Page 65 of Tempest Awakening

Grabbing the rope, I hauled myself up. The rough fibers bit into my palms, and my arms trembled with exertion. Each pull felt like it might be my last, my muscles screaming in protest. But with every inch I gained, I fought not just against gravity, but against my own self-doubt.

By the time I reached the top, I was already breathing hard, both from physical effort and the mental strain of battling my insecurities.

"Finally," Selena muttered, already halfway down the other side.

I swung my legs over and slid down, wincing as the friction burned through my pants. No time to rest—we had to sprint to the next challenge. My mind raced alongside my feet. How long could I keep this up? Was I fooling myself thinking I could compete at this level?

The second obstacle was a series of giant, interconnected tires partially buried in the ground. We had to navigate through them together, stepping in and out without losing our balance.

"If you trip me, I swear I'll make you regret it," Selena hissed as we started.

The tires were deeper than I expected, the rubber edges slick with morning dew. Each step required careful coordination, not just of my body but of my thoughts. I struggled to focus, to push away the creeping doubt that threatened to make me stumble more than any physical misstep.

Selena moved with frustrating ease, while I struggled to keep pace. My earlier doubts came rushing back, stronger than ever. I wasn't just fighting against physical exhaustion, but against the crushing weight of feeling out of place, of feeling like an imposter in this world of supernatural beings.

"Move faster!" Selena snapped from ahead. "You're slowing us down!"

I pushed myself harder, my legs burning with the effort. Halfway through, my foot caught on a tire's edge, nearly sending me sprawling. I managed to catch myself, but not before Selena noticed.

"Pathetic," she muttered, not even pausing to check if I was okay.

Shame burned hot in my cheeks. She was right, wasn't she? I was pathetic. What was I even doing here? These thoughts weighed me down more than any physical burden, making each step a monumental effort of will as much as strength.

After what felt like an eternity of awkward stepping and near-falls, we finally cleared the tire field. My legs were already shaking, but there was no time to recover—physically or mentally.

The third and final partner obstacle awaited—a massive cargo net suspended over a pit of thick mud. We had to crawl across it together to reach the other side.

"Try not to embarrass yourself too much," Selena said as we approached the net. "Though I suppose that's impossible for you."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves and quiet the storm of self-doubt in my mind. I could do this. I had to do this. Not just for myself, but for Thalon, for everyone who believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself.

We began to climb. The ropes were coarse and unyielding, digging into my hands and knees as I crawled. Each movementwas a battle—against gravity, against fatigue, and against the relentless voice in my head telling me I didn't belong.

Selena moved ahead quickly, each of her movements causing the entire net to sway and bounce. The mud pit below seemed to grow larger with every forward crawl, a yawning chasm ready to swallow me whole—just like my doubts threatened to do.

As we neared the wooden platform at the end, I felt a surge of relief—we were almost there. Selena and I were neck and neck, both reaching for the edge of the platform.

Suddenly, Selena's form blurred with supernatural speed. In the blink of an eye, she was on the platform, leaving me still clinging to the net. Before I could process what had happened, I saw a familiar smirk cross her face.

Without warning, she grabbed the edge of the net and gave it a sharp, violent shake. The entire structure lurched, and I felt my grip loosen instantly. There was no time to recover, no chance to cling on.

"Oops," Selena's voice dripped with false concern as I felt myself falling.

Time seemed to slow as the mud pit yawned wide beneath me. In that moment, it wasn't just my body falling—it was every hope, every dream I'd had since bonding with Thalon. Then, in a heartbeat, I hit the surface with a squelch. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, and thick, cold muck covered my face. I flailed, trying to orient myself in the viscous mess, feeling just as lost in my own doubts and fears.

As I broke the surface, gasping and spluttering, I saw Selena watching from the platform with a smirk.

"Guess humans really don't have any balance," she called out, already turning to leave.

Humiliation burned hot in my chest, threatening to consume me entirely. How could I have ever thought I belonged here?

For a moment, I stood there, dripping and dejected, the weight of the mud matching the heaviness in my heart. Selena was long gone, probably already tackling the individual obstacles with ease.

I closed my eyes, fighting back tears of frustration. Every doubt, every insecurity I'd had since arriving here seemed to coalesce into a suffocating cloud of despair. What was I doing here? I was just a librarian, a human among supernatural beings. I didn't belong.

Then, unbidden, Thalon's voice echoed in my mind,"You've got this, little one. Show them what you're made of."

His words cut through my self-pity, igniting a tiny spark of defiance. I was soaked, I was muddy, but I wasn't beaten. Not yet.

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