Ines' eyes fluttered open, the ceiling of the infirmary swimming above her in a haze of light.

Her breath caught, and then the memory slammed back into her with brutal clarity.

Noah's smirk, the sudden tilt of his head, the touch of his hand on her shoulder, the roar that had rattled her bones, the cold that had stolen every thought from her mind, and the rot that had eaten its way into her flesh.

For the first time in her life, she had been powerless. Helpless. Dying.

And she had seen it. Him.

The truth of the boy they whispered about. Not a classmate. Not a summoned hero. Not even a man.

Destruction.

The word echoed in her chest like a curse.

Her heart hammered as she turned her head, and her golden eyes found him.

Noah Webb sat calmly in the chair beside her bed, arms folded, as if he had all the time in the world.

His orange eyes glowed faintly in the light of day, watching her with an almost clinical detachment.

She shivered, and the chains around her heart rattled.

The darkness inside her, the one she kept buried and chained away, stirred violently, rattling against its bonds, demanding to be released.

It wanted to lash out. To strike at the boy who had humiliated her in front of everyone. To destroy the incarnation of ruin before her.

Her fingers curled tightly in the blanket, trembling. She forced the chains tighter.

She couldn't let it out. Not here. Not now.

Her lips parted before she even realized she was speaking.

"What are you?"

The question was a whisper in the wind, but it carried the weight of her soul.

Her voice shook. Not with pride, but with something she had never felt before, Fear, mixed with fascination.

Noah tilted his head slightly, and a small smile spread across his face.

Not mocking, nor smug. Just… amused.

"How… interesting," he murmured.

His eyes narrowed in focus, as if he was memorizing every flicker of her reaction.

"I thought you'd be angry. Furious. Maybe even indignant." He leaned back in his chair, eyes never leaving hers. "But instead, you ask me that?"

Her throat felt dry. She hated this.

Hated the tremor in her hands, hated the heat rising in her cheeks, hated the fact that she was looking at him not just in fear, but in unwilling admiration.

Noah leaned forward slightly, his smirk growing. "So, Princess… have I proven myself now? That I'm far above any measure of worth you can use to quantify your attention?"

Silence filled the infirmary. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Her pride screamed at her to snap back, to remind him she was heir to the throne, that no mere boy could shake her. But the memory of her body rotting away silenced that voice.

She couldn't speak.

Noah waited for a moment longer, then chuckled softly. He stood, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve. "I'll take that silence as an answer."

He turned, his steps slow as he made his way to the door.

Her heart thudded. Something in her rebelled at the thought of him walking away just like that.

"What if…" she forced the words out, her voice steadier this time, "what if I grow strong enough? Strong enough to earn your attention?"

Noah stopped.

For a moment, he didn't move. Then, he turned just enough to look at her over his shoulder.

A grin stretched across his face, looking every bit as dangerous as Ines imagined.

"Then," he said lightly, "we'll just have to see."

And with that, he stepped out, the door closing softly behind him.

Ines sat frozen in her bed, her heart pounding so loud it drowned out every other sound. Her hands shook as she pressed them against her chest, as if she could calm the racing beat.

Fear. Excitement. Admiration. Hatred. All tangled together until she couldn't tell them apart.

Noah Webb. The boy who had treated her like she was nothing, then shattered her pride in front of everyone.

She exhaled shakily, golden eyes narrowing.

She needed answers.

Why had he been transferred directly into the gold-tier the moment he was released from the Investigation Authority?

Why had the academy bent its rules for him? What had they seen that she hadn't?

Her jaw tightened.

She would find out.

And when she did, maybe she would understand why the name 'Noah Webb' tasted like both danger and inevitability.

[][][][][]

Two hours later.

The principal's office was quiet, and with the windows closed, shrouded in darkness.

A single candle flickered on Kael's desk, its light paling against the deeper shadows gathered in the corner of the room.

Irina Valey stood there, wrapped in her usual shroud of darkness, her features indistinguishable. Only the faint outline of her hood and the glint of her eyes marked her presence.

Kael leaned back in his chair, hands folded. He studied the silhouette before him for a long moment before speaking.

"You saw him today." His voice was calm. "I'd like your thoughts."

There was no hesitation in Irina's answer, her gravelly voice cutting through the silence.

"He is efficient. His casting is clean, and his timing impeccable. For his current rank, his strength is remarkable. With the right guidance, he could surpass most of his generation."

Kael tilted his head, listening carefully. "How far do you think he could go?"

"If he continues on this path?" Irina's tone was flat, factual, the way one might discuss the properties of a spell. "Archmage. Without question. Possibly even higher, should he live long enough."

Silence filled the air, each one processing the implication of Irina's words.

Kael's fingers tapped lightly on the wood of his desk, before looking up. "Strength and talent alone don't concern me, Irina. Power is dangerous, yes, but it is predictable."

"What I need to know," he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing, "is his temperament."

The shadows around Irina seemed to shift, her presence pressing against the edges of the room.

Kael's voice dropped lower. "You've seen countless mages rise and fall. You know what becomes of those who can't master themselves. Tell me honestly…"

He paused, taking a deep breath.

"Do you believe Noah Webb is someone who will not become a danger in the future?"

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