OPERATION WINTERSPINE (Strings Between Us Book 2)

CHAPTER NINE: OF BLINDFOLDED BLADES, INVISIBLE LINES,

"Tower route mapped. Tunnel 4B's a trap maze. Dead end. You're better off vaulting into 5A and crawling under the drone path," he said.

"Are you sure?" Keryn whispered over comms, crouching near a beam gap.

"Nope. But I like danger," Saichel replied, then immediately leapt into the shadows.

"God, you're like a raccoon in a Red Bull ad," Thres muttered, stomping clean through a pressure plate. A click echoed—then fizzled. Trap destroyed.

"Points deducted for triggering, genius," Keryn hissed.

"Better than her. Let the system think I'm the dumb one. Ari's the real knife," Thres replied, calm and deliberate.

In the control booth, Tofer grinned without looking up. "Trap 7A disabled. Minefield override successfully. Keep her steady."

"She's going in hot," Saichel said over the comms. "Like... rage-meditation hot."

"She is pissed," Thres added. "I saw her playlist before we left. It was called Vengeance Breakfast."

Back in the gym, the audience heard it all. Their earpieces were synced to the team feed. Every word from Ardent's squad was broadcasted live.

The crowd couldn't believe it.

"They're chaotic..." someone muttered from the upper bleachers.

"Yeah," another whispered, "but I think that's the strategy."

The remaining Ardent Court players—not in the relay—were sprawled across their bench with the casual energy of warriors lounging at a war they were already winning.

Lyle leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, analyzing the map calmly. "I give her another 28 seconds."

Alexie twirled her pen like it was a dagger. "You guys think she's mad because Saichel stole her Banana Milk or because Bianchi said her Court was 'unorganized'?"

"Why choose?" Seb muttered, not even glancing up from his laptop. "She multitasks with vengeance."

Tofer's voice filtered back through comms. "You're six feet from the active minefield strip. But I bought you three seconds."

Riyee didn't hesitate.

Three. Two. One.

In the final stretch, her heartbeat surged. And the Court surged with her.

She felt Saichel's flicker of daring as he shouted something over comms. Thres's ground-pound pulse gave her footing. Keryn's rhythm accelerated, signaling the window was now. They didn't guide her with words. They guided her with trust.

She ran.

Branches lashed past. Dirt kicked up. Something clicked—but didn't detonate. The gymnasium held its breath. KD didn't move. Didn't breathe. His jaw was tight.

She cleared the slope. Hit the dirt. Slid.

Impact: Clean.

And then—she stood. Dust on her palms. Sweat on her brow. The blindfold dropped into the dirt behind her.

Before her, on the giant LED board:

DEL RIO — COMPLETE.
ARCT: 173
SAA: 108

The room exploded.

Jodie clapped so hard her palms went red. "That's my girl! Princess of Perception, baby!"

Xylia whooped. "She didn't just cross the field. She disrespected it!"