OPERATION WINTERSPINE (Strings Between Us Book 2)

CHAPTER ELEVEN: OF RETALIATIONS, WAR ROOMS, AND THE FINAL HUNT

Equipped with:

Camouflaged towers

Proximity sensors

Camera traps

Underground bunkers

Fog and rain machines

Emergency medpods

Hidden trenches

Zero visibility zones

And this time, it wasn't us hunting.

It was them.

The full Ardent Court.

Every name was printed on the roster:

Lyle Raizen Soriano

Keryn Montez

Xythe Nathaniel Alcantara

Saichel Levesque

Alexie Fernandez

Tofer Cruz

Seb Santos

Thres Ramirez

And—of course—Arielle Rylance Del Rio

The girl who got up from her fall and brought the empire with her.

"They'll hunt us one by one," Lucian said grimly, pulling out the map. "We can't win by traditional defense."

"So we don't play by rules," I said.

Lucian turned toward me. I met his eyes. Let the storm I'd kept buried for weeks crack open now.

"If they're going to cheat the system by hiding behind their mystery ranks and transfer immunity, we won't fight fair either."

He nodded. Then, slowly, pulled out a second file—not simulation-approved.

Inside:

Disorientation flash rigs

Cam-cloaked pulse mines

Trench spike illusions

Sonic bait bombs

Real-world triggers

Rowan's eyebrows lifted. "Those aren't sim-grade."

"No," Lucian said. "They're real. Not lethal—but real."

"Enough to bruise. To panic. To rattle."

I slid a red marker over the blueprint and circled a corner of the terrain near the bunkers.

"That's where she'll end up. Arielle."

"Put something special there."

"Let's see how far the Ardent Court's little saint is willing to crawl."

Lucian flipped the blueprint upside down, revealing a hidden underlay—the Sovereign Chase's fail-safe corridors, trench junctions, and blind zones.

One section pulsed in red ink: R1 – HER

Rowan drew a line from it to the medpod zone, smirking.

Lucian didn't smile. And I—? I finally stood, tying my hair back like it was war.

"They wanted to play heroes."

"Let's remind them what happens when the villains get tired of losing."

ARDENT COURT POV
Eclipsa Sanctum: The Sigil Heart Hall | Late Night

The war room was dimly lit, screens casting a bluish glow over the gathered members of the Ardent Court. They had just intercepted the council's latest scheming—Bianchi, Rowan, and Lucian weren't just planning a comeback, they were gearing up for a dangerous escalation.

But the Sovereign Chase Grounds, the battleground for the final event, was mostly uncharted territory for them. Surveillance and strict lockdowns meant little was publicly known about the sprawling tactical zone behind the Main Building.

That's where Tofer's hacking came in.

Tofer leaned forward, fingers flying across his tablet as he displayed the fragments of data he'd pulled from the school's restricted systems. Maps, security camera placements, sensor arrays, even some schematic layouts of underground bunkers.

"It's incomplete," Tofer admitted, eyes glued to the screen.
"But enough to give us a fighting chance. We know the general terrain, sensor locations, and some of their trap placements."

Lyle narrowed his eyes, studying the screens with a commanding focus.
"They're setting real traps. This isn't just a simulation anymore. We have to adapt quickly."

Xythe drummed his fingers on the table, a slight grin playing at his lips.
"Dangerous traps... That means we need new tactics—stealth, misdirection, and speed."

Riyee nodded, already plotting mentally.
"We'll use the gaps in the sensor grid Tofer found. Silent moves, precise strikes. They want to play dirty; we'll be the hunters they can't catch."

Thres cracked his knuckles, stepping forward confidently. "If they want a frontline, I'll be it. No one breaks through me."

Keryn examined the sensor locations, voice calm but sharp.
"I'll scout ahead, spot traps before anyone else does. We can't afford surprises."

Saichel smirked, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"And I'll bring some gadgets to mess with their traps—and their heads."

Alexie added with a mischievous grin,
"I'll be the distraction they never see coming."

Seb tapped a data pad, analyzing behavioral patterns.
"Knowing their usual tactics helps. We anticipate their moves before they make them."

Lyle stood, projecting authority.
"We don't know this battlefield like they do. But we have each other, our skills, and Tofer's intel. We'll turn this unknown into our advantage. The final hunt starts now."

The team's focus hardened. Outside, the night deepened, but inside the war room, the Ardent Court was already moving — sharpening their strategies, preparing to face whatever deadly traps awaited them in the shadows of the Chase Grounds.