Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas
Chapter 68: One More Chance to Make it Fair

Chapter 68: One More Chance to Make it Fair

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Chapter 68

~Spring’s POV~

Lilith’s jaw clenched. "Fine," she snapped. "Believe what you want. But how do we know Spring didn’t rig it? They could’ve been her friends—planned this together."

I took one breath. I’d stayed silent long enough. Giving her room. Giving her rope.

But now?

"You can insult my effort, my skill, or my win," I said calmly, "but accusing me of rigging a student-run recording that even the council had no idea existed?" My voice dropped. "That’s desperation. Not strategy."

She opened her mouth—but I stepped forward.

"I’m not the one scared of the footage. You are." My gaze never wavered. "Let the videos be shown. I am not scared, come what may."

Storm turned to me, then nodded slowly. "Understood."

He and Jace moved toward the tech panel. Jace handed the crystal core to a tech mage by the broadcast rune.

"Can it be transferred to the main board?" Storm asked the boy.

The twin grinned. "Yep. Just give us a few seconds."

I watched Lilith from the corner of my eye. She was standing rigid now. Her hands by her sides—but one finger tapped against her thigh. Twitching.

She was unraveling.

One slow tick at a time.

The screen above us blinked—first black, then blue, then a flash of the glowing pool from a side view.

Gasps rippled through the audience.

The underwater view played, showing both Lilith and I swimming. Then the surface view cut in, both our hands surging forward toward the red crystal and the winner...

Mine touched first.

It was clear and undeniable and right as the lights went out, Lilith’s fingers touched her crystal.

Even the moment after, when the crystal pulsed red for half a second before dimming, was captured by the second angle. Crystal-clear.

Lilith’s face—barely a heartbeat behind—was still reaching.

It wasn’t even close.

I heard murmurs rise like a wave. A few cheers. A stunned silence from Lilith’s group of loyalists.

Mira leaned toward Raphael, whispering something I couldn’t catch.

Kael smirked. Tyrion gave a single nod, arms crossed. Even Rael—quiet beside the others—folded his hands behind his back, saying nothing, his eyes fixed forward.

Storm turned around to the crowd. With a smooth voice he declared, "Based on impartial visual evidence," he said, "the winner of the third and final challenge... is Spring Kaine."

The arena erupted.

Not just cheers. Roars. Applause. A chant breaking out from the first-year seats.

"Queen of the Games!"

"Spring Kaine!"

I exhaled slowly, grounding myself in the sound. In the rush and proof.

There was no room for doubt now. No loopholes. I had won and Lilith... had nothing left to say.

My body still ached from the impact of the games but nine could compare to the feeling I had of being recognised by the school.

Spring Kaine, the discarded human student, now turned the beloved student of the school.

The crowd roared once more.

Lilith stood frozen, her jaw clenched so tightly I swore I could hear her teeth grinding. Her face—usually so composed—was unreadable now, somewhere between a sneer and a scream.

I should have left it there.

I should have turned, taken my victory, and walked out like a crowned champion but I didn’t.

Because something in me didn’t want her to have an excuse, not a whisper or a rumur springing out later about cheating and getting favoured by my mates.

Nothing.

So I took a breath, turned back toward Storm and the rest of the Council, and lifted my voice.

"Wait."

The cheers quieted as everyone turned.

"Even though I won the final round," I said, gaze fixed on Lilith, "I’ll give her one more chance to make it fair."

Storm’s brow lifted, but he didn’t interrupt.

But not for Jace. He muttered, "What are you doing?"

"Stop it before it;s too late," Tyrion mouthed.

I ignored them and focused on Lilith. "Lilith may choose a final card game," I said. "A mental challenge. A game of chance or wit. But—" I raised my hand to cut her off before she could interfere, "the Council will provide the deck, the setup, and ensure no tampering."

Gasps echoed around me. Even Rael blinked in surprise, while Mira narrowed her eyes in silent amusement.

"If she wins that game," I added, "then the swimming victory is canceled. She gets the overall win. Three challenges, two victories. She keeps her seat and the reward."

Storm straightened. "And if you win?"

"Then it becomes 3 to 1. And the stakes remain."

Lilith’s head turned sharply, eyes flaring.

She studied me for a moment, clearly weighing the humiliation of accepting my offer versus the shame of being labeled a coward for refusing it.

Then she smirked.

"How generous." Her voice smooth but tight. "Very well. I accept."

She turned toward the Council without missing a beat. "I choose ’Mind Snare.’"

Several students in the crowd gasped.

I heard Kael mutter under his breath, "Of course she’d pick that."

"Mind Snare," Mira explained quietly, "is a game of memory, perception, and deception. Every card flipped reveals a symbol. Players must recall, match, and bluff. If they fail a match or get deceived—they lose a point. First to 3 matches wins—unless you hit 3 strikes first, then you forfeit. Whichever comes first."

Raphael stepped forward, conjuring a fresh deck from a silver lockbox. The cards shimmered with protective wards. "This will do," he said flatly. "No magic. No interference. Pure mind and memory."

Jace raised an eyebrow at me as he passed by. "You sure about this?"

I nodded. "She wants a final say. I’ll give her one."

Lilith crossed her arms and stepped forward toward the conjured table set on the center platform.

The match wasn’t physical anymore but it was war all the same and I’d make sure she lost more than just a title.

Minutes later, we stood at opposit sides of the table.

The table was obsidian black, glowing faintly beneath the rune-marked deck. Every card shimmered with magic—symbols.

I sat across from Lilith in the heart of the Council amphitheatre, the entire student body watching from the rising tiers of seats. A hush hung over the space like the air before a lightning strike.

Mind Snare.

A game of memory, reflex, and will.

There were 30 cards—15 rune pairs. Whoever made three matches first won. But if you missed three times? You were out. It was that simple.

The twist? Every two rounds, the board reshuffled itself magically. Everything you’d memorized dissolved. Just when you thought you had the pattern, the game would make sure you didn’t.

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