The three days before the tournament flew by like one. Nox barely slept, torn between lectures, training, and secret forays into the catacombs. His friends worked tirelessly, each on their artifact, and gradually he found himself equipped with an arsenal that, he hoped, would help him defeat Reinhart without revealing his true nature.
Kane brought the sand charges first. They were small, tightly compressed balls wrapped in thin fabric that, when struck against a hard surface, burst into a cloud of fine, penetrating dust. Nox tested one in the catacombs and was pleased: the sand hung in the air for several seconds, completely obscuring everything around and filling the nose and eyes. Against a Metal mage who relied on vision and precise movements, it could work.
Mira brought the stone plates the next day. They were thin, almost weightless, but surprisingly strong. She showed him how to fasten them under his robe on his chest, back, and shoulders so they would not restrict movement but would absorb a blow. Nox put them on and asked Kane to strike him with a wooden sword. The blow landed on his shoulder, and the plate, though it cracked, completely absorbed the force, leaving only a slight bruise. Mira replaced the cracked plate with a new one and advised him to protect them, as she would not have time to make more.
Iris worked on her amulet the longest. Light was her element, but infusing it into a small pendant that would work only once and not harm its wearer proved a difficult task. She appeared in classes pale, with dark circles under her eyes, but waved off all questions, saying everything was fine. Finally, on the evening of the second day, she came to Nox and Kane's room, holding a small silver pendant shaped like a sun.
«Here. It is ready. When you clench it in your fist and aim it at your opponent, it will flash. Very brightly. For a few seconds, Reinhart will be blind and disoriented. But only for a few seconds, Nox. Do not miss that moment.»
Nox took the pendant. It was warm to the touch, and a faint but pure energy of Light pulsed within it. He looked at Iris, at her tired but satisfied face, and felt a pang of guilt. She was spending her strength, her health, to help him, without even knowing who he truly was. What would she say when she learned the truth? That he was a Shadow bearer, the power Light considered its eternal enemy? He pushed those thoughts away. Now was not the time for doubts. Now was the time to act.
Ren brought his speed amulet last, just hours before the tournament began. He looked as if he had not slept for three days, his red hair sticking out in all directions, his eyes burning with feverish brightness. In his hands, he held a small leather bracelet with tiny emeralds sewn into it, which glowed faintly in the room's semidarkness.
«It is a one time speed booster. When you activate it, it will give you a burst of speed for three, maybe four seconds. You will become faster than any human, faster than most mages. But then it will burn out and be just decoration for the next half hour. Use it wisely.»
Nox put the bracelet on his left wrist, where Iris's amulet was already secured. He distributed the sand charges among his robe pockets and fastened the stone plates under his clothes. He was ready. As ready as one could be for a battle in which he could not use his main power.
Eveline, who could not create artifacts, had perhaps done the most important work. She had spent all three days questioning students, watching Reinhart's training through acquaintances, gathering information bit by bit. And now, sitting in their corner of the dining hall, she laid before Nox a sheet of parchment covered in her small handwriting.
«Reinhart van Drake. Metal mage, second class, transformation. He does not create weapons from metal like most mages of his profile. He transforms his body. Makes his skin as hard as steel, his bones unbreakable, his muscles reinforced. In combat, he relies on close combat, using his fists, elbows, knees. He is fast for his weight, but not supernaturally so. His weakness is that transformation requires concentration. If he is distracted, thrown off rhythm, made angry, his control weakens, and his steel skin becomes vulnerable. Especially in the neck and behind the knees. He also has poor peripheral vision, used to looking only forward. And he is overconfident. He believes a nameless nobody cannot pose a threat to him, and that is his greatest weakness.»
Nox listened and slowly nodded. This was exactly what he needed. Not generalities, but specific vulnerabilities he could exploit. Eveline had done an enormous amount of work, and he was more grateful than he could express.
«Thank you, Eveline. This will help greatly.»
She smiled faintly, a blush appearing on her pale cheeks. «I just wanted to be useful. You were the only one who stood up for me. I could not stay on the sidelines.»
Nox looked at his friends gathered around him. Kane, silent and reliable, who had given part of his power to create the sand charges. Mira, direct and honest, who had spent hours making the protective plates. Iris, tired but satisfied, who had poured her Light into a small pendant. Ren, disheveled and enthusiastic, who had gone without sleep for three days for the speed amulet. Eveline, quiet and unassuming, who had done what no one else could, learning the enemy from within. They were all here. They were all with him. And for them, he had to win.
«I will not let you down,» he said. «I promise.»
Nox spent the night before the tournament in the catacombs. Not to train, there was no time for that. He simply sat in the round chamber, surrounded by his shadow servants, and thought. The rats he had sent to watch Reinhart had brought him much interesting information. The aristocrat was not preparing for the fight. He was drinking wine with his friends, laughing, joking, telling them how easily he would crush the nameless upstart. He did not even consider Nox a serious opponent. That was good. Overconfidence blinds. And tomorrow, Reinhart van Drake would be blinded in the most literal sense.
The goblins watching Magnus also brought news. Reinhart's older brother was more cautious. He was not joining the revelry, not shouting on every corner about how his brother would wipe the floor with Nox. He sat in his room, studying scrolls, discussing something with trusted people. Nox did not know what exactly he was plotting, but he was certain Magnus would try to intervene. Not in the arena, that would be too noticeable. But before or after the fight, he would strike. He needed to be ready for that too.
He looked at his shadow army. A dozen goblins, the crawler centipede, a pack of rats. They were his secret weapon, his ace in the hole. But he could not use them in the tournament. Too risky. If anyone saw him commanding shadows, rumors would spread instantly. And then the Moon Goddess would know where he was. No, his servants would remain here, in the catacombs, guarding his refuge and awaiting his return.
He stood up and surveyed the round chamber one last time. Here, he had awakened the dragon blood. Here, he had learned to create echoes. Here, he had become who he was now. This place was his sanctuary, his temple, his second home. And tomorrow, he would fight to protect not only himself but also those who believed in him. His friends. Lin, waiting for him at Marta's tavern. Sylvana, who had sacrificed herself for them. The memory of his father and mother, which he had sworn to restore. Tomorrow, his path toward them would begin. The first step, in the arena, under the eyes of hundreds of students and instructors. And he could not afford to stumble.
He returned to his room as the eastern sky began to lighten. Kane was asleep but woke when Nox entered, sitting up in bed and looking at him with sleepy but anxious eyes.
«Are you ready?»
Nox took off his robe, carefully hung it on the back of a chair, and checked that all his artifacts were in place. Then he lay down on his bed and closed his eyes.
«I am ready.»
«Then sleep. Tomorrow is a big day.»
Nox did not answer. He was already falling into sleep, deep and dreamless, as always after long nights in the catacombs. Tomorrow, he would step into the arena. Tomorrow, he would face the son of a duke who considered him dirt beneath his feet. Tomorrow, he would show everyone that being nameless did not mean being weak. That strength lay not in titles and money but in the will to go to the end, no matter what. Tomorrow, his war would begin. But for now, he needed to sleep and gather his strength.
The shadows in the corners of the room stirred, as if wishing him luck, and fell still. Nox Endragon, the last of the Shadow Dragon bloodline, slept peacefully. Tomorrow would change everything.