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Chapter 67
~Spring’s POV~
The first hit of water was ice and thunder. The force of the initial wave nearly tossed backward. I forced my arms forward, slicing through the current.
Fae illusions flickered in the water around —schools of phantom fish, gleaming beasts with snapping jaws—but I didn’t slow.
"They’re not real," I muttered to myself.
Tide after tide surged and magic spiraled.
A whirlpool tried to yank down. I twisted quickly, spun out, kicked harder.
I could see Lilith was to my left. We were evenly paced.
"Faster Solstice."
I tried to ignore Jade. She knew that if it were in my past life, turbulence like this wouldnt matter much.
I had once swam and survived a trendous water fall, bound.
And jsut liek that, the mor of that mont, getting my hands tied behind with Silver chains and thrown off the cliff side to weaken my father, King Winter.
And how I survived the rocketty edges and the insane current.
My mind burned and I woudl have cried if I wasn’t deep in the water. I wa stossed back into taht deep darkness that I swam out from... barely able to hod my breath as I forced my body to break through the water, not wanting to see the pain edged across my father’s face from the after lfe, if I died.
I gasped, water filling my mouth as I spaat it out and focused.
"Not real, Solstice. It’s the illusions playing on your mind," I chanted and soon the illusions cleared.
I could see the red crystal up ahead. Ten ters. Five.
Lilith surged forward. I followed, quickly. We both turned the sa ti nut she was faster and back we went...
This ti aroudn, I kept my mind shar and focused as we raced against ti and ourselves.
"Hurry," Jade cheered internally and I gave it my last push even as teh tides threatened to toss Spring’s frail body aside. That plus the pains from the alst ga made it harder to give it my best.
Soon, we could see the blue crystal. That was my cue. I pushed past Lilith, fingers outstretched.
We both reached for it and then...
Darkness.
Every light in the amphitheatre died.
The glowing pool turned black.
Gasps broke out. Shouts followed. Then silence—followed by thunder rumbling across the sky above the do.
The crystals stopped glowing, the magic flickered.
For one, two, five long seconds... we floated in nothingness.
Then, suddenly... Boom.
The lights returned but the damage had been done.
Students leaned forward in their seats, confused.
Raphael strode to the edge of the platform, his brows furrowed.
Storm stood. "Neither crystal registered a hit," he said tightly. "There’s no confird winner. It will end in a draw since both contestatnts made it to the finished line."
I glanced at Lilith, there was a small coy smile on her lips. I follwoed the line of her sight to the far end of the hall, near a turn.
Just then I spotted soone walking away, dressed in an all black ensemble save for the small silver gliters design at the hem.
I tried to look at it closely when suddenly a voice rang out sharply behind .
"No."
"What?"
"No way," students muttered in disagreent. "It’s too much of a coincidence."
Lilith pushed herself up onto the poolside deck, panting, her hair matted to her face. She said nothing—but her clenched fists said enough.
I dragged myself out too, chest heaving, my eyes still on the crystal.
So close. Just one second more...
A murmur stirred by the gate. Two students—twins by the look of them—pushed past the other spectators, one holding a cara, the other holding up a phone.
"I know the winner," the boy said loudly, breathless.
Storm turned sharply and when I glanced at my side, Lilith went pale.
It took them a minute to get to us. As soon as they did, the girl handed her phone to Jace. "We were recording from the side dock, angle seven. We caught everything."
The boy held out his cara to Storm, his grin wide. "We’ve got proof. You’ll want to see this."
Jace’s brow arched as he tapped the screen and narrowed his eyes.
Storm took the cara, reviewing the footage.
Lilith didn’t move. Not that she could.
She already knew what it would show. And for the first ti since the gas began, I saw it.
It was pure... Fear.
Jace squinted at the cara and raised a brow. "What’s this footage from?"
The girl—the taller of the twins—smiled proudly. "We wanted to use the final match footage for the school vlog and end-of-year magazine. So... we installed waterproof caras at both ends of the pool. High-grade enchanted lenses."
The boy added quickly, "One was on the floor of the pool, aid up. The other was at the surface, facing the finish crystals."
Lilith’s head snapped toward them. "That’s impossible. The lights went out—how can we trust what you claim to have seen?"
The girl tilted her head, her golden eyes glinting. "Because I’m half-witch, half-fae, royal. I do not lie and my powers are strong enough," she said boldly.
My lips pulled at the side at her boldness and from the na on ehr crest on he rbreast pocket, I read, Kaia Starweaver and the guy, her brother read, Karl.
Kaia continued. "The cara’s been protected with a sight enchantnt—one that sees even through blackout spells and magical interference. It records beyond what human or supernatural eyes can track during illusion breaks."
Lilith’s eyes widened, just briefly. Then she forced a scoff. "This is ridiculous. Let’s not dramatize. Just play another round—a card draw or logic challenge. It’s only fair."
Mira—lounging with a silvered cup of elven brew—chuckled, her voice like bell chis. "Oh Lilith, why are you so eager to rush things now? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you don’t want us to see the footage."
Her smile was gentle but Mira’s words were razors.
"Why is that?" Mira continued, propping her chin with a finger. "Afraid it might reveal sothing you’d rather keep hidden? Or perhaps you already know what it will show."
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