All eyes were fixed on one place — Noa.
He knelt there, breathing heavily, his clothes torn, blood seeping from his hands.
Silence reigned over the courtyard. Then, from among the crowd, a voice rose:
> "He failed… the prince has fallen."
Murmurs spread. Some laughed; others shook their heads in pity.
The ancient dragon elders furrowed their brows — all Noa received from them was cold silence. Yet their faces clearly showed satisfaction.
And everyone had forgotten about the beast.
The creature was charging toward Noa where he sat on the ground. Noa saw it coming and tried to stand, but his body refused to move.
What? Does this mean my father wants me dead? he thought for a fleeting moment.
The beast leaped close and struck with its paw. Just as the massive claw was about to reach Noa's shoulder, the creature's body suddenly shattered — blood sprayed across Noa's head and face.
Noa's eyes widened as he looked around. He first glanced at his father: the Emperor watched with an expressionless face. The crowd, for their part, seemed faintly regretful. Noa scanned the surroundings, desperate to find who had done this. Then his gaze fell upon a cloaked, hooded figure standing atop the arena wall — a dragon in the form of a Nivala.
The dragon glanced back over its shoulder, fixing its eyes on Noa for a brief moment, and whispered:
"I'm still alive. Those who try to kill you… will die themselves."
The words were spoken to itself. In the next instant, its silhouette vanished into thin air.
The Emperor, having seen it depart, turned his gaze to Noa. His voice thundered like lightning:
> "The trial is over! The prince has proven himself unworthy of inheritance! From this day forward, he is no longer part of the royal family!"
The square fell silent once more. The weight of those words pressed down like iron chains.
Noa slowly raised his head. There was no hatred or rage on his face — only exhaustion and an unbreakable resolve etched into his features.
He trembled as he rose from his knees. His body was weak, yet his eyes still burned with an undying flame.
> "I…" he said quietly but clearly. "I have failed… just as everyone expected."
Inside, Noa cursed himself: Damn it… what a disgrace. Even an ordinary beast was enough to defeat me. Is this truly all I amount to?
The crowd fell into an eerie silence. No one had ever heard a prince openly admit defeat. Yet Noa offered no excuses.
> "But," he said, clenching his fists until they cracked, "I will not surrender. Today I fell — but tomorrow I will rise again. I will prove myself not through brute strength… but through mind and truth."
Whispers rippled through the crowd once more. Some mocked him, others admired his courage. The Emperor's gaze remained as cold as frost.
> "Words mean nothing," Zagn said with contempt. "A weak heart has no value."
Those words pierced like a blade. Noa closed his eyes as pain spread through his body — yet it was not physical pain that hurt most; the agony radiated from his heart. He had long grown used to the cold shoulders of the people and the servants, but now even his father had turned away.
Damn it… I've even lost my father. He truly despises me now, he thought.
---
As he walked out of the courtyard, a boy ran toward him — the son of a servant, tears streaming down his face. He grabbed Noa's hand tightly.
The crowd gasped. Someone tried to pull the boy away, but Noa held his hand and gave a faint smile.
> "Don't cry, little one. Yes, I lost… but this is not the end."
The boy sobbed. Noa gently stroked his hair.
> "I will never harm you or our people. I will return — and when I do, everyone will respect me."
His words echoed across the square.
Someone laughed mockingly:
> "Respect you? Ha! What a joke!"
Zagn watched him — in Noa's eyes there was neither darkness nor hatred.
Only an unquenchable light burned.
---
That night, in the palace garden, he met his mother. Tears shimmered in Arya's eyes.
> "Noa… my son. Why has it come to this?"
Noa tried to smile, but couldn't.
> "Mother, I will endure. I will prove myself — for you, and for Father."
Arya gripped his hand tightly, her voice trembling:
> "You will always be my pride, Noa. Your heart is pure — and that purity is completely absent in this palace. I believe in you."
Then she took a small silver seal from her robes and placed it in his palm.
> "This is your inheritance. Only a pure heart can awaken it.
But to use it… darkness born of light is required."
The moment the seal touched Noa's palm, it melted and seeped into his hand. Noa stared at his palm in shock.
A faint glow began to spread across it.
What just happened? he thought, then looked up at his mother.
> "I will return, Mother. For you… and for the Empire."
---
At dawn, the Emperor issued his final decree.
Noa was stripped of all titles, erased from the royal registry, and exiled to the northern frontier — as nothing more than an ordinary border guard.
Yet before leaving, he made a silent vow in his heart:
> I will become strong. For my mother's tears. For my father's wrath.
For the people's scorn.