Chapter 372: Watching from the Shadows

High above the forest floor, hidden among thick branches dusted with snow, Ethan leaned against the trunk of an ancient pine, eyes never leaving the moving figures below.

Sophia and her team were already deep in motion.

Even from this distance, he could tell she was leading them straight toward the patch of blackwater berries and bitter veil she and Miles had discovered earlier. The way she moved—confident, decisive—told him everything he needed to know.

Genevieve crouched beside him, peering through the branches.

"I still can’t believe that worked," she whispered. "The berries, I mean. I didn’t even know Tidebreakers reacted to them."

Ethan gave a quiet hum. "Most people don’t."

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"It’s not common knowledge," he said. "And it was never meant to be."

Genevieve’s brows knitted together. "But the beast texts—"

"Leave things out," Ethan finished. "On purpose."

Her eyes widened slightly.

"One of the books mentions a paste," he continued. "But it’s actually quite subtle. There’s no explanation, no ingredients listed either. Most people skim right past it. But Sophia didn’t. I’m sure she asked someone, maybe Alpha Orion. She noticed what others didn’t notice."

Genevieve let out a soft, impressed squeal, clapping a hand over her mouth before she could get too loud.

"Now I get it," she whispered. "Why Rita always shut people down whenever they said Sophia wasn’t fit to stand beside Alpha Orion. I thought she was just being protective."

Ethan shook his head faintly. "Rita is a good judge of character. Anyone who doesn’t know that is a fool."

He shifted slightly, adjusting his footing on the branch.

"Sophia’s not just strong," he said. "She’s smart. And that combination is dangerous in the best possible way."

Genevieve tilted her head, thoughtful. "You think she could rival Brynhild someday?"

Ethan’s lips curved. "At this rate? Yeah. I do."

Genevieve smiled wider. "Well, that makes sense. She is friends with Brynhild. Greatness seems contagious."

They both fell quiet for a moment, watching as the team slowed near a cluster of low bushes dusted with frost.

Then Genevieve sighed softly.

"Everything would’ve gone smoothly," she murmured, "if Holly wasn’t on that team."

Ethan scoffed under his breath. "Tell me about it."

Genevieve glanced at him. "She wasn’t always like this, you know. She used to be... competitive, sure, but not this bitter. I think jealousy just got the better of her."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "You always see the best in people."

Genevieve smiled sheepishly. "Someone has to."

"To me," Ethan said flatly, "Holly’s always been arrogant. And cruel when it suits her. That doesn’t just show up overnight."

He shifted again, gaze sharpening.

"I’ve been watching her since this test started. If she’d tried anything reckless or dangerous, I was ready to step in."

Genevieve’s eyes widened. "Really?"

"But it seems her teammates—especially Sophia—can handle her just fine."

Genevieve followed his gaze as Sophia subtly repositioned herself between Holly and the others while they worked.

"...Yeah," she admitted. "Sophia’s not letting her stir trouble."

Ethan nodded once. "Good."

Then his posture changed—alert, focused.

"Get up," he told Genevieve quietly. "It’s starting."

She scrambled up the trunk beside him without question, climbing higher for a better view.

She watched as Sophia knelt beside the bushes, already crushing the dark berries with practiced efficiency. Bianca and Joren worked beside her, grinding bitter veil leaves between flat stones. Sophia and Uther placed the crushed berries on the stone Bianca and Joren were grinding, while Holly just complained about the smell. Miles kept watch, eyes scanning the treeline.

Holly stood stiffly near Sophia, arms folded, clearly unhappy.

Ethan watched closely.

’Let’s see how this plays out,’ he thought to himself.

---

Sophia’s fingers were already stained dark by the time the paste was ready.

She scooped some into her palm and began rubbing it across the front of her jacket, grimacing at the stench.

Miles gagged. "Why does it smell like death and rotten fish had a very bad day?"

"Because fate hates us," Joren replied, rubbing the mixture onto his sleeves.

Uther said nothing, just worked efficiently, smearing the paste across his arms and chest.

Sophia turned to Holly, holding out the remaining paste.

Holly stared at it like it might bite her.

Sophia gestured at the paste. "Go on, bait. Rub it on. You even need more than the rest of us do."

Holly glared at Sophia, then snatched the paste and applied it with sharp, angry movements.

"Everyone knows where they are supposed to be, and do not rejoice too early. If we fell one, there may be more," Sophia told her teammates.

Meanwhile, Ethan observed as she instructed her team. She had taken in the fact that there could be more Tidebreakers. She really was smart.

Sophia took a breath. "Remember, we are not to fight them alone or at once. That would be too risky. We are to lure them."

Her eyes met each of theirs in turn.

"And we don’t play hero. If something goes wrong, we retreat and regroup. No exceptions."

Joren gave a grim smile. "Yes, leader."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Move."

They scattered.

---

Minutes later, the forest shifted.

A low, rumbling growl rolled through the trees.

Then another.

And another.

Genevieve clutched the branch beside her. "They noticed."

Down below, Holly and Bianca burst into motion first, sprinting across the snow-covered ground, deliberately snapping branches and kicking up powder.

The response was immediate.

A massive striped form surged from behind a rock, roaring as it charged after them.

Then another.

Ethan’s eyes sharpened. "Two already."

Sophia and Miles sprinted in the opposite direction, drawing a third Tidebreaker with them, while Joren and Uther waited until the last possible second before bolting, pulling the fourth beast away.

Genevieve’s breath caught. "They actually split them up..."

"They had to," Ethan murmured. "Facing them together would’ve been suicide."

He watched as Bianca suddenly veered left, sliding under low branches, while Holly continued straight, dragging the beast farther away.

"Wait," Genevieve whispered. "They split again."

Ethan’s gaze followed Bianca as she circled back silently through the trees.

"They’re trapping it," he realized.

The Tidebreaker lunged after Holly—