Chapter 304: Something’s Wrong, I Can Feel It

Noah thought about it. If he wanted to find out what was wrong with him, the one place he couldn’t go was the infirmary.

First, because at this point, he was becoming a regular visitor. They might as well reserve a bed for his personal use.

Second, because of Professor Faye. She’d diagnosed enough to tell that his physicality and mana had far surpassed what should be seen on a first year student.

If she could see that, then the doctors in the infirmary would be able to do the same. And if he kept giving them so much information, it wouldn’t take too long for someone else to figure it out.

And so, that meant he could only go to the one healer he trusted in the academy.

He left the arena, first paying a visit to the infirmary anyways. Even though he didn’t want himself scanned by their spells, he didn’t need to be scammed to heal the sword slash on his arm.

He soon arrived at Cecilia’s door. He knocked once.

“Come in,” came Cecilia’s voice from inside.

Noah pushed the door open. The warm light of the room greeted him, along with the faint smell of tea.

Cecilia looked up from her desk and smiled. “Noah,” she said, her tone light. “I heard about your match. Word travels fast around here.”

He gave a small nod. “Yeah. I won.”

“I’m glad,” she said warmly. “Not that I doubted the outcome, of course.”

Noah hesitated, then shook his head. “That’s not why I’m here.”

Cecilia’s smile faded slightly. “Oh?”

He exhaled. “Something’s wrong with my mana.”

That caught her attention immediately. She gestured for him to sit as her expression turned serious. “Explain.”

“When I was in the arena,” he said, “I tried to cast Fireball, the F-rank spell, but it fizzled out. When I finally managed it, it took way more mana than it should’ve. Afterward, I felt… dizzy. Like I’d used too much mana.”

Cecilia leaned forward, concern flickering in her eyes. “You’re sure it wasn’t just exhaustion from the match?”

“I’m sure,” Noah said firmly. “That one spell shouldn’t have affected me at all.”

She stood, moving around the desk. “Hold still.”

Raising her hand, she began casting her spells. Pale blue circles of light bloomed in the air around Noah, scanning his body in slow, sweeping waves.

After almost a minute, the glow faded, and Cecilia lowered her hand, frowning.

“Physically,” she said, “you’re fine. Your mana pathways are intact, and your core stable.”

“But…” She hesitated. “There are traces of something else. Traces of mana fatigue. Not damage, exactly, but wear. Like you’ve been overusing your magic.”

Noah frowned. “I haven’t. Not lately.”

Cecilia crossed her arms, pacing slowly as she thought. “Strange. Mana fatigue like this usually comes from constant overexertion, maybe after hours of casting without proper rest.”

“But yours appeared suddenly. It’s either you’ve been training and pushing yourself too hard or…”

“Or?”

“Or your spells are drawing more energy than they should.”

“That’s what it felt like,” Noah said quietly.

Cecilia’s brows knitted together, her mind clearly running through possibilities.

After a long silence, she sighed. “I don’t have an immediate answer. Whatever this is, it’s not something I’ve seen before. But I’ll look into it.”

Noah nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

Cecilia offered a small, reassuring smile. “In the meantime, take it easy. No advanced spells, no duels, and no experiments. Rest, understand?”

Noah’s lips twitched. “You know that’s not really my style.”

Her smile widened faintly, though worry could still be seen in her eyes. “Humor me anyway.”

Noah stood, nodding. “I’ll try.”

As he left her office, the light from her desk lamp spilled onto the hallway floor behind him.

Cecilia remained seated at her desk long after the door closed, her fingers drumming softly against the wood.

“Mana fatigue that appears from nowhere…” she murmured, staring at the faint traces of her diagnostic spell still lingering in the air.

Something about it felt wrong.

[][][][][]

Noah drifted into sleep, the world around him dissolving into shadow.

When he opened his eyes, he stood among ruins.

The academy lay in shambles around him with the walls crumbled, towers half-collapsed, and the air filled with layers of falling ash, which blanketed everything in view of him.

A dim blue fire burned in patches across the courtyard, casting ghostly light on the wreckage.

And there, waiting for him at the center, was Lady in Dark.

Her hood was drawn and her face hidden as usual, but the faint sound of amusement in her tone was unmistakable.

“You look surprised,” she said.”You should have been expecting me to enter your dreams again one of these days, shouldn’t you?”

Noah’s fists clenched. “What is this?” he snarled. “What did you do?”

She laughed softly, a sound both beautiful and cruel. “Nothing. What you see around you is a possibility.”

“Time, dear Noah, is a fickle thing. It resists control. All I’ve done is show you one of the paths it may yet take.”

The fire flickered, reflecting in the black of her hood.

“So this might not happen?” he asked, his voice cold.

She tilted her head. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. That’s up to you.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

Her laughter came again, light and mocking. “Still direct, I see. You and your friend, Arlo Kael, you’re still searching for me. Tireless little hunters.”

Noah didn’t respond, glaring at her.

“You’ve failed to find me,” she continued, her tone turning almost gentle. “And your friend’s curiosity…” She paused, the smile clear even through the shadows. “It will get him killed. I’ve warned you, Noah. Tell him to stop.”

Noah’s jaw clenched, anger filling him behind his calm expression. “No,” he said quietly. “You’ll die first.”

The air around them grew colder, her laughter echoing, a hollow, endless sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

“So be it,” she whispered.

The ground beneath Noah cracked like glass. The blue flames winked out one by one, and the ruins fell away into endless black.

He fell with them, swallowed whole by darkness.

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