Daughter of oblivion: Claimed by four alpha(s)-Chapter 143 - 141: Rhydric stop smiling
Chapter 143: Chapter 141: Rhydric stop smiling
Athena shoved his face away.
Leo snorted. "You deserved that."
Eryx didn’t even lift his head, just spoke flatly. "Shut the fuck up."
Alaric, still glaring at Eryx lying on Athena like a smug cat, snapped, "Can we focus? The riddle isn’t going to solve itself."
Athena lifted her gaze slightly, scanning the lines of the riddle.
Leader but not a king...
First of many...
Athena kept on staring at the screen lost in thoughts.
"Wake me when we accidentally win," Felicia muttered dramatically.
"Wake me when she removes her leg," Leo groaned into the mattress.
"Wake me when you stop complaining," Felicia snapped.
Levi just hummed like he was getting a back massage. "This is the softest I’ve ever felt," he sighed.
Athena sat on the floor, trying her absolute best to focus, really trying, but Eryx’s head was on her lap, one hand tracing slow circles around her knee while the other reached up to play with the curls of her hair.
She jerked her face away for the fifth time.
"Eryx. Stop."
"Can’t," he murmured, voice low and warm. "You’re distracting."
"I’m distracting you?" she whispered sharply.
"Deeply."
She nearly shoved him off her lap.
Meanwhile, Rhydric stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes locked on Athena in a way she pretended not to feel.
Finally, he spoke...his voice slicing through the room like a blade."i think the answer is obvious."
Every head snapped toward him.
Athena frowned. "Nothing about this is obvious."
"It is," Rhydric replied, pushing off the wall. "The line ’I am a leader but not a king’ means it’s something that comes before others. Something that leads."
Athena shook her head. "Not necessarily. It could mean something symbolic. Or something that leads without ruling."
He stepped closer, expression unreadable.
"The second line confirms it: ’The first of many yet not the last.’ It’s alphabetical. It has to be."
Athena scoffed. "That’s too simple."
Rhydric arched a brow. "Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one."
Felicia flung an arm upward from the bed without lifting her head. "Can the two greatest brains in school not flirt-fight right now? I’m trying to sleep."
"Shut up," Athena and Rhydric snapped at the same time.
Felicia snorted. "Flirting confirmed."
Both of them rolled their eyes.
Athena glared at Rhydric. "Even if it’s alphabetical, it doesn’t mean the answer is a letter."
"Yes, it does," he said calmly. "That’s what the riddle is pointing at. A leader, the first of many..."
"It says ’yet not the last,’" Athena cut in. "A letter is the last eventually. Z exists."
Theo smirked. "She has a point."
Rhydric’s eyes flickered, annoyed. "It means the first in a sequence that doesn’t end. Letters repeat. They create words."
Athena folded her arms stubbornly. "I’m not convinced."
"Think about it."
"No."
Rhydric’s jaw tightened. "Athena..."
She interrupted again, "Look at the last line: ’My powers appear in aspire, lead, power, honor, and achieve.’ That doesn’t fit your ’alphabet’ idea."
"It does," Rhydric insisted. "If the answer is..."
"I said I’m not sure!" Athena snapped.
The entire room froze.
Azrael’s eyes narrowed at Rhydric. Alaric looked seconds away from throwing a punch. Even Elora glanced nervously between them.
Eryx just smirked and kept tracing her curl.
"Love this," he whispered. "You’re so beautiful when angry."
"Shut. Up." Athena hissed.
Leo raised a pillow dramatically.
"Can someone knock me unconscious? I want to leave this narrative."
"No," Levi answered. "Your suffering feeds me."
Felicia kicked both boys lightly. "Respect the moment! They’re having intellectual tension!"
Athena bristled. "We are sure..."
"We are," Rhydric muttered under his breath.
"What?" she snapped.
"I said we are." he said holding her gaze.
She scowled, leaning forward. "Your answer doesn’t fit the last line. Explain it."
Rhydric stepped closer, towering slightly.
"The keg word is in that riddle."
Athena shot back, "Multiple words show up in all that riddle."
"Exactly," he said. "But which one is leading them?"
She blinked. "You’re confusing me, Rhydric."
He sighed, frustrated. "Just think."
"No," she repeated.
Rhydric exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. "Then give your own interpretation."
Athena turned her focus fully to the riddle now, blocking out Eryx’s wandering fingers.
"I am a leader but not a king...
The first of many yet not the last..."
She muttered to herself, "Could be something symbolic..."
Armand stroked his chin. "It has to be a fundamental element of language. Not a person, not royalty, not an object."
Eryx lazily added, "And it must be something that sounds good when Athena says it."
"Shut up," Athena muttered for the tenth time.
Rhydric stepped even closer.
"It’s obviously a..."
"Don’t say it," Athena snapped. "We’re not confident yet."
His lips twitched. "Fine. Continue then."
Athena glared at him, then returned to the riddle.
Leo suddenly sat up dramatically.
"GUYS. I think the answer is..."
"No," everyone said at once.
Levi snorted. "You didn’t even hear it."
Felicia waved a hand. "His ideas are scientifically proven to waste time."
Athena groaned. "Let’s just...focus."
Athena felt like she was being stretched in six different emotional directions while trying to solve the hardest riddle of her life. And suddenly she missed her dad.
Rhydric murmured, "You’re close. Just say it."
Athena whispered back stubbornly,
"I am not saying anything until I’m sure."
Rhydric’s eyes softened, just barely.
"Then let’s figure it out. Athena come here."
Athena didn’t even hesitate.
Eryx had been tugging at her curls again in the most annoying way, that made her jaw clench, and the second Rhydric said, "Athena... come here." something in her snapped.
She rose, lifting Eryx’s head from her lap... then dropped it.
THUD!
It hit the floor so hard the entire room flinched.
Theo bent over laughing instantly.
Azrael let out the most satisfied snort, like he’d just witnessed divine justice.
Alaric rolled his eyes, muttering, "That’s what you get for acting like a stray dog."
Eryx groaned dramatically, a hand over his head. "Princess... you wounded me."
Athena didn’t even look back. She walked straight to Rhydric, his expression unreadable, except for the slight pull of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.
She stopped in front of him, folding her arms. "Stop smiling, and explain."
Rhydric smile stretched, then stepped closer to her.
Chapter 143 - 141: Rhydric stop smiling
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