Noa's eyes slowly opened. For the first time, the familiar dragon's light did not gleam within them. Instead, a strange, feral crimson flare burned, igniting the cavern as though a sun of blood had risen within. At once, the air thickened—an oppressive weight pressing down on all who stood there.
Rion staggered back a step, his heartbeat quickening. Yet he did not flee.
"What… kind of aura is this?" he whispered.
The soldiers, however, faltered in terror. Their swords shook in trembling hands, faces drained of color. Moments ago, they had believed themselves locked in a battle against mere foes. Now, it was as if a creature born of malice itself had taken form before them.
"He… he isn't a dragon!" one stammered.
"Should we run?!" another cried in panic.
Noa rose from the ground. Each step he took reverberated through the stone, as though the earth itself quivered beneath him. His aura expanded, suffocating, stripping breath from their lungs.
His lips moved. The voice was that of a dragon, yet laced with something alien—layered, as though countless voices spoke in unison.
"…I am weary of you all," he whispered.
A chill stabbed the soldiers' hearts.
"You seek to kill me, to trample me underfoot. Do you truly believe yourselves greater than I?"
The words echoed through the cavern, a resonance that pierced ears and crushed spirits alike.
"No more silence…"
The air trembled. Within the darkness, crimson motes shimmered, swirling into a vortex that pulsed with suffocating pressure. The soldiers struggled even to raise their blades beneath its weight.
Rion felt the force as well, yet within him stirred not fear, but dread of another kind—concern.
"Noa… this isn't you. Stop!" he shouted.
But Noa's burning eyes did not acknowledge him.
The crimson blaze in those eyes drove the soldiers back in horror. Fear rooted itself in their chests, leaving their legs weak and unsteady.
"This… this aura," one gasped. "We cannot face this. We must report to the lord of the keep! This power—it rivals his… but it reeks of bloodlust. It is monstrous!"
Panic spread, and the soldiers prepared to retreat.
Rion's grip on his blade tightened as he barred their path.
"You think you can flee so easily?"
Yet Noa's voice drifted softly beside him.
"Let them go."
Rion turned, confusion and fury flashing in his eyes. He knew the danger: if these soldiers returned, the entire empire would hear of this. Disaster would follow.
"Noa, if they carry word, everything ends!" Rion protested.
But Noa raised his hand, his voice low and final.
"I said… enough."
The steel in his tone stunned Rion. Never before had Noa spoken to him as though giving command. Muscles tense, fists clenched, Rion drew in a sharp breath—then stepped aside.
"…Fine."
The soldiers wasted no time, vanishing into the depths, their torches swallowed by shadow. Silence reclaimed the cavern. Gradually, Noa's crimson aura faded into nothingness.
Rion approached cautiously.
"What was that?" he murmured.
Suddenly Noa's knees buckled. His strength drained, his body swayed—but Rion caught him before he could fall.
"Stay with me!" Rion urged, voice tight with alarm.
He lowered Noa gently, unfastened the flask at his side, and pressed it to his lips. Noa drank weakly, eyes dimming, consciousness slipping away.
"What aura was that?" Rion demanded again.
But Noa could not answer. His mind was no longer in the cavern.
---
Within the mind — The Abyss
Darkness. Endless and suffocating. A cold seeped into his very bones. Noa stood upon a faint path of ash-gray stone, all else devoured by shadow.
"What… is this place?" he whispered.
He looked at his hands. The wounds were gone. His body was whole. Breath came freely, without pain.
"My injuries… vanished? How?"
He walked forward. Soon, an enormous monolith loomed before him—black as midnight, laced with veins of crimson light. Strange, ancient markings pulsed across its face.
As he neared, sigils emerged, glowing with a sinister brilliance. At the monolith's heart, words carved themselves into being:
[Artifact: Stone of the Abyss]
Name: Noa S. Dragon
Age: 11
Strength: 10
Endurance: 5
Speed: 12
Mana: None
Rank: Novice — Stage 1
Ability: False Aura
Noa's eyes widened.
"This… these are my… statistics? But how? Where did this come from? What is this place?"
His hand rose, almost against his will, touching the surface. At once, the stone shuddered. Crimson light surged, swallowing him whole.
[Stone of the Abyss activated]
Ability: False Aura awakened.
Noa gasped, and in a heartbeat, the cavern returned around him.
---
The cavern — present time
His vision cleared. Rion battled nearby. But Noa's own body radiated a strange glow—dark and red, coiling like living shadow.
A voice resonated within, as though speaking from the depths of his own soul.
"So this is… the False Aura?"
Noa's pulse thundered. For the first time, he realized the truth: even he had reason to fear himself.
"…I don't know what this is," he muttered under his breath. "But we must leave at once. This aura—it is nothing more than a shell. There is no real power within it."
Sorry, friends. I couldn't release a chapter yesterday—I was dealing with some personal issues. I hope you'll understand. Even though I'm a writer, I also have to balance many other things: work, time with friends, family, and of course, writing this book. Managing all of it together can be challenging, especially when it comes to time.
I'll do my best to speed up the release of the upcoming chapters. Please continue supporting me with Power Stones, save the book to your Library, and don't forget to add it to your Collection. Your support truly motivates me to keep going.