Noa's eyes slowly opened. For the first time, the familiar, gentle light that usually shone within them was gone. Instead, strange, feral crimson flames flickered, lighting up the cave like a blood-red sun. Instantly, the air grew heavy, as if all existence were pressing down upon them.
Rion staggered back a step, his heart racing. Yet he did not flee.
— What… kind of terrifying aura is this? — he whispered.
The soldiers recoiled in fear. Their swords trembled, their faces pale. Until recently, they had believed this was just an ordinary battle, but now before them stood a being seemingly born from evil itself.
— I-It's… not a dragon! — one stammered.
— Should we run?! — another said in panic.
Noa slowly rose to his feet. With each step, the ground shook, as if the earth itself could not bear his weight. His aura expanded, suffocating everyone with its oppressive force.
Words escaped his lips. His voice resembled that of a dragon, yet strangely — as if a thousand voices were speaking at once.
— …I am tired of you, — he said, low but terrifying.
These words pierced the soldiers' hearts like ice.
— You want to kill me, to trample me underfoot. Do you think you are superior to me?
His words echoed against the cave walls, crushing spirits.
— Silence… is over now.
The air quivered. Red particles appeared in the darkness, swirling and increasing the pressure. The soldiers could no longer lift their swords under the weight.
Rion felt the force too, but in his heart, it was not fear — it was a different kind of dread, a deep worry.
— Noa… stop! — he shouted.
But Noa's burning eyes did not recognize him.
The crimson-black aura terrified the soldiers. Fear gripped their hearts; their legs grew weak.
— This… this aura… — one whispered hoarsely. — We cannot withstand it! We must inform the commander! This power is equal to hers, if not more malevolent! Low-ranking soldiers like us cannot resist — we're not even full-fledged warriors.
Panic spread; the soldiers began to retreat.
Rion blocked their path with a clenched fist, as if it were a dragon's claw.
— You think you can just run away?
Then Noa's voice sounded — calm, yet firm:
— Let them go.
Rion turned to him, eyes mixing anger and astonishment. He knew that if these soldiers returned, the entire empire would hear of it. Disaster was inevitable.
— Noa, if they report this, it's over! — he said sharply.
But Noa raised his hand, his voice low but resolute:
— I said… stop.
The steel-like tone in his words surprised Rion. He had never seen Noa speak like this, issuing a command.
Rion gritted his teeth and stepped aside.
— …Fine, he said.
The soldiers wasted no time and disappeared into the cave, their torches extinguished in the darkness. Silence returned. Gradually, Noa's crimson aura faded.
Rion cautiously approached.
— What… was that? — he whispered.
Suddenly, Noa's knees buckled; his strength left him, and his body trembled — but Rion caught him in his arms.
— Stay conscious! — he said anxiously.
He gently laid him down and brought a container of water to his lips. Noa took a few sips, his eyes dimming as he began to lose consciousness.
— What kind of aura was that? — Rion asked again.
But Noa could not answer.
---
Inside his consciousness — a little earlier
Darkness. Endless, suffocating. It seeped into his bones. Noa stood on a gray stone path, completely engulfed in shadows.
— This… where is this? — he whispered.
He looked at his hands. No wounds remained. His body was intact; breathing was easy.
— My injuries… gone? How is this possible?..
He continued walking. Soon, a massive monolith appeared — pitch black like night, with yellow lines flickering within it. Mysterious, ancient symbols seemed to pulse on its surface.
As he approached, the symbols glowed yellow. In the center of the monolith, words appeared:
[Artifact: Abyss Stone]
Name: Noa S. Dragon
Age: 5
Power: 10
Endurance: 5
Speed: 12
Mana: None
Rank: Level 1 — Stage 1
Ability: False Aura
Noa stared in awe.
— This… is this my… power? Where did it come from? What is this place?
He slowly touched the stone. Immediately, it trembled, a burst of red light engulfing him completely.
[Abyss Stone Activated]
Ability: False Aura awakened.
Blood consumption initiated
Noa took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes — he was back in the cave.
---
Cave — During Battle
His eyes sharpened. Rion fought nearby. But Noa's body now glowed with a strange, living shadow-like red light.
A voice echoed within him — as if speaking from the depths of his soul.
— So… this is… False Aura?.. and it consumes blood?
The present moment.
Noa's heart raced.
— …I do not know what this is, — he said softly. — But we need to leave immediately. This aura — it's just a shell; there is no real power inside.
Friends, what do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to add this novel to your library. Power Stones and Golden Tickets help chapters come out faster and give me great motivation