The garden paths were quiet, save for the soft crunch of gravel beneath their boots. The evening air carried the faint scent of lilies from the greenhouse nearby, and the lamps began to flicker to life one by one along the stone walkway.
The sun was already setting, the sky getting darker and darker.
For a ti, neither of them spoke. Edric walked with his hands behind his back, his gaze distant, as though lost in thought. Then, finally, he broke the silence.
"What do you think of my offer, Noah?"
Noah didn’t answer imdiately. His eyes followed the drifting petals of a flower caught on the wind.
The question had been on his mind since their last conversation in the palace. The offer of access to the royal armory, and the price that ca with it.
Edric stopped, turning slightly to face him. "You should consider it seriously," he said.
"The weapons and artifacts in the royal armory are unlike anything you’ve seen. They’re relics of the first mages, forged from mana long before this age. With the right gear, you could reach heights no mage has ever achieved. It would be a waste not to take it."
Noah smiled at the thought, though there was no humor in his expression. "And the condition?"
Edric smiled thinly. "A simple engagent. To Queen Ines, nothing more. You wouldn’t be bound to marriage. It would be symbolic. A show of unity for the kingdom, and a shield for her against political pressure."
Noah looked away, his gaze tracing the distant horizon where the sun dipped low. He was quiet for several seconds before saying, "No."
Edric’s brow furrowed slightly. "No?"
"I’m not ready to expose myself yet," Noah said, his tone resolute. "If I take that offer, I’d be stepping into the open. I’ll not be able to grow freely. I’ll beco tied to the politics of Calot, and have the people watching every move I make. That’s not what I want."
He paused, then added, "And I won’t get engaged to Queen Ines. I can’t. Not when I know what kind of attention that would draw."
Edric studied him for a mont, then exhaled slowly, the faintest hint of disappointnt in his eyes. "You’re a cautious one, Noah Webb. Perhaps that’s what will keep you alive."
Noah inclined his head respectfully. "Thank you for the offer, High Magus. But I have to decline."
Edric nodded at last, turning away. "Then keep walking your path, Noah. Just make sure it leads sowhere worth the cost."
And with that, he left, his robe vanishing down the garden path as night settled over the academy.
Noah stood there for a few seconds before exhaling. Then he turned around and began walking in the opposite direction, towards his dorm building.
The academy grounds were nearly empty now, with most students still subdued after the funeral. So, Noah’s walk was pretty solitary, until footsteps joined his own.
"Walking alone again?" Arlo’s voice ca from behind, casual as ever. He caught up easily, hands in his pockets. "You didn’t even wait for ."
Noah gave a small shrug. "I had sothing to do."
"Yeah. I saw you with the High Magus," Arlo said lightly, before his tone shifted. "So... what’s next?"
"Next?" Noah echoed.
"Yeah. We still have to find Lady in Dark," Arlo said, lowering his voice. "Ben’s gone, but she’s still out there. We haven’t even confird if she’s still in the academy. If we start now, maybe—"
"She’s not," Noah interrupted.
Arlo blinked. "What?"
"She’s not in the academy." Noah’s voice was confident. "I could feel it whenever she entered my dreams. It’s always faint, like she’s far away and straining to reach . Like she’s nowhere close."
Arlo frowned, thinking. "Then she’s probably in the capital."
"Maybe," Noah said quietly.
Arlo nodded, his expression firming. "Then that’s where we’ll start. Next weekend, we head to the capital. We can start searching there, piece together whatever—"
"No," Noah said, stopping abruptly.
Arlo turned, confused. "No?"
Noah faced him fully. His eyes were calm, but there was sothing final in his tone. "We’re done, Arlo."
"What?" Arlo laughed, thinking he’d misheard. "What do you an, done?"
"I an we should end this partnership."
Arlo’s smile faded. "You’re serious."
"I am."
Arlo took a step closer. "Why? After everything we’ve been through—"
"Because you hold back." Noah’s voice cut through, cold and direct.
Silence filled the air. Even without being given any explanation, Arlo knew what this was about. Noah didn’t want to reveal himself before his eyes.
Arlo’s jaw tightened. "We work better together, Noah. You know that."
"Not anymore," Noah said. "You’ll survive longer without . And I’ll move faster without you."
Arlo opened his mouth to argue, but Noah had already turned away.
"Goodbye, Arlo," Noah said quietly, walking towards the dorm lights ahead.
Arlo stood frozen on the path, watching his friend disappear into the growing night.
As for Noah, he didn’t look back. Before long, he arrived at his destination.
He took the lift up to the second floor, eting a few students on the way.
The entire building was quiet, but this ti, it was a solemn one, as the students were all in their rooms.
He exhaled, walking down the corridor until he reached his door. He unlocked it, slipped inside, and closed it behind him with a quiet click.
The room was dark, but Noah didn’t care. He sat on the edge of his bed, exhaling slowly. Then he summoned his status screen.
[Status:]
[Noah Webb]
[Race: Dark Dragon]
[Rank: B]
[Potential: FFF]
[Affinities: Darkness, Fire, Void, Decay, Hunger, Ink, Bone]
[Core Attributes:]
[Strength: B]
[Endurance: A ]
[Agility: A ]
[Mana Capacity: SS]
[Magic Control: S ]
[Skills: Roar (FFF-Rank), Dark Furnace (SS-Rank), The King’s Dominion (SS-Rank), Decay of a Thousand Ages (SSS-Rank)]
[Spells: Fireball (F-Rank), Rot (D-Rank), Pillar of Judgent (A-Rank), Void Bolt (S-Rank), Utter Annihilation (SSS-Rank), Frigid Hunger (F-Rank), Null Stride (A-Rank), Pocket Cube (S-Rank), Feast (S-Rank), Heat Sight (FF-Rank)]
His gaze scanned the list, and froze.
Several of his spells were missing. Gone, without a trace.
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