Page 50 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Gasps rippled through the watchers.

He dropped, sprinting into the crawl spaces. Crashing to the ground, thick, sloppy mud coated him instantly. Dragging at his limbs, moving through the confined space reminded him of army training. A strange pulse tugged at his senses—something transpiring tingled in the air. It was probably just the other teams. He forced his focus back, pulling his energy inward, and crawled out of the final tunnel onto his second platform.

This section was simple for him; less so for others. The gaps were wide, the platforms uneven, but he’d been scaling rooftops since childhood. The only challenge was the final obstacle: a full spiralling loop. If needed, he could use his power to stay up, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to.

He was halfway through, lining up a jump from a curved surface to a ramp five feet away. Jay shouted encouragement from his podium; three more down, two to go.

A scream cut through the arena, redirecting his attention. His power shot straight to the source.

Two teams over, a Red player dangled from a ledge—a boy who looked barely eighteen and far too skinny for this section. This course demanded strength more than speed.

“What are you doing!” Jay yelled, exasperated. “Keep moving!”

But Rain couldn’t ignore it. He’d clear his last obstacles easily. Why wouldn’t he help?

He narrowed his eyes, willing the energy around the boy to lift him. The kid’s face twisted in shock, but he didn’t hesitate; he hauled himself up with the assist.

Easy.

Rain refocused, leaping onto a tall pole, hauling himself up until he reached the height of the next platform. Now for the loop. To save time he sprinted along the curved top—spectators shrieked; Jay nearly had a heart attack—before dropping to his knees, skidding along the surface, grabbing the ledge, and swinging under the edge. He slid down the inner curve, ran as his feet hit the ground, caught the upward spiral, and climbed the metal handles like a ladder. When they inverted, he twisted his body mid-hang, then monkey-barred across to the final ladder leading down to Jay’s level.

He slapped Jay’s hand. Jay shook his head as he sprinted into the maze.

Rain remained on the platform, scanning the arena. Julian was staring at him with a massive grin.

Fuck. How long had he been watching?

Neither team had finished yet; Julian had no reason to look that smug. Rain trusted his team, but Purple were seasoned champions. Maybe agreeing to that bet had been a mistake.

From this vantage point he couldn’t see much of the course beyond Jay’s section. He could only see Wren, who waited at the end for the final 200-meter sprint with hurdles.

Rain glanced back at the Red player he’d helped. The boy was now trying to climb a pole, sliding down every time. His teammates didn’t seem bothered. Odd. Julian whistled at them; they waved back like old friends. Then Julian turned to Rain again, smirk widening.

Of course. He’d orchestrated it; baiting Rain’s instinct to help.

Rain sighed. He wouldn’t have done anything differently.

He shifted his focus back to his team, scanning their energy. They were at Sean’s stage; a heavy-weight challenge. Sean’s confidence radiated; he’d grown up hauling massive loads across his family’s farm. This was his element.

Jay and Thomas had finished. Next was Rogan on rock climbing, then Emily on the inflatable obstacle course, and finally Wren.

Eventually Emily’s hand taps Wren in, and she explodes into motion. Green has already finished in first place. A Blue–Green mixed team is only two hurdles from the end, and Purple is seconds ahead of Wren. Blue–Green crosses the line, leaving Purple and Wren to fight for third.

Wren’s form is flawless—legs lengthening, body folding and unfolding over each hurdle, sprinting hard the moment her feet hit solid ground. When both runners cross the finish, it’s so close no one can tell who won.

Fuck.

Rain and Julian exchange a look, neither sure whether to celebrate or curse the other out. Rain heads toward the finish line with Jasmine and Daphne at his sides, catching up to Wren as the rest of the team gathers.

“We did it, guys. we rocked it!” Thomas crowed, clapping Jay and Rogan on the back.

“I can’t believe we did it, honestly,” Jasmine laughed. “I love you all, and I think we’re amazing, but I’ll be the first to admit I thought we were in way over our heads.” Emily nods vigorously.

“I didn’t doubt us for a second,” Rain grinned, enjoying the feel of their well-earned pride.

“We kicked ass!” Emily bounced joyously on her toes. Jay drifted to Rain’s side, leaning against him, sheepish. Rain wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him close.

“I saw what you did,” Jay murmured quietly.