Chapter 70: Push The Limit (2)

Chapter 70: Push The Limit (2) Lethia had grown used to people calling her names ever since she failed to awaken her wolf six years ago on her eighteenth birthday. And because of her unbothered nature, she never really took it to heart because that was such a waste of energy. She was immune to that kind of mockery. But now, when people started dragging her pregnancy into it, she became painfully sensitive—her breath quickened, her heartbeat surged. Violence in Asenhold was as good as suicide, but this was Lykon Haven. Should she just land a punch right on their smug faces? "Arrgh... Are you blind?" the shrill voice of one of the bullies made Lethia snap her head toward them. "Oh... I’m so sorry, really. I didn’t mean to step on your foot. My bad, okay?" Chasey said with an adorably guilty face, so disarmingly sweet it forced all attention to shift back to the girl being "stepped on," making it clear she had to drop it before things escalated. The group of bullies moved off, and Chasey’s expression immediately changed as she turned back to Lethia, rolling her eyes hard. With a flick of her shoulder-length purple hair, she flashed a wide grin the second her eyes locked with Lethia’s. Lethia let out a chuckle—her boiling rage instantly cooled down. "What are you doing?" Lethia asked as Chasey looped her arm around hers and they continued walking. "Serving justice! She deserved more than just a stomped foot. And I saw your fists. You can’t ruin your image by entertaining gremlins like them. They’re not worth the dirt under your nails. Let me do the dirty work. I can be a chameleon, you know." "Why should you? We are... an ally." Had Lethia’s heart softened? She almost said friend, didn’t she? "Oh Queen, the moment I signed myself up as a fan on your fansite, I practically swore myself in as your right hand maiden too." "Don’t exaggerate. You stuck around because I promised you’d work under Caelum later." Chasey came to a stop, her hand tightening just a little more around Lethia’s arm. "That’s... another reason. But maybe it’s just in my nature, as an omega, to get attached to an Alpha She-wolf like you. I feel... safe." Lethia caught the way Chasey’s expression turned sincere, and guilt tugged at her a little. It was in the omega’s nature to seek out someone with power to follow. Lethia had never cared much for werewolf hierarchies. It always felt belittling. Her work made her social with everyone. But she was a loner. And she never let just anyone find a place in her heart. "Chasey... I admit I need you as my ally. But I don’t have the kind of power that makes people feel safe. So don’t set your hopes too high, or the fall might be too hard." She saw Chasey’s lips pout, her eyes dimmed with something like disappointment—but her fingers kept gently squeezing, then loosening again on Lethia’s arm, like she needed to hold on to something. "But... if you’d rather call me your friend," Lethia added, "I think that’s a bit more comfortable for both of us." Chasey broke into a wide grin the second the words left her lips. They shared a smile and kept walking side by side toward the gym, where the test awaited them. As she stepped into the gym where her name was listed, Lethia stood still, stunned by what lay before her eyes. Not because she’d never seen advanced gym equipment before, but alongside the standard machines, there were glass rooms that looked like full-on simulation chambers. The whole thing felt more like a game zone than a fitness space—like she’d walked into some VR training level. She’d gotten separated from Chasey, who was led into a different room. Before long, a woman in a sleek trainer uniform approached Lethia with a small smile. "Hi, Lethia, right? I’ll be your trainer today," she introduced. "Ah, yes. And sorry, what should I call you?" "Nyna." They shook hands, and Nyna patiently began to explain several of the rules she’d need to follow. As they walked around the gym together, Nyna informed her that she’d have to choose three sports for her physical assessment. "You should pick based on what your body can handle. Even with the prescribed medication, be wise with your choices," Nyna advised gently, her tone laced with care. It reminded Lethia of the bullies’ sneers earlier... and she wondered if she was being given special treatment. But then again—probably not. Callista had been very clear: even as the Executive Aide leader, she couldn’t afford to play favourites. Lethia scanned the room, observing the available options for her assessment. She thought back to last night’s conversation with Whisney. Sure, Whisney