Noah stepped outside his room, and the first thing he heard was the voice of a student.
"What’s going on?"
He looked up to see that the hallway was slowly becoming crowded.
The students watched him and Professor Oliver as they began making their way to the lift, before they began spouting their theories.
"Maybe they finally have evidence to pin him for Juniper’s death."
"I’m telling you, Juniper’s death was just a conspiracy theory. I bet he’s a double agent of the Investigation Authority."
"What if he’s about to be expelled for poor performance?"
The murmur of their voices filled the air, and Noah heard them all.
His lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained empty. He kept walking, acting like he hadn’t heard anything.
Besides him, Professor Oliver kept walking, his stride brisk.
"Don’t mind them," the man said without looking back. "Eyes will always follow someone with promise. Get used to it."
’I’m already used to it.’ Noah said in the privacy of his mind, but outwardly, his expression didn’t change.
"I don’t mind," he said instead. "Let them talk and look. At the end of the day, nothing changes."
Oliver’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing.
A second later, they reached the lift. Luckily, it was still on their floor. They stepped inside.
As it descended, Noah’s shadows pressed against the glass walls of the lift like restless smoke, whispering, cackling, hissing.
He ignored them, his eyes fixed forward.
When the lift finally touched down, its doors opened to the wide expanse of the academy’s grounds.
The moon was high in the sky, but that didn’t mean the students were all in their rooms.
Some students were taking leisurely walks with their boyfriends or girlfriends, while some were studying the phase of the moon for their Practical Magic classes.
The moment they saw Noah, they whispered to themselves.
"Why is he with Professor Oliver?"
"After everything... why summon him?"
"Don’t tell me..."
Noah and Oliver ignored them, continuing on their way.
They crossed the fountain plaza, the spray catching the light of the moon in shimmering arcs.
Noah glanced down at the rippling water as they passed, and for a moment, the reflections weren’t of students or the academy grounds.
It was his shadows. Twisting, laughing, faces screaming and grinning all at once. He blinked, and the image disappeared.
Finally, they reached the base of the central tower, the tallest structure in the academy.
Its white spires rose into the sky, enchantments glimmering faintly like veins of light running through stone.
Guards in black and gold armor stood flanking the enchanted lift that led to the principal’s office.
Oliver stepped ahead, speaking a few quiet words to the guards. They bowed their heads in acknowledgment and stepped aside.
Oliver turned back, his eyes finally settling fully on Noah. "As you’re heading into that office, I want you to always keep in mind that this will be different from what you’ve always known."
"In there, your words can do more damage to yourself than any spell you could cast. Measure them carefully."
Noah said nothing, but his shadows went wild.
He ignored them, giving Oliver a faint smile as they stepped onto the lift. "Don’t worry, Professor. I’m not that stupid."
The lift hummed as it rose, carrying them to the top of the central tower.
Noah stood with his hands folded loosely behind his back. His shadows kept whispering in low, overlapping voices, some urging patience, some clamoring for him to seize the moment and tear everything down.
Their shapes flickered faintly against the wall of the lift, unseen by Oliver.
After a few seconds, the lift slowed to a stop.
Oliver led the way out to the only door present on this floor.
He pushed the door open, and Noah’s eyes settled on the first man he saw.
Principal Kael sat at the center, leaning on his staff. Noah’s gaze slid past him and froze on the two men waiting.
King Cillian of Camelot sat in a high-backed chair, his circlet catching the light. Beside him stood High Magus Edric, his robes flowing like dark water.
All around the room were the royal guards who stood stiff and alert, hands resting on their swords.
For the first time in months, Noah truly felt power surrounding him. His shadows hushed, curling closer, watching.
These were not ordinary people. From what Arlo had told him, both the king and the High Magus were S-rank mages.
Professor Oliver bowed low, then straightened. Principal Kael gestured with his staff. "Thank you, Oliver. You may leave us."
Noah caught the flicker of concern on Oliver’s face before he inclined his head and turned, the doors closing behind him.
Now it was only Noah, the King, the High Magus, Kael, and the guards.
King Cillian.spoke first. "So. You are Noah Webb."
He leaned forward, eyes narrowing, leaving no room for pretense. "We have come to confirm something that, if true, changes a lot for Camelot."
Edric’s eyes glimmered faintly, studying Noah like a puzzle piece at last fitting into place.
Principal Kael turned, moving to his desk. He opened a drawer and retrieved a box gilded with thin threads of gold. He placed it carefully on the desk, opening the lid.
Inside sat a crystal the size of a man’s head, shaped like a tear, its surface smooth and flawless. Faint inner light pulsed gently, like a sleeping heart.
"We need you to touch the Awakening Stone again, Noah." Kael explained. "Just like before, you may conceal what you wish. That is your right as a mage. But the king needs proof."
The King’s eyes never left Noah.
Noah approached the desk, walking slowly and confidently.
His shadows pressed closer against his body, whispering with feverish delight, as if they didn’t want to be heard by anyone in this room.
He rested his hand on the cool surface of the crystal. Mana surged faintly, meeting him, pulling at him.
For a moment, he felt the pull on everything, every spell, every secret, but he pushed his will down, smothering it, and guiding the flow.
He shaped the revelation carefully, until the golden words began to bloom above the crystal.
[Status:]
[Noah Webb]
[Race: Dark Dragon]
[Rank: FFF]
[Potential: SSS]
[Affinities: Darkness, Fire, Void, Decay, Hunger]
The words hung in the air, gleaming like sunlight etched into glass.
For a long moment, there was silence. Then shock rippled through the room.
Cecilia’s previous whisper of disbelief when she’d first seen this could not compare. Now it was the King himself whose eyes widened, his lips parting slightly.
The High Magus tilted his head, but even he could not mask the flicker of surprise in his gaze.
Principal Kael, though expecting it, gripped his staff tighter, his knuckles whitening.
Even the royal guards shifted uneasily, one muttering a prayer under his breath.
King Cillian stood slowly, the faintest trace of awe breaking through his stern mask.
"By the gods..." His voice was low but filled with indiscernible emotions. "It’s true."
High Magus Edric’s lips curved, his eyes alight. "SSS. The rarity of rarities. The kind of potential that nations wage wars over."
He studied Noah as if committing every detail of him to memory. "Camelot has found its savior."