Chapter 151: The Signal

The golden moon was gone.

Hildgard had never looked so dark.

The three moons remained in the sky, but their light seemed strangely weak. The golden lines covering the city had vanished, leaving only cracked streets and damaged buildings behind.

For several minutes, nobody spoke.

Noah stood in the middle of the academy hall.

His crimson aura had disappeared.

The black markings were gone.

Only his normal appearance remained.

Laura watched him carefully.

"Are you sure you’re okay?"

Noah nodded.

"I think so."

Eric looked toward the ruined entrance.

"That thing called you the inheritor."

Noah’s expression tightened.

"Yeah."

"And you said it was Ragnarok?"

"I think so."

Damien frowned.

"That doesn’t make sense. Ragnarok is supposed to be your power."

Noah looked at his hands.

"I thought so too."

Sophia approached him.

"Did it say anything else?"

Noah hesitated.

"It called me..."

He looked toward the dark sky.

"Inheritor."

Luna’s eyes narrowed.

"Not host?"

"No."

That distinction bothered Noah more than he wanted to admit.

The system had always called him a host.

Ragnarok had called him something else.

An inheritor.

As though he had received something that already existed.

Not created it.

Not awakened it.

Inherited it.

Deep underground, Alcris slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was darkness.

The second was Daniella sitting beside him.

"You’re awake."

He tried to move.

Pain immediately shot through his body.

"Don’t."

Daniella pushed him back down.

"You’ve exhausted almost everything."

Alcris stared at the ceiling.

"What happened?"

"The ritual failed."

He closed his eyes.

"I know."

Daniella’s expression hardened.

"You nearly died."

"I know."

"You almost killed Noah."

His eyes opened.

Silence filled the chamber.

Alcris looked toward Irus.

She stood several meters away, completely still.

"You failed," he said.

Irus didn’t react.

"Yes."

Alcris gave a weak laugh.

"That’s the first honest thing you’ve said."

Daniella looked at him.

"What happens now?"

Irus finally turned.

"The connection has been severed."

Alcris’s face changed.

"Then it’s over."

"No."

Irus walked toward the three medallions.

Balgard.

Sylthin.

Flaros.

They lay motionless on the stone floor.

"The ritual failed."

She picked up one of them.

"But the door opened."

Alcris stared at her.

"And?"

Irus looked at him.

"Something heard us."

A chill ran through the chamber.

Daniella’s eyes narrowed.

"Ragnarok."

Irus nodded.

"Yes."

Alcris’s fingers tightened.

"Did you see it?"

"I saw its eye."

"And?"

Irus’s golden eyes darkened.

"It recognized Noah."

Alcris stared at the floor.

All this time, he’d believed Ragnarok was simply a power Noah had somehow inherited.

Something he could extract.

Something he could control.

But now he understood.

He hadn’t been trying to steal a weapon.

He had been knocking on the door of something alive.

Something that had looked back.

"I made a mistake," he whispered.

Daniella stared at him.

"Yes."

Alcris looked at his sister.

She didn’t soften the answer.

"You did."

He lowered his eyes.

For once, he had nothing to say.

At the academy, Noah suddenly stopped walking.

The Dead Zone stirred.

"He’s thinking about it."

Noah frowned.

Who?

"Alcris."

Noah looked toward the distant city.

He’s alive?

"For now."

Noah’s expression darkened.

I thought you wanted him dead.

The Dead Zone was silent.

Then:

"I wanted him to stop."

Noah paused.

Why?

"Because he opened something neither of us understands."

Noah stared at the sky.

And Ragnarok?

A long silence followed.

"It’s awake now."

Noah’s stomach tightened.

Can it take control of me?

The Dead Zone answered immediately.

"No."

Noah relaxed slightly.

Then the voice continued.

"But it can answer you."

Noah froze.

Before he could respond, the system appeared.

[RAGNAROK RESONANCE: UNSTABLE]

[RAGNAROK DEAD ZONE RESONANCE: 24.0%]

Noah stared at the numbers.

The Dead Zone had increased again.

But something else had changed.

A third line appeared.

