Noa stood motionless for a long time in front of the mirror.
Staring at his own reflection, he clutched his chest tightly and whispered:
"Why does it itch?"
When he looked into the eyes of his reflection, he was startled to see how dull and lifeless they appeared.
The palace corridors were shrouded in absolute silence, broken only by the faint, flickering light of enchanted lamps.
As Noa walked, turbulent thoughts clashed violently within him — What happens now? What am I supposed to do?
At the end of the corridor, he saw her — his mother, Arya.
Her long silver hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes were tangled with a mixture of sorrow and love.
"Mother…" Noa stopped. "I know… you're worried."
Arya stepped closer and placed her hand gently on his shoulder.
"I trust you, my son. Victory is not what matters. No matter what happens, you will always remain my son."
Noa lowered his head, his eyes beginning to glisten with tears.
"Thank you for being here."
Arya remained silent. Her eyes trembled.
Noa forced a small, strained smile. "I will come back."
Without looking back, he continued on his way.
The palace courtyard was already crowded — dragons, elders, even children — every eye fixed on a single point: the heir's trial.
Before the throne stood the Emperor, his gaze ice-cold, his voice sharp as a blade.
The moment he raised his hand, complete silence fell over the entire square.
"Today," he announced, his voice thundering across the mountains,
"the heir will undergo the trial.
If he wins, he remains a prince.
If he falls… everything ends."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, followed by approving cheers. The entire empire seemed pleased with the Emperor's words.
Noa stepped forward, briefly glanced back, slightly squared his shoulders, clenched his fists, and continued walking.
He drew his sword from its sheath — a simple, well-balanced blade that felt firm and steady in his hand.
Suddenly, the wall at the edge of the courtyard exploded toward him.
A massive creature emerged — scales black as the deepest night, eyes burning bright red, smoke rising from its chest.
The creature lowered its head.
It stared at Noa.
Then it slowly sniffed the air.
A strange, guttural sound escaped its throat.
It did not attack immediately.
It… was studying its prey.
"This is the moment," Noa thought. "My trial."
The creature suddenly roared and lunged forward, slamming its enormous paw into the ground.
A crater formed where it struck, and chunks of stone flew into the air.
Noa leaped to the side, narrowly escaping the blow.
Rocks shot through the air.
The creature turned its head toward him and advanced again.
This time, slowly. Heavily.
Noa's breathing quickened.
The creature raised its paw once more.
Noa ducked low and dodged aside.
The wind from the strike sliced across his face.
A split second later and his head would have been gone.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
"Is this really the prince?"
"Is this the Emperor's blood?"
"Even my child could do better than this."
The creature attacked again — this time with its tail.
The black, steel-like tail tore through the air.
Noa jumped backward.
The tail smashed into the ground, shattering stone.
His mother's final words echoed in his mind.
He gripped his sword tighter and charged forward.
Light flashed along the blade.
He struck the creature's flank.
Thick, furry hide tore. Blood splattered onto the ground.
The creature froze.
Then it turned its head.
Its blazing red eyes locked directly onto Noa.
In the next instant, it let out a terrifying roar:
"GHOOOOOO!!!!!!"
The entire courtyard shook.
With a ferocious swing of its tail, it struck him — Noa was hurled into the air.
He flew nearly twenty meters before tumbling across the ground and coming to a stop.
Even as he tried to rise, gritting his teeth, his body gave out and collapsed. He stabbed his sword into the ground and used it to prop himself up, his half-open eyes fixed on the beast. A moment later, gathering all his remaining strength, he stood once more.
Now his eyes burned — bright red rings flared, the black slits at their centers deepening.
The creature charged again.
This time, Noa did not retreat.
He raised his sword high.
All his willpower blazed within him.
The world seemed to slow down.
The sound of the wind stretched out.
The noise of the crowd faded into the distance.
The creature's massive paw descended in what felt like slow motion.
Noa's heart beat once.
Then once more.
Then he roared:
"I… will not lose!"
The sword came down.
For a moment, it seemed the blow would land.
Then…
The creature's paw collided with his strike like thunder.
The force hurled him backward. His sword flew from his hand, clattering far away.
Noa crashed hard into the ground — and a heavy silence fell over the courtyard.
He trembled as he dropped to one knee, his breath coming in broken gasps.
His eyes were wide open, pupils shrunk to tiny points — he could only stare at the ground before him.
An oppressive silence reigned over the palace square.
Whispers spread among the dragons.
"He… lost."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed, his voice quiet and icy:
"This… is defeat."
Arya's lips trembled; her voice broke like shattered glass:
"So… it really is over? Must I lose my son?"
Zagn remained silent, his fingers drumming on the throne.