would do her best to protect the baby growing inside her, but even she had warned Lethia not to push herself too hard. After all, Whisney still had five tails—her strength wasn’t at its peak yet. Jumping or lifting weights might be the worst options possible. Jogging on a treadmill sounded like the safer route. She’d loved running since she was a kid—circling around the ranch barefoot, wild and free. It was familiar. It was something her body knew. "If there’s no elimination in this phase, then it must be tied to the next one, teamwork assignments, right?" Lethia asked, her brows furrowing as she bit down lightly on her lower lip. Nyna smiled. "You surely are sharp. Well, I’m forbidden to say much more now. So... have you decided on your choices?" Lethia let out a long sigh, her gaze sweeping across the gym room again. She wasn’t expecting a perfect score—just enough to make sure this result wouldn’t block her from advancing to the next phase. With a faint trace of worry in her eyes, Lethia looked at Nyna and gave a slow nod. Her first choice fell on the treadmill. Lethia stepped up, positioning herself before pressing a few buttons to set the speed. Once her pace had found a steady rhythm, she reached to increase the intensity, but Nyna stopped her, activating the hologram screen right in front of the treadmill. Lethia glanced over at her with a questioning look, only to be met by a mischievous smile. Then the hologram crackled to life, and a voice rang out: "Good day, Lethia Ashcroft. Hey sweetheart, you’ve been so busy running from your problems on that treadmill, you forgot your brain’s been skipping leg day. Don’t let that mind shrink into a raisin now... let’s solve these questions!" The high-pitched, chipper voice made Nyna burst into laughter while Lethia frowned, confused as hell. She kept jogging, her eyes locked on the screen as it played an intro slideshow of executive aide activities—models in grey uniforms flashing across the display. Then the screen went black. Lethia’s legs, just beginning to settle into the current tempo, twitched with the urge to push faster. "I will add the speed." Just before her finger touched the add speed button, Nyna grabbed her hand, stopping her. "You’ll wanna wait." Suddenly, the hologram lit back up, flashing a command: Solve This! 23 + 2 + 45 + 3 + 67 = ... A timer appeared in the top-right corner, counting down from 10. Lethia darted her gaze toward Nyna. "What is this?" she demanded. "You need to type the answer here," Nyna said, pointing to the glowing keyboard panel on the hologram. Panting through her open mouth, Lethia kept jogging while panic rose like a tidal wave. She stared at the countdown, heart slamming in her chest. Sweat trickled down her temple. ’What the fucking hell is this?!’ Her brain couldn’t relax, couldn’t breathe. The timer dropped to 2. She rushed to type the answer—140—and a green checkmark lit the screen, confirming she was right. Lethia gasped for air through her mouth, shooting Nyna a sharp glare. Nyna just gave her a smug, teasing smile while scrolling through Lethia’s assessment data on her tablet. But the relief was short-lived. Another problem instantly popped up on the screen, the timer ticking just the same. "Oh Goshhh..." Lethia growled, frustration bleeding out of her voice. Additions, subtractions, multiplications, divisions—even Fibonacci sequences—flashed in and out like a damn math assault course. All while her legs kept pumping, breath heaving, body running and brain forced to solve each equation in real time. Lethia could feel the heat rising in her chest, and her legs growing heavier with each step. Every time she finished a slightly harder question, her speed dropped, her footing stumbled, nearly tumbling face-first more than once. But the theme of this test was to push the limits, and that alone kept her moving. After several minutes of running and nearly thirteen questions solved, she realised something. This wasn’t just about speed or smarts—it was about how far one could think while under pressure. So she figured, if she could just push far enough to reach the more difficult questions, it’d boost her score. And to reach those? She’d have to keep running. So she made a choice—to lower the treadmill speed, just enough to let her legs keep going longer. "You can stop yourself if you can’t take the running anymore," Nyna advised after noticing Lethia’s fingers dialing down the pace. "I know my physical endurance is not in the best shape because I’m pregnant," she replied, breath still uneven, "so... at least I need to excel with my brain, don’t I?"