Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 144 - 142: The door rejected us..

Rhydric smile stretched, then stepped closer to her.

He spoke calmly, logically. "Listen again. ’I am a leader but not a king.’"

Athena frowned. "Okay... go on."

"The first of many," Rhydric continued, "but not the last. Hidden in daily word use."

"I know that." Athena muttered. "But that could be a hundred things."

"Not a hundred," Rhydric corrected gently. "Think. Leader... but not a king. A first... but not the last. Something in common within the words: aspire, lead, power, honor, achieve."

Athena shook her head. "That’s what I don’t get. What do those words have in common?"

Behind her, the room was descending into chaos like, they’re not supposed to be solving the riddle together.

Leo lifted a lazy hand. "Your Majesty, the peasants request snacks."

Felicia smacked his back with her foot. "Silence peasant, the queen is thinking."

Levi groaned under her head. "You’re heavy, woman."

Felicia gasped. "Excuse me?! My weight is distributed evenly!"

Athena ignored them. Barely.

"Athena... all those words, aspire, lead, power, honor, achieve...they share something." Rhydric continued.

Athena blinked. "What do they share?"

Rhydric stepped even closer, lowering his voice. "The beginning. The start. The first letter."

She stared at him, clueless.

Rhydric stared at her too, rubbing his temple, slowly.

He already knows the answer, but he wanted her to figure it out herself.

Athena hissed, pacing around.

Rhydric let out a long sigh, calm and steady, and walked toward her. He reached her, took her hand, gently but firmly, and guided her toward the bed.

"Sit," he said.

Athena sat, blinking at him like she wasn’t expecting softness from him of all people.

Rhydric planted himself in front of her, crossing his arms. "Athena, listen carefully."

She swallowed, nodded.

Rhydric pointed at the air, as though the words were floating right there.

"I’m hidden in your daily word use.

The riddle is telling us the answer is inside something common...something we all use."

He continued, stepping closer.

"The first of many yet not the last.

That means it begins things. It’s a beginning... but not an ending."

Athena’s brows pinched together.

Rhydric crouched slightly, leaning closer to her level.

"Now here comes the key.

My powers appear in Aspire, Lead, Power, Honor, and Achieve.

These are not random words. They’re chosen."

He tapped his finger slowly in front of her as he spoke each word.

"Aspire."

"Lead."

"Power."

"Honor."

"Achieve."

The room fell completely silent. Even Leo, Felicia, and Levi stopped their nonsense.

Rhydric’s voice lowered.

"Athena... What do these words have in common?"

Athena studied the words slowly, deeply, her eyes flickering as the pieces began lining up like falling dominoes. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"The first letter..." she whispered.

Rhydric nodded. "The first of many. Yet not the last."

Her breath caught.

"A... L... P... H... A..." she whispered.

Her eyes widened, snapping up to his face.

"Alpha?"

Rhydric smiled. A real soft smile, that somehow made him look more handsome. "Yeah," he said softly. "You got it."

Athena’s lips parted in surprise, then a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"But we’re not completely sure..." she began.

"We are," Rhydric cut in, gently but firmly. "Everything aligns. Every line of the riddle points to it."

Theo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "It fits the energy of the words too. Leadership. Power. Dominance. It matches."

Azrael sighed, nodding once. "It’s Alpha. Only Alpha makes sense."

Leo shot up from the bed like he’d been electrocuted.

He pointed dramatically at Athena. "YOUR MAJESTY—THE ANSWER HAS BEEN—DETECTED!"

Felicia bolted upright, flipping her hair like she was in a shampoo commercial.

"WHAT?! WHAT?! DID WE WIN? DID WE ASCEND? SOMEONE TELL ME!"

Levi just fell off the bed laughing.

Athena snorted and hid a tiny smile before looking back at Rhydric.

He raised his palm. She raised her brow. Was he givi g her a high five?

Athena didn’t think too much, she slapped it gently. He shook her hand lightly afterward, and she chuckled.

Behind them, Eryx rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t fall out.

Azrael crossed his arms and glared sideways, jealous but trying not to show it.

Theo wiggled his brows. "Well well well... looks like the brain master finally met the brain mistress."

Everyone burst into laughter, except Rhydric, who only cleared his throat and looked away.

Athena tried...tried, not to smile wider than she already was.

===================

The moment Athena and her group stepped out of the blue-lit room, the tension wrapped around them like a tightening rope. Every footstep echoed through the hallway as the guards silently escorted the Kitsune group toward the locked chamber.

Their expressions were a mixture of focus, anxiety, and determination. Even Leo had gone quiet, which said a lot.

The glass corridor hummed, and suddenly the mechanical robotic voice cracked through the speakers, cold and emotionless:

"Attention contestants. Four groups have already been disqualified."

Everyone froze.

A ripple of shock passed through the Kitsune group.

Felicia’s eyes widened. "Four? We just spent, what...less than one hour? How are four groups already gone?"

Leo clutched his chest dramatically. "My heart can’t take this kind of pressure! What if the door rejects us like my ex..."

Felicia smacked his arm. "Can you shut up?!"

Armand stepped closer to Athena, lowering his voice. "So... only two contestants remain?"

His tone was calm, but Athena could hear the underlying unease.

Athena didn’t answer. Her stomach twisted painfully. Her mind replayed Rhydric’s explanation again and again, but doubt still crawled inside her.

What if she entered it wrong?

What if she misunderstood something?

What if she was the reason her group failed?

Azrael noticed her worry and narrowed his eyes, silently scanning her face as if reading her thoughts.

Theo stepped in front of her and smiled reassuringly. "Relax, Kitsune. You and Rhydric cracked it perfectly. Just trust yourself."

But Athena still looked terrified.

The hallway opened into a vast circular space, and the locked chamber came into view. A tall, obsidian-like door marked with glowing silver runes.

Athena moved forward, with her group members behind her...

But then

A loud, desperate cry cut through the air. "MOVE!"

Seraphine ran out of nowhere, and sprinted toward the door like a wild animal. Her steps slapped against the glass floor, her face twisted in desperation, pure panic.