What the hell was that?" I breathed.

Before Adrian could answer, the path curved sharply ahead. I adjusted my stride to match Adrian's longer one. The mist began to thin slightly, revealing walls covered in intricate murals. Butterflies frozen in paint seemed to move in my peripheral vision, their wings creating patterns that made my head spin if I looked too long.

"These images..." I murmured, reaching out to touch one.

"Skye, don't—"

But my fingers had already brushed the painted wing. The world tilted violently, the ground beneath my feet simply ceasing to exist.

I heard Adrian's shout of alarm as I plummeted into darkness, the butterfly mural the last thing I saw before shadows swallowed me whole.