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~Jade's POV~
I pushed off the tree slowly, forcing my breathing to steady, but my mind refused to calm.
Pausing, I bit my lower lip hard enough to taste copper as my thoughts spiralled back to how everything had gone so horribly wrong.
It had all started perfectly. The second they gave the go-ahead for the games to start, I blended in smoothly, joining the chaotic rush of eager students into the woods.
I followed a small cluster of them for the first fifteen minutes, keeping my head down, before quietly breaking away from the designated paths.
Slipping into the shadows, I summoned a thread of dark magic to track Jade's distinct scent through the damp foliage.
However, upon finally reaching her checkpoint, my assassination plan derailed. I saw it before she noticed me.
The uneven ground, the shift in her footing. I watched from the tree line as Jade lost her footing on a muddy slope and went down hard before she caught herself too late.
