Chapter 100: Manifestation
The tournament grounds were quieter that evening.
Most contestants had returned to their academy quarters after the day’s matches.
Hildgard itself remained awake.
The streets glowed beneath the three moons, and distant cheers still drifted from the arena.
Daniela stood alone on a balcony overlooking the city.
She kept thinking about Alcris.
His match.
His perception.
And especially the way he’d looked at Noah.
She knew her brother.
At least, she thought she did.
But something about him had changed.
"You’re thinking too hard."
Daniela turned.
Flora stood behind her.
Daniela smiled.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
Flora leaned against the railing.
"You’re thinking about Noah."
Daniela looked toward the city.
"Partly."
"And Alcris."
Daniela didn’t answer.
Flora sighed.
"That means yes."
Daniela smiled faintly.
"I don’t understand him."
"Your brother?"
"Yes."
She paused.
"He’s always been competitive. But today..."
Daniela looked toward the distant Volstra residence.
"He wasn’t competing."
Flora frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"He was observing."
Meanwhile, Noah was sitting outside the Valhalla residence.
Eric dropped onto the grass beside him.
"You’ve been quiet."
Noah looked at the sky.
"Just thinking."
"About the tournament?"
"Mostly."
Eric leaned backward.
"You’re thinking about Alcris."
Noah looked at him.
"How did you know?"
"Because every time you think about something dangerous, you make that face."
"What face?"
Eric tried copying him.
Noah laughed.
"That’s terrible."
"I know."
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Eric spoke again.
"Whatever happens, don’t forget we’re here."
Noah looked at him.
Eric shrugged.
"You’ve got Laura, Luna, Damien..."
He grinned.
"And me."
Noah smiled.
"Thanks."
"Don’t mention it."
Eric stood.
"I’m hungry."
Noah laughed.
"Of course you are."
Eric walked away.
Noah remained beneath the tree.
The peaceful moment lasted only a few seconds.
A voice came from behind him.
"Blackwood."
Noah turned.
Alcris stood several meters away.
No escort.
No teammates.
Just him.
Noah stood.
"What do you want?"
Alcris smiled.
"To talk."
"About?"
"You."
Noah frowned.
"That’s not creepy at all."
Alcris chuckled.
"I’ve been watching your matches."
"I noticed."
"You hide your strength."
Noah’s expression hardened.
"So?"
"Nothing."
Alcris took another step.
"I’m impressed."
Noah studied him.
"Why?"
"Because most people want everyone to know how strong they are."
Alcris smiled.
"You don’t."
Noah said nothing.
Alcris’s eyes briefly changed.
His perception activated.
For a fraction of a second, he saw Noah’s internal energy.
The fire.
The deeper current.
The strange second rhythm.
Then he stopped.
Noah didn’t notice.
At least...
Alcris didn’t think he did.
"You have potential."
Noah laughed.
"That’s it?"
Alcris smiled.
"For now."
He turned.
Then stopped.
"One piece of advice."
Noah waited.
"Don’t let anyone force you to reveal something you’re not ready to reveal."
Noah’s eyes narrowed.
"Why are you telling me that?"
Alcris looked over his shoulder.
"Because I understand what it’s like to have people expect something from you."
Then he walked away.
Noah remained still.
Something about the conversation didn’t feel right.
Not threatening.
Not friendly.
Something in between.
Alcris returned to the Volstra residence.
He entered his room.
Closed the door.
Locked it.
Then opened a hidden compartment beneath his desk.
Several books were inside.
Old records.
Historical documents.
Fragments of ancient research.
He pulled out a blank notebook.
On the first page, he wrote:
NOAH BLACKWOOD
Underneath:
Unknown fire-based ability.
Abnormal internal flow.
Secondary presence confirmed.
He paused.
Then wrote:
Possible inherited entity?
Alcris stared at the words.
His eyes gleamed.
"No..."
He crossed them out.
Power source.
He stared at the page.
Then smiled.
"Whatever you are..."
He whispered:
"I’ll figure you out."
Across Hildgard, Laura stood outside Noah’s room.
She had seen Alcris leave.
She watched Noah through the window.
He looked troubled.
Laura quietly knocked.
Noah looked up.
"Laura?"
She entered.
"Was Alcris here?"
Noah nodded.
"Yeah."
"What did he want?"
"To talk."
Laura’s expression hardened.
"What did he say?"
Noah told her.
Laura listened carefully.
When he finished, she remained silent.
Noah noticed.
"You don’t trust him."
"No."
"Why?"
Laura looked toward the window.
"Because people who genuinely want to help you don’t usually need to study you first."
Noah stared at her.
That sentence stayed with him.
Outside...
The three moons continued shining over Hildgard.
And somewhere beneath the city...
A faint pulse answered them.
One.
Two.
Three.
The tournament was only halfway into its first stretch.
Yet the mystery beneath Hildgard was becoming harder to ignore.
Morning arrived with another roar from the arena.
The previous day’s battles had already become the subject of conversation throughout Hildgard.
Jordan’s defeat.
