Raven was dreading the moment Cassian would dig in his heels and insist on tagging along. So, she made a point to train with him one last time before slipping away.
“Lady Valor, don’t sweat it. We’ll keep an eye on Mr. Lysander,” one of the executives promised, though his face betrayed a flicker of worry. “But, uh… you sure you don’t wanna say goodbye in person?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Raven pulled a letter from her pocket and handed it over. “Just make sure he gets this, alright?”
The executive took the letter like it was a live grenade, his hands practically shaking.
‘Why me?‘ he thought, already bracing for the fallout. If Cassian found out Raven had bailed without a word, he’d lose it.
But when Cassian finally got the letter after their grueling training session, he didn’t flip out. Instead, he just stood there, calm as a still lake, his eyes scanning the words.
“Mr. Lysander… you okay, man?” the exec asked, his voice tight, half–expecting Cassian to bolt out the door after Raven.
“I’m fine.” Cassian’s tone was steady, almost too steady. “Just grab me an elixir tablet. I need to keep my stamina up for training.”
The exec’s jaw dropped. “You’ve been at it for eight hours straight. You gotta rest.”
“No need. Just get me the pills.” Cassian tucked Raven’s letter into his pocket and headed back to the training room without another word.
He got it–Raven was trying to keep him safe, to shield him from whatever danger she was facing. And that was exactly why he had to push harder.
If that cold personality didn’t come back, then he’d be the one to protect Raven. No matter what it took.
Raven slipped into the venue with the four executive judges, but as soon as they stepped inside, she peele total strangers.
No glances, no nods–nothing to tip anyone off that they’d arrived together.
.ay from the group, acting like they were
Leading the judges was Timothy, the top dog among them. He ushered the other three toward the judges‘ lounge, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd of contestants milling about.
His mission was clear: if he spotted anyone tied to the Larsson family–especially Janelle herself–he’d take her out, no questions asked..
Today was the day every fighter in Forlunda City had been hyped for. They’d shown up at the crack of dawn, buzzing with energy, ready to throw down.
Yesterday, word came straight from the Robinett family’s head: take out Raven Valor, some nobody from a backwater town.
To these Forlunda hotshots, Raven was a nobody, barely worth a second thought. They figured she’d be easy to snuff out in the chaos of the competition, so they kept their focus on the real prize–the trial.
This wasn’t the typical selection event, not just some cage match where the last one standing got the glory. Nah, this was next–level.
Every fighter had to step into a locked–down secret chamber, a gauntlet split into ten brutal checkpoints. Only those who made it through would snag a coveted spot.
The chamber was a death trap, packed with vicious mechanisms designed to test every ounce of a fighter’s skill–strength, speed, brains, they named it
To survive, they needed more than just killer moves. They had to be sharp, quick on their feet, and maybe even know a thing or two about medicine,
Why? Because the final checkpoint was a poison–filled nightmare. Cleared it, and they’d have to detox yourself to walk out alive
1/2
09:47 Tue, 24 Jun
Chapter 958
80%
Word had spread the day before when the organizers dropped the roster. They’d also let slip a little hint: fighters could bring their own antidote pills.
If they didn’t have any, they could use the herbs stashed in the chamber to whip up their own on the spot.
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