Noel sat quietly on the edge of his bed, one hand absentmindedly stroking Noir's soft fur, the other holding a folded sheet of parchment. The room was dim, lit only by a pair of soft blue mana crystals embedded in the stone walls — the kind of lighting that gave no clue whether it was night or day outside. Deep inside the mountain, time felt like a suggestion.
He unfolded the sheet, scanning its contents.
His eyes narrowed.
"A dwarf girl… and she's marked to win," he muttered under his breath.
'Shit, this isn't good. If they've already decided the outcome, it means she'll be under the enhancer's effect…' He exhaled through his nose. 'And if I win, she might end up like the Bone Crusher kid. Crushed and shattered.' He gritted his teeth.
Noir tilted her head up toward him, those violet-tinged eyes reflecting the light. She could tell — Noel thinking too much rarely meant anything good.
