The first rays of dawn slipped through the cracked palace windows, glinting on the dark stains that spread across the floor. The air was heavy — thick with iron, silence, and something that felt like judgment itself.
On the ground lay Noa. His face carried the marks of the night's torment: bruised brows, bloodshot eyes, and tears that mixed with blood, tracing lines down his cheeks. Every drop that fell shimmered like an eternal witness — not tears of weakness, but tears born from a heart shattered into a million pieces.
In the corner sat Lilya, her crimson wings half-unfolded, eyes shut tight. She spoke no words, yet her silence vibrated with Noa's agony, as if her heart itself was breaking in rhythm with his.
The door groaned open. Heavy footsteps echoed. Two guards entered, armor clattering, voices sharp.
Guard 1: "What happened here?"
His gaze swept across the room: the blood-streaked floor, the trembling boy, the silent girl. His eyes froze.
Guard 1 (in shock): "Li–Lilya-sama?!"
The second guard knelt by Noa, lifting his head slightly. He inhaled sharply.
Guard 2: "This… this can't be. His tears… they're mixed with blood?"
The guards exchanged grim looks.
Guard 1: "Princess Lilya, can you explain this? We know the truth — dragons never shed tears from pain. No matter the wound, no matter the torture, they do not cry. The only time a dragon weeps… is when the heart itself is torn apart. Blood-stained tears mark a soul broken beyond repair. Tell us… what happened to Noa?"
Lilya slowly raised her head, voice trembling but sharp as a blade.
Lilya: "If you value your lives, you'll leave. Now."
The guards hesitated. One of them stepped forward, dark-haired, eyes keen, his stance unyielding.
Elyan: "My name is Elyan. I came here under the commander's orders. If I cannot explain what happened, I'll answer for it with my life. I demand to know the truth."
At that moment, Noa's eyes flickered open. His gaze was hollow, cold, red as dying embers. Slowly, he rose to his feet, body swaying, and turned toward the window.
Elyan: "Noa! You're ordered to attend training. If you refuse, speak to the commander yourself. But you cannot stay here."
Noa turned. His hair clung to his pale face, his swollen eyes were rimmed with red. His hands dripped blood where his own nails had carved into his palms.
Noa (voice like ice): "Training? For what? What's the point? Why am I even alive? Tell me… what's left of me now?"
Elyan's brow tightened.
Elyan: "I don't care about your despair. I have my orders. You're coming — willing or not."
Noa's hand brushed the table. He gripped a small blade, its edge catching the light. A wild spark lit his eyes. Without a word, he lunged at Elyan.
Elyan: "Noa! Have you lost your mind?!"
His hand shifted, claws forming as his dragon blood surged. Steel clashed with claw, sparks raining across the stone.
They struck and parried in furious bursts. Each slash of Noa's blade darted for Elyan's throat, chest, side — relentless. Elyan blocked, forced backward.
Elyan: "Why are you doing this?!"
Noa (snarling): "Am I mad… or are all of you blind? You'll never understand!"
He feinted, then drove low, blade flashing upward. Elyan caught it bare-handed, muscles straining — but Noa twisted, driving the weapon with savage force.
Noa (screaming): "You don't understand!"
The blade tore into Elyan's neck. Blood sprayed. Elyan's eyes widened, breath hitching. His body wavered, then crashed to the ground.
Lilya staggered forward, but no words came. Noa stood over the fallen guard, his face splattered red, eyes burning with a feral light.
Noa (whispering): "I'm not who I was."
The second guard roared, shifting his hands into scaled claws, charging. Their blows thundered through the chamber, steel and claw shattering furniture, echoing off the walls.
Noa ducked, drove his foot hard into the soldier's ribs, sending him staggering. Seizing the moment, Noa swept his legs, slashing deep into the man's thigh. Blood poured.
Guard 2 (snarling): "You monster—!"
He raised his claw to strike, but Noa's blade flashed. It pierced his eye.
Guard 2: "Aaaaaaghhh!"
The scream ripped through the chamber. Noa wrenched the blade free, then plunged it into the man's nape. His body collapsed lifelessly.
Silence.
Noa turned back, drenched in crimson, his breath ragged. His eyes locked on Lilya.
Noa: "Lilya… How did you know about their deaths? Who told you?"
Lilya lowered her gaze, voice a fragile whisper.
Lilya: "My brother sent the message. Their deaths haven't been announced yet. No one knows why… or how they were killed."
Noa moved toward the window. The dawn lit his bloodstained face, his shadow stretching long across the floor.
Noa (cold, steady): "I don't believe it. Not until I see their graves with my own eyes."
Lilya said nothing. Only her trembling heart betrayed the storm within.
Behind him, each step Noa took left a dark trail of blood.
Hello, my friends. 🌑
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