Chapter 207
Chapter 207
ARIA
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The announcement of the tiebreaker decision came swiftly. After much deliberation and what looked like a heated discussion between the commanders and the Ghost Council, they declared that Ivory would get first selection privilege. Something about her demonstrating superior technique during the obstacle course, though honestly, I thought they’d been exactly equal. Maybe the elders just wanted to avoid another argument between Kael and Ivory over who deserved it more.
Ivory looked exhausted as she approached the selection box-a simple wooden container filled with folded papers, each bearing a name.
“Remember,” the commander explained, his voice carrying across the training grounds, “you’ll select your own partner first. Draw one name, place it in your cup. Then Alpha Kael will do the same. After that, you’ll each draw two names at a time to form the remaining teams. Whatever names you call out become teammates. Understood p>
Ivory nodded, her hand reaching into the box. I watched as she shuffled through the papers, her fingers moving with purpose. She pulled one out, glanced at it briefly, and dropped it into the ornate cup that had been provided for team selection.
She didn’t announce the name. Didn’t give any indication of who she’d chosen for herself. The suspense was deliberate—we wouldn’t know team compositions until all selections were complete.
Kael approached next, his movements confident despite the physical exertion he’d just endured. His hand dipped into the box, selected a paper with barely any hesitation, and dropped it into his own cup. Whatever strategy he was employing, he’d already decided on it before approaching the selection.
Two teams down. Eighteen people remaining. Sixteen names still in the box, plus whatever Kael and Ivory had selected for themselves.
The crowd had gone silent. Everyone watching, waiting trying to calculate odds and possibilities. Who would end up paired with whom? Which combinations would create the strongest teams? Which pairings would be disaster waiting to happen?
Ivory reached into the box again, this time pulling out two papers simultaneously. She opened them both. read the names, and called out clearly: “Nina. Elite p>
Team One.
Cheers erupted from the spectator section. Nina and Elite moved to stand together in the designated team area, both of them looking pleased with the pairing. It made sense-Nina was security chief, Elite was one of the SSW operatives. Both highly capable, both experienced in working together. A strong team by any
measure.
Kael drew next, his papers revealing: “Margo. Jordan p>
Team Two.
More cheering. Margo looked surprised but pleased-bing paired with Kael’s assistant meant she’d have someone who understood pack politics and strategic thinking. Jordan seemed equally satisfied with the arrangement.
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Chapter 207
The selections continued in alternating fashion.
Ivory called: “Kira. Damien p>
Team Three.
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I recognized Damien as one of the warriors who’d been part of various security operations. Kira from the kitchens seemed like an odd pairing with him, but she’d made it through the preliminaries, which meant she had capabilities I hadn’t been aware of.
Kael announced: “Jasmine. Marcus p>
Team Four.
Marcus had been one of the guards who’d taken Ivory’s ccelerants during our rescue. Jasmine was another SSW operative. Another solid combination that suggested strategic thinking behind the selections.
Back to Ivory: “Kendra. Chase p>
Team Five.
Wait-those were names Kael had drawn from his cup. Which meant Kael had selected them as his own team, but Ivory had been the one to call them out. That seemed strange, but I supposed it didn’t matter who announced the pairing as long as the teams were properly formed.
Actually, no-I was confused. The process was that Ivory would call out teams from her selections, and Kael would call out teams from his. But Kendra and Chase were being announced as a team, which meant…
My brain struggled to parse the logistics while exhaustion made everything feel foggy and unclear.
Kael called next: “Aiden. Sara p>
Team Six.
Then Ivory: “Amiyah. Bucky p>
Team Seven.
And Kael finished with: “Sam. Dean p>
Team Eight.
Eight teams announced. Twenty people accounted for. Which left exactly two names remaining in the box -mine and Jason’s. And two team slots remaining-whoever Kael had selected for himself, and whoever Ivory had selected for herself.
The math was suddenly, terrifyingly clear.
One of them had me as their partner. The other had Jason.
My stomach clenched with anxiety so intense I thought might be sick. The entire training ground had gone silent again, everyone doing the same math I’d just completed, everyone realizing that the final team compositions would be revealed momentarily.
I didn’t know which option I wanted. Being paired with Kael meant high expectations, inevitable comparison to what he and Ivory could achieve together, the certainty that I’d drag down whatever team we
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formed. But being paired with Ivory meant… what? Working with someone who was legendary, who everyone expected to dominate, who would be constantly aware that her partner was the weakest link?
Jason seemed like the safe option. He was capable but not legendary. If we failed as a team, it wouldn’t be shocking or particularly notable. We’d just be one of the middle-tier teams that didn’t advance very far. Disappointing but not humiliating.
But if I was paired with either Kael or Ivory and we faile? That would be catastrophic. Everyone would know it was my fault. Everyone would see exactly how i adequate I was compared to what either of them deserved as a partner.
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