Noa walked through the empty hallway of the manor.
There was no sound, only the repetitive song of birds and the steady flow of water from the fountain outside, echoing through the corridor.
Lost in his thoughts, his puppy still slept on his head.
As he slowly descended the stairs, a memory resurfaced.
Mini-flashback
In a white hallway, a young woman with light reddish hair was kneeling, comforting a young Noa whose face looked crushed with sadness as silent tears streamed down his cheeks. His gaze was fixed on the floor.
— "Young master, please… stop crying like that…"
The little boy didn't react. His empty eyes stayed glued to the ground, visibly filled with sorrow, while he held a metal sword whose tip was stained with blood.
— "It's my fault, isn't it…?" murmured the child in a trembling voice.
The young woman didn't even know what to say. She lowered her gaze, while our young protagonist slowly lifted his head, tears pouring down, his sadness ready to explode.
— "Yes… all of this is my fault… It wasn't supposed to end like this, Yuna… You hate me too now, don't you?"
As he began to sob, young Yuna gently took the innocent boy into her arms, and he burst into tears.
End of the mini-flashback.
Noa touched his forehead with a sigh, his blue eyes faintly glowing.
— "Why am I thinking about that…? This isn't the time."
He looked at his hand carefully before covering it with his blue aura, unstable like the flame of a candle in a storm, then the energy died out against his will.
— "I still can't control my energy flow…"
He remembered the attack he launched at Oliver, as well as the stick he had used that had almost instantly burned.
— "I can't even measure the amount of energy… Why is the chaos energy generated by my soul so unstable? I really need to find a solution, otherwise…"
Turning left at the end of the hallway, he was surprised to see Eric, eyes closed, leaning against the door of his room.
The golden sunlight reflected on his red hair like a sunset.
Rex, the puppy who had been resting on Noa's head, suddenly jumped like a spider and was caught by Eric, a bit startled.
— "Hey Rex, what are you doing here…? Ah, hey Noa."
Noa stood still, observing Eric's warm smile, his hair swaying with the wind along with the white curtains.
"Eric Hyperion, 14 years old. He's Uncle Charl's only son. He used to be one of the main candidates expected to obtain the title of patriarch of the family, but he dropped out long before me."
Eric slowly opened his eyes as he approached, gently stroking Rex's fur.
— "You're not ready yet, I see," he said in a soft, sincere voice, though his face seemed filled with a heavy melancholy, as if looking at Noa revived an old pain.
Noa simply shrugged and tapped his cousin's glasses.
— "If you want to know, I completely forgot we were leaving for the capital today. But before you try to lecture me, you might want to keep your glasses straight."
Eric smiled, blushing slightly, adjusted his glasses, then focused on Noa's face.
— "Your cheek… Let me guess: Oliver, right?"
— "Don't worry, it's just a small cut. A wipe and it'll disappear."
Eric sighed, fully understanding the situation.
He turned to the wall while holding Rex tighter.
— "Why do our reunions always have to go like this…"
His warm smile completely vanished.
He looked lost in thought.
— "What can I say… Even after three years, some things don't change," Noa replied.
Eric narrowed his eyes, placing his hand on Rex's head as the puppy suddenly fell quiet.
— "Yeah… maybe. But we've already seen that some relationships can change. Do you remember?"
For a fraction of a second, Noa seemed affected by those words despite his cold demeanor. His blue chaos flickered at his fingertips.
— "Eric… You can take Rex. I need to get ready."
He began walking toward his room. Eric called out one last time:
— "Tell me… Are you at least happy to return to the capital?"
Noa didn't even stop. His steps were just a little heavier than usual.
As he walked away, the curtains fluttered in the wind.
The door of Eric's room opened and Elena stepped out, already ready for the trip.
She immediately noticed Eric's depressed expression and gently placed a hand on his head.
— "I heard everything… but I sincerely think he's not ready to talk about that with you yet."
Those words tightened the young "sunbeam's" heart.
He knew she was right, but it didn't make the situation any less painful.
— "Yeah… but all I want is… for the three of us to be like before again."
A deep sadness could be read on his face, trapped in the illusion of a past that might never return.
Meanwhile, in the carriage
Light barely filtered through the dark blue curtains of the vehicle.
Oliver was sitting inside, hands clasped, head lowered, eyes fixed on the floor.
His yellow eyes glowed like a feline's in the night.
He remained silent.
Across from him, a woman in a black dress, legs crossed, her brown hair brushing her shoulders, calmly sipped tea.
— "You seem troubled, young master Oliver," she said calmly.
— "And how is that your business?" Oliver replied with a detached, almost indifferent tone.
She gently set her cup down, as if she were already used to his brutal temperament.
— "Almost not at all. But I must remind you that I was tasked with watching over you. And your father will be displeased if he sees you returning to the capital already frustrated."
Oliver gritted his teeth. The mention of his father sparked a dark anger.
— "Why would he care? He's never paid attention to me."
— "We both know that's not true… But if you're in this state, I suppose you met young master Noa again?"
Oliver twitched, a sharp pain crossing his stomach like a violent memory. He grabbed his shirt, then quickly regained composure.
— "He confirmed that he's the one trying to block my ascension."
The woman touched her chin, unsurprised.
— "So I was right. He did place someone to hinder you. Now the question is: who?"
— "I don't care who it is. I just want that bastard out of my way."
She calmly picked up her cup again.
— "I believe I can help you this time."
Oliver raised his eyes, surprised. The light in his irises softened.
— "You're serious?"
— "I have nothing against him. But if you wish it, I can help. The only thing that stopped me before was that he wasn't in the capital anymore. Now that he's returning with us, he'll be at your mercy. And at the mercy of your cousins. I heard the Hyperion twins, Johan and Jonas, are eager to see him again. And knowing them… they won't go easy on him."
A malicious smile stretched across Oliver's lips.
— "That's what I wanted to hear from you, Iris Divan."
In Noa's room
The bathroom door slowly opened.
Noa entered and approached the sink, rubbing his tired eyes as he rinsed his face with tap water.
Then he raised his head and looked at his reflection in the mirror.
His blue eyes began to glow.
The mirror started vibrating, harder and harder, before cracking.
The light in his eyes faded slowly.
After that, our protagonist simply sighed and left the room, closing the door behind him.