Chapter 208

Chapter 208

ARIA

ས 67%H

Finished

Kael reached into his cup-the one containing the name he’d selected for himself at the very beginning. His movements were deliberate, almost gentle as he extracted the folded paper. The entire crowd seemed to be holding its breath.

His eyes found mine across the training ground. He held my gaze for a long moment, and I saw something in his expression-support? Encouragement? Apology? couldn’t quite identify what he was trying to communicate, but the subtle nod he gave me made my heart rate spike even higher.

Then he opened the paper and read: “Jason p>

Team Nine. Kael and Jason.

Which meant…

Oh gods. Oh gods, no.

Ivory was my partner.

The realization hit like physical blow. I was going to be paired with Ivory. With the legendary huntress. With the woman everyone remembered as Kael’s champion partner. With someone so far beyond my capabilities that comparison was laughable.

Pandemonium erupted in the spectator section. People were shouting, arguing, expressing shock and dismay and excitement all at once. I caught fragments of conversation through the chaos:

“-Aria with Ivory p>

—that team is either going to dominate or crash spectacularly p>

-no way Aria can keep up with p>

“-Ivory carried weaker partners before, maybe p>

“–but the Luna has no training, no experience, how is she supposed to p>

Ivory reached into her own cup with movements that looked almost reluctant. She extracted her paper, unfolded it with care that suggested she already knew what it said, and confirmed in a voice that carried clearly despite the noise: “Aria p>

Team Ten. Ivory and Aria.

The Ghost Council’s spokesperson-I still wasn’t entirely sure which elder held that specific role-called for silence. The crowd noise died down gradually, though the buzz of speculation continued in whispers and

murmurs.

“The teams have been selected,” the spokesperson announced. “Ten teams. Twenty competitors. The Ghost Hunt officially begins at an undisclosed time that may occur at any moment from this point forward. You are all dismissed to rest, to prepare, to gather your supplies and ready yourselves. The Hunt will commence when we deem you are least expecting it. Stay vigilant. Stay prepared. And may the best team prove their

worth p>

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Chapter 208

$ བླླ 67%u

Finished

The formality of the dismissal felt anticlimactic after the chaos of team selection. People began dispersing slowly, still talking animatedly about the pairings, about strategies, about odds of success for various teams.

I stood frozen, trying to process what had just happened. Trying to understand how I’d ended up in what was simultaneously the best and worst possible pairing.

Best because Ivory was extraordinary. If anyone could compensate for my inadequacies, it was her. If anyone could carry a weak partner to victory, she had the capabilities to do it.

Worst because everyone would be watching. Everyone would be comparing. Everyone would see exactly how much she had to compensate for, how much extra work she’d have to do because her partner was useless.

I was going to humiliate myself. And worse, I was going to humiliate her by association.

Arms wrapped around me from behind, lifting me slightly off the ground in an enthusiastic hug. Kael’s voice was warm against my ear, genuine pleasure evident in every word.

“Congratulations!” he said, spinning me slightly before setting me back down. “You made it! You’re one of the twenty competitors selected for the Hunt! And you got Ivory on your team-you’re going to win for sure p>

I turned to face him, unable to match his enthusiasm. “I’m not certain of that at all,” I said quietly. “Actually, I’m pretty sure we’re going to fail spectacularly and everyone will blame me for dragging down the most capable competitor in the entire Hunt p>

Kael’s expression shifted to something more serious, though the pride remained. “You have hidden talents,” he said firmly. “Even without formal training, you managed to pass all the preliminary tests. Do you understand how impressive that is? The Ghost Council doesn’t include people out of pity or political necessity in the final twenty. They include people who demonstrated genuine capability. You earned your place here, Aria. Don’t diminish that p>

I wanted to believe him. Wanted to think that my advancement was merit-based rather than politically motivated. But I’d been there for the evaluations. I’d seen how I’d performed compared to everyone else. I knew the truth even if he was too kind to acknowledge i

“Just… try to have some confidence,” Kael continued, his hands on my shoulders. “Ivory is an excellent partner. She’ll help you, guide you, cover your weaknesses while highlighting your strengths. Trust her. Trust yourself. And trust that you belong here just as much as anyone else who made the cut p>

Before I could respond, before I could explain all the reasons why his optimism was misplaced, the call came for lunch.

But this wasn’t the regular pack lunch we’d had during training breaks. This was specifically for the twenty selected competitors. We were directed to a separate dining area that had been prepared while we’d been doing team selections-a long table set with place markers for each team, laden with food that looked both nutritious and specifically designed for athletes preparing for intensive physical competition.

High-protein meats, complex carbohydrates, fresh vegetables, hydration options that included water, electrolyte drinks, and what looked like some of Ivory’s specially formulated compounds. There were also meal rations being distributed-pre-packaged food supplies that we could take with us, presumably for sustenance during the Hunt itself when we wouldn’t have access to regular meals.

I found my assigned seat-next to Ivory, of course, since we were Team Ten. She was already there, loading her plate with efficient movements that suggested she’d lone this before. Knew exactly what her body

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Chapter 208

needed to prepare for extended physical exertion.

67%1

Finished

“Take protein and carbs,” she said without looking at me her attention focused on her food selection. “You’ll need sustained energy. Avoid anything too heavy that might make you sluggish. Stay hydrated but don’t overdo it you don’t want to be desperately needing to bee in the middle of wilderness survival p>

I followed her guidance, selecting foods that matched her recommendations. The meal was excellent- Martha and her team had clearly put significant effort into this preparation. But I could barely taste anything through the anxiety churning in my stomach.

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