Reinham’s growing reputation.
Daniela’s strange interest in Noah.
And Alcris’s quiet behavior.
But the tournament didn’t care about yesterday.
A new event was waiting.
The enormous projection above the arena flickered to life.
EVENT SEVEN
RELIC CAPTURE
The crowd erupted.
Noah looked up.
For some reason, his chest tightened.
Laura noticed.
"You felt something."
Noah nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
Damien read the announcement beneath the title.
"Teams will enter an ancient structure outside Hildgard."
Luna looked at him.
"Ancient structure?"
Damien continued reading.
"The objective is to retrieve designated relics and return them to the extraction point."
Noah’s eyes remained fixed on the screen.
"How many relics?"
Damien paused.
"Three."
Silence.
Laura looked at Noah.
Noah looked back.
Three.
The same number as the moons.
The announcement continued.
"Contestants will compete in squads."
"Each squad must retrieve at least one relic."
"Combat between squads is permitted."
Eric whistled.
"So we’re fighting over treasure."
Damien nodded.
"Essentially."
Eric grinned.
"Now we’re talking."
But Noah wasn’t smiling.
He could feel something beneath his skin.
A faint warmth.
Almost like Ragnarok was reacting to the word relic.
Later that afternoon, the squad assignments were announced.
SQUAD SEVEN
Noah Blackwood
Laura Esteria
Luna Vale
Damien
The four stood together outside the arena.
Eric looked at them.
"Squad Seven."
He grinned.
"Sounds cool."
Damien sighed.
"You aren’t even part of it."
"Doesn’t matter."
Eric pointed toward Noah.
"Don’t die."
Noah laughed.
"I’ll try."
Laura gave him a serious look.
"Don’t joke about that."
Noah’s smile faded.
"Right."
The squads were transported toward the relic grounds.
The ancient structure stood beyond the city.
Massive stone walls rose from the earth, covered in weathered carvings.
Noah stepped off the transport platform.
He immediately felt it.
Heat.
Not from the sun.
From below.
His Ragnarok stirred.
Laura noticed.
"Again?"
Noah nodded.
"Something’s here."
Damien looked toward the entrance.
The doorway was enormous.
Above it were three symbols.
A dragon.
A serpent.
A bear.
Luna stepped closer.
"Those symbols."
Noah stared.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Then the ancient doorway began opening.
GRRRRRRNNNN...
Stone scraped against stone.
Inside was complete darkness.
A voice echoed from somewhere within the structure.
Not magical.
Not human.
Something ancient.
"Three shall enter."
Everyone froze.
The voice continued.
"Three shall seek."
The symbols began glowing.
"Three shall awaken."
The door opened completely.
Noah stared into the darkness.
Laura whispered:
"What was that?"
Damien shook his head.
"That wasn’t part of the tournament announcement."
A Hildgard official immediately stepped forward.
"Remain calm."
But his face was pale.
Noah noticed.
He wasn’t calm either.
Across the grounds, other squads entered.
Elementro’s team gathered together.
Reinham looked at the entrance.
"Three relics."
Flora nodded.
Daniela stared at the symbols.
She activated her perception.
Nothing.
The symbols weren’t made from ordinary energy.
John looked at her.
"See anything?"
Daniela shook her head.
"No."
Then she noticed something.
Noah.
His energy was reacting.
Again.
Daniela’s eyes narrowed.
At the opposite entrance, Asgard’s squad prepared.
Jordan looked toward the structure.
"Three relics?"
Christina nodded.
Adrian checked their equipment.
Hastral remained silent.
Joseph stood slightly apart from them.
His eyes were fixed on Noah’s squad.
Especially Noah.
Jordan noticed.
"You’re staring again."
Joseph didn’t answer.
Jordan smirked.
"Don’t tell me you’re scared."
Joseph finally looked at him.
"I’m not."
Then he turned toward the entrance.
"I’m waiting."
Noah, Laura, Luna, and Damien stepped into the chamber.
The moment Noah crossed the threshold...
The door slammed shut behind them.
BOOM!
Complete darkness.
Laura immediately summoned light.
A faint glow illuminated the corridor.
Stone walls stretched endlessly ahead.
Then Noah heard something.
A heartbeat.
Thump.
He looked around.
Thump.
Laura noticed.
"What?"
Noah whispered:
"Do you hear that?"
Everyone became silent.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Damien’s face changed.
"It’s coming from below."
Noah looked down.
Three faint lines appeared beneath their feet.
One crimson.
One blue.
One violet.
They stretched deeper into the chamber.
Noah’s Ragnarok suddenly flared.
His eyes widened.
The system appeared.
[Ancient resonance detected.]
Then another message.
[Ragnarok response increasing.]
Noah clenched his fist.
"Not again..."
Laura grabbed his hand.
"Stay with us."
Noah looked at her.
"I’m here."
Then a fourth message appeared.
[Warning.]
[Dead Zone resonance detected.]
Noah froze.
The darkness ahead seemed to move.
And somewhere deep inside the ancient structure...
Something whispered his name.
"Noah..."