Noa pushed the door open with force and glanced back at Liliya one last time. Gripping the sword firmly in one hand, he said coldly:
"Get out of here."
Then he jumped down.
Liliya ran after him, descending quickly and closing the distance. With a bitter, pleading voice, she cried:
"Brother, why are you pushing me away? I only want to stay with you. I want to help you!!"
She grabbed Noa's hand.
Noa looked at her with icy indifference.
"Liliya? Stop being a burden to me."
He yanked his hand free from her grasp and ran toward the wall.
Liliya stared at him in shock and pain. Her knees gave way, and tears streamed down her face as she sobbed:
"Do I look like a burden to you? I hate you!!!!"
Noa reached the wall. There was a small hole nearby.
"If I want to escape without anyone noticing, this is the only way."
He moved along the wall, found the narrow opening, and began clearing away the surrounding stones to widen it.
He knelt down and looked back.
"Goodbye."
With that, he squeezed into the hole. The space was extremely tight, so he stripped off his clothes.
He pushed forward again. It was still too narrow — his skin scraped against the rough edges, and he gritted his teeth against the pain.
"Damn it, is it still not enough?"
As he struggled to get out, his body became covered in small scratches and cuts. Noa grabbed his clothes and dressed quickly.
He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath.
"There's no reason to stay here anymore."
He began walking.
Suddenly, a magical circle appeared beneath his feet.
Noa stared at it in shock, his eyes widening.
"A trap?"
At that very moment, a small lightning bolt struck him.
Noa blacked out as smoke rose from his body.
He collapsed to the ground.
Did I just fall into a trap meant for ordinary beasts?
He pushed himself up with his hands. His eyes were half-open; his wounds had reopened and were bleeding again.
His breathing grew heavier. He took deep, labored breaths.
He stood up and headed toward the forest.
He walked for hours without stopping, directionless — like a soulless dragon.
The sun was setting.
The horizon burned a deep crimson, as if a blood-stained curtain was slowly dissolving into darkness.
The last golden rays filtered through the tree branches, illuminating the ground before gradually surrendering to the gloom.
In the forest, the wind howled, rustling and shaking the leaves.
Noa leaned his body against a massive tree.
His face had turned deathly pale, his lips were dry, and his body was growing cold.
Breathing had become pure torment.
Every breath felt like a knife stabbing into his lungs.
His hands were stained with blood, and red marks remained under his fingernails.
He tried to close his eyes, but the sharp pain wouldn't allow it.
"Why… does it have to be like this for me?" he whispered in a hoarse voice.
He didn't even know who he was asking.
The sky?
The tree?
Or himself — the heart deep within that could give no answer?
Another question burned inside him: Why hadn't any power awakened?
Where was the power of dragon blood?
"Who am I?" he thought.
"A dragon who cannot turn into a dragon? Or am I from an entirely different race?"
Strange sounds began to emerge from the depths of the forest.
The birds had already fallen silent, replaced by eerie whispers.
Something moved among the branches — a shadow flashed and vanished.
Noa pressed harder against the tree, fighting to stay conscious.
Blood dripped from his hand, soaking into the bark.
In the distance, the noise of dragons could be heard.
Torches burned in the night, piercing the darkness.
The shouts of soldiers were getting closer.
"Find him!"
The command echoed through the forest.
"He can't have escaped!" another yelled.
Noa's heart pounded wildly.
He couldn't run,
But he also couldn't accept death.
Once again, a whisper came from within:
"Why is my luck always this bad?"
His vision blurred; the stars and branches merged together.
He rested his head against the tree, standing with the last of his willpower.
He looked up at the sky.
The stars were visible, their cold light seeming to say: "You are alone."
Memories flashed before his eyes.
His father carrying him on his shoulders and playing when he was a child.
His mother hugging him and saying: "Crying doesn't make you weak, Noa. You are the strongest."
His brother firmly holding his hand and saying: "I will never abandon you."
Noa's lips trembled.
"All of you… liars…"
You all… abandoned me…
The wind rustled the leaves, casting shadows over him.
And at that moment — he felt it.
His heart began beating strangely.
As if there was another heart inside him — beating faster and faster.
"… awaken…"
Noa closed his eyes.
Tears flowed down his face.
Suddenly, black birds rose into the sky.
The sound of their wings resembled metallic rustling, merging with the footsteps of the soldiers into a savage symphony.
The torches drew closer.
"There! Under the tree!" one of them shouted.
His eyes slowly closed.
But in that instant —
Warmth spread from his chest.
At first it felt like pain,
Then — like a flame awakening inside him.
The soldiers' footsteps approached; their torches lit up the tree.
Noa lay at the base of the tree, drenched in blood, staring indifferently at the stars.
And again — the whisper:
"… awaken…"
This time, Noa did not resist.
For the last time, looking at the stars, he whispered softly:
"I… am finished…"
At that very moment, something descended from above —
A black shadow sliced through the branches.
A violent wind shook the tree.
In the blink of an eye, a figure appeared beside him —
A young man in black robes, his face shrouded in darkness.
The soldiers charged forward, raising their torches high.
But as they drew near, the young man in black robes raised his hand.
A storm of darkness rose and extinguished all the torches.
The forest plunged back into total darkness; the soldiers' panicked screams rang out.
"What happened?!"
"The torches — they're out!"
A calm voice emerged from the darkness:
"He does not belong to you."
Then came powerful strikes.
One soldier was slammed into a tree.
Another fell before he could even draw his sword.
A third tried to scream, but a blood-red hand covered his mouth — absolute silence.
Within moments, the forest fell quiet again.
Only the wind rustling the leaves mixed with the groans of the wounded.
The young man in black robes knelt beside Noa.
He looked at the face covered in blood and tears.
For a brief moment, he averted his eyes, then slowly...
Carefully, he lifted Noa in his arms.
His blood-soaked body was ice-cold, yet heavy.
He carried him slowly into the darkness.
Behind them, the soldiers, burning with rage, gathered flames in their mouths and sprayed them into the sky. A massive torch-like blaze ignited behind the forest, then they lit their torches again and looked at each other —
"What was that?.."
"Who attacked us?"
"That boy couldn't have done this!"
But Noa had already vanished.
Carried away into the embrace of shadows,
His fate — unknown,
His path — written in blood, yet far from over.