"I told you, stranger, to never return. Didn't I?" Captain Roderick said, his voice hard.
"And yet, here I am," Noah said, stretching both hands to his sides.
His voice was calm, but his grin carried a darker edge, something halfway between defiance and amusement.
Captain Roderick stood opposite him, sword gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
The air around the man rippled slightly with his power. He was the epitome of discipline, his power holding the weight of years of experience forged into every breath.
The captain's eyes narrowed. "Why are you back? I warned you before. This monolith isn't for you."
Noah tilted his head, letting the dim light catch on the edge of his dark cloak.
"The power I got last time wasn't enough," he said softly. "I need more."
Roderick studied him, the furrow in his brow deepening.
There was no arrogance in Noah's tone. Just quiet conviction, and that made it worse.
The man before him wasn't simply reckless, he believed in what he was saying.
