The garden was still. Only the faint hiss of cooling mana lingered in the air, curling through the shattered hedges and scorched patches of dirt.

Noel sank onto the grass, his breath steadying as the night pressed around him. Revenant Fang rested beside him, its black surface still faintly warm, reflecting the moon's pale light.

Across from him, Noir lay curled up in her small form, tail twitching gently, her violet eyes watching him closely.

'You should rest, Dad,' she murmured, her voice soft inside his mind.

Noel exhaled, gaze fixed on the dark sky above. "I'll rest when I know what's really happening here."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The chaos from minutes earlier felt unreal now—just the quiet hum of the night and the faint rustle of leaves moving in the wind. Noir's breathing slowed until it matched his own rhythm, and after a while, she shifted closer, resting her head against his leg.

Noel's eyes closed halfway. His body screamed for rest, but his mind refused to stop. Images of the Fourth Pillar—silent, precise, inhuman—flashed behind his eyelids. Every strike, every calculated move.

He leaned back, one arm resting on his knee. Noir's warmth was grounding—a small reminder that not everything he fought for was lost in blood and duty.

"Just a few minutes," he muttered finally, his tone soft but weary.

Noir gave a faint huff, amused. 'That's what you always say before sleeping for hours.'

Noel's lips curved into the smallest smile. "Don't worry, I'll just keep my eyes closed for a while. We have to get back to dinner."

The garden returned to silence as he leaned against the tree behind him. His hand stayed loosely over Revenant Fang's hilt, even as his eyes finally shut.

The moon hung high, watching in silence as the two—man and shadow—rested side by side in the aftermath of battle.

The garden was quiet again—only the hum of distant mana and the faint crackle of cooling air.

Noel sat against the base of a tree, eyes closed, Revenant Fang resting beside him. Noir was curled near his legs, her tail flicking lazily over the grass. Neither of them slept; they just stayed still, breathing in rhythm, recovering strength.

'Dad,' Noir's voice brushed his thoughts, soft but steady. 'Do you want to know what I saw while I was following her?'

Noel didn't move. 'Go ahead.'

'Mirelle met with two people in the garden—both looked young, maybe around your age. Their mana felt… strange. Like it didn't belong here. Controlled, but twisted. They were the same as last time.'

'The Pillars,' Noel thought grimly.

'They told her that when the next horde comes, your father will die defending the barrier. Then she'll take over the family. She didn't question them—she just smiled and agreed.'

Noel's jaw tightened. 'So that's what she wants. To use the chaos to become Matriarch.'

Noir's tail flicked anxiously. 'After that, they noticed something. I think they sensed me. The man looked right in my direction, and… I ran. I didn't have time to track them before you showed up.'

'You did the right thing,' Noel reassured her. 'If they caught you, I might've lost you again.'

Noir pressed closer against his leg. 'But now I don't know where they are. I can still remember their scent, though… metallic, cold, like ash.'

'That's enough,' Noel said, his tone steady. 'We'll use that later. For now, rest.'

Noir gave a faint huff of agreement, tail brushing softly against the grass. 'You're not mad?'

He opened one eye, the ghost of a smile crossing his face. 'Mad? You did better than I could've asked. You kept your head and stayed alive—that's what matters.'

The wind stirred around them, carrying the scent of rain and smoke.

They didn't move, only sat there in silence, two shadows beneath the moonlight—father and daughter, preparing for the storm to come.

From between the hedges, a familiar voice called out—quiet, but edged with concern.

"Noel?"

He turned his head slightly, watching as Elyra stepped into the moonlight. Her black braid glimmered faintly silver under the glow, and her sharp grey eyes locked onto the two of them sitting beneath the tree.

She crossed her arms. "What are you doing out here? You were gone so long that even Serina started wondering if you fell into a pond."

Noel blinked once, then sighed. "Could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"

Elyra exhaled through her nose, her tone half-serious. "My intuition said something was wrong. And knowing you, I was right." She walked closer, stopping beside them. "When you didn't come back from the bathroom, I figured it wasn't for the usual reason."

Noel gave a tired chuckle. "Guess I'm too predictable."

Noir tilted her head up, eyes glowing faintly violet. "Hi, Elyra."

Elyra blinked, surprised, then smiled softly. "Hi, Noir. You're talking more and more every day, huh?"

"Something like that," Noel muttered, brushing grass from his sleeve.

Her gaze shifted between the two of them, her usual playful glint fading. "So? What happened?"

Noel hesitated, exchanging a look with Noir. "You really want to know?"

Elyra nodded. "If it's enough to make you sneak out mid-dinner, then yeah—I want to know."

Noel leaned back against the tree, exhaling slowly. "Then listen carefully."

Elyra listened in silence, her expression growing darker with each word Noel said. The usual confidence in her grey eyes turned to steel as he finished.

"So let me get this straight," she said finally. "You fought the Fourth Pillar alone, in the middle of your own estate… while Mirelle was meeting with them?"

Noel nodded. "Yeah. Noir followed her after she left dinner. She found her talking to two people—Pillars, without a doubt. They sensed her before she could escape, so I had to step in."

Elyra frowned, her arms crossing. "You're lucky you're still standing, you idiot."

"I've been through worse," Noel said with a shrug, though the faint bruise under his jaw said otherwise.

Noir's voice echoed faintly in both their minds, calm but tired. 'They were fast, but Dad was faster.'

Elyra shot her a small smile. "I don't doubt that." Then her tone shifted, serious again. "You need to tell your father. Now. If they're planning something, the next horde attack could be a trap."

Noel stared at the ground for a moment, his reflection glinting faintly in the black metal of Revenant Fang. "Yeah… I know."

Elyra placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "Then let's go before someone else decides to move first."

He looked up at her, tired but grateful. "You sure about this?"

She smirked slightly. "If I don't go with you, you'll probably downplay everything or punch someone halfway through the explanation."

Noel huffed out a quiet laugh. "Fair enough."

Together, they stood, Noir padding silently beside them, her small form melting back into Noel's shadow.

The two slipped back through the corridor toward the faint light and chatter of the dining hall. As the door came into view, Noel exhaled once, steadying his tone.

"Alright," he muttered under his breath. "Time to ruin dinner."

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