— If you say so…
Noa looked away. Atela wondered if he was deliberately being so indifferent. She sighed, placing a hand on her face before lifting it again.
— Well, could you at least tell me the way to the capital, please?
Noa slightly nodded, his expression unchanged.
— Why do you want to go to the capital…? Apparently, you're not from here. Normally, anyone living in the Eastern Empire knows the direction to the capital.
Atela lowered her gaze, waiting for Maelle's opinion.
— This boy gives off neither hostility nor strong emotion. He doesn't seem particularly interested in you. And since you told him your name, he doesn't appear to know you. I would advise you to tell him the truth…
Atela remained puzzled.
— That's strange… usually, Maelle doesn't talk this much. Could Noa have affected her that much?
— You realize I can hear your thoughts, don't you?
Atela took a deep breath before speaking, adopting a serious tone.
— I want to go to the capital of the Eastern Empire to meet the ruler of this continent and, incidentally, the Patriarch of the Hyperion family…
— Hmm… I'm a Hyperion.
A silence fell between them as he stared at her.
— No… that's impossible.
— A member of the Hyperion royal family cannot be in a place so far from the capital, let alone near the border.
— I've been living with my uncle Charl for three years. We were about to head to the capital.
— Then… what are you doing here?
Noa didn't answer directly. He seemed to be reflecting on his own words.
— I sensed your aura from afar and had mistaken it for someone else's… but never mind.
Noa turned and began to walk away.
— Come on. We'll accompany you… I can already imagine Eric's face when he sees me arriving with a girl… it's going to be memorable.
Atela hesitated for a moment, then followed Noa with a smile. The two disappeared into the forest.
Meanwhile, in the slums, a female figure walked silently through the alleys, almost invisible. She turned into a dark alley and continued deeper into the shadows before stopping and raising her hand:
— Open.
A space-time portal opened before her, releasing a freezing wind that crystallized the puddles and moisture on the walls, gradually forming small ice crystals. Two people stepped through the portal, while the young woman under the veil hurriedly covered her nose because of the smell.
— Well…
The person who had just passed through bore sharp, shark-like teeth, and a permanent stitched smile on their face.
— The Eastern Empire… it's been a while since I last set foot here.
Psaimone and Damnation had just entered the Eastern Empire.
A few hours later, in the car, Atela scratched her head with an embarrassed smile, while Eric bombarded them with a ton of questions. Noa, in the meantime, had fallen asleep in his seat.
— I'm really glad Noa has a friend…
Our young princess paused, clarifying that they weren't friends yet and had just met.
— That's already something, though!
Simon jumped into the conversation.
— I'm also surprised to see the young master bringing home a girl his age… that doesn't happen every day.
Atela looked at Noa sleeping beside her, her expression a mix of amusement and surprise.
— I suppose he doesn't have many friends, does he?
Atela closed her eyes, dazzled by the lights outside.
— We've arrived. Here's the capital of the Empire.
Through the window, Atela observed an incredible landscape. The royal castle shone like a thousand layers of stars, while the city slowly came to life under the setting sun. Despite this joyful atmosphere, Oliver walked through a corridor of the castle, his face cold and silent, reflecting a completely different mood.