[UNKNOWN RAGNAROK SIGNAL: ACTIVE]

Noah’s expression slowly hardened.

Far beneath Hildgard, the ancient heart gave one final pulse.

BOOM.

And somewhere beyond the sealed boundary...

something began moving toward him.

The academy had finally stopped shaking.

That should have been comforting.

It wasn’t.

Noah stood beside one of the shattered windows, staring at Hildgard.

The city was still standing, but barely.

Cracks ran through the streets. Several buildings had lost sections of their walls. The academy barriers flickered weakly around the district.

And beneath everything...

That heartbeat was gone.

For the first time since the ritual began, there was silence underground.

Noah looked at the system.

[UNKNOWN RAGNAROK SIGNAL: ACTIVE]

The message remained.

He frowned.

What does that mean?

The Dead Zone answered from somewhere inside him.

"It means Ragnarok heard you."

I didn’t say anything.

"You didn’t need to."

Noah’s eyes narrowed.

What is it doing?

A pause.

"Listening."

That answer somehow made things worse.

Laura approached quietly.

"You’ve been standing there for a while."

Noah glanced at her.

"I’m thinking."

"That’s usually dangerous."

He gave her a faint smile.

"Thanks."

She stood beside him.

Neither spoke for several seconds.

Across the city, smoke drifted between damaged buildings.

Laura finally asked, "Is it over?"

Noah looked at the three moons.

"I don’t think so."

"Because of Irus?"

"Because of everything."

Laura studied his face.

"You’re scared."

Noah didn’t deny it.

"A little."

That honesty surprised her.

"Noah..."

He looked toward her.

"I heard Ragnarok."

Laura’s expression changed.

"And?"

"It called me the inheritor."

She was silent.

"You’ve always called it your power," Laura said.

"I know."

"But maybe that’s not what it is."

Noah looked at her.

"That’s what I’m afraid of."

Elsewhere in the academy, Eric and Damien were checking the damaged corridors.

Eric kicked a loose piece of stone aside.

"Whole place looks like it’s been through a war."

Damien looked toward the ceiling.

"And we still don’t know whether we’re safe."

Sophia joined them.

"We aren’t."

Eric looked at her.

"You sound cheerful."

Sophia ignored the comment.

"The mana is settling, but there’s something underneath it."

Luna nodded.

"I feel it too."

Damien frowned.

"What?"

Luna looked toward the floor.

"Movement."

Everyone became silent.

Eric slowly drew his weapon.

"Movement?"

A faint vibration traveled through the stone.

Once.

Twice.

It stopped.

Eric lowered his weapon slightly.

"Maybe a collapsing tunnel."

Luna shook her head.

"No."

Another vibration.

This time, much stronger.

BOOM.

The academy floor cracked.

Deep beneath Hildgard, Daniella looked down at the ancient heart.

The black crack across it had vanished.

The stone had returned to its original golden color.

But something was different.

A small symbol had appeared at its center.

A single crimson circle.

Daniella stared.

"What is that?"

Alcris slowly pushed himself upright.

He looked at the symbol.

His face went pale.

"I don’t know."

Daniella turned toward him.

"You’re lying."

"I wish I were."

Irus approached the heart.

Her golden eyes narrowed.

"The signal has begun."

Alcris looked at her.

"Signal to what?"

Irus didn’t answer.

She placed her hand against the stone.

The heart pulsed.

BOOM.

A crimson line shot outward.

Not toward the sky.

Toward the city.

Toward the academy.

Toward Noah.

Alcris’s expression changed.

"It found him."

Irus nodded.

"Yes."

Daniella tightened her grip on her weapon.

"Can you stop it?"

Irus slowly withdrew her hand.

"No."

Alcris stared at her.

"Why?"

"Because this isn’t my ritual anymore."

Noah suddenly stopped breathing.

His system vanished.

Every sound around him disappeared.

Laura’s voice became distant.

The academy disappeared.

The city disappeared.

Noah found himself standing in complete darkness.

But this time, he wasn’t alone.

Something stood far ahead.

A silhouette.

Massive.

Motionless.

Two crimson eyes opened.

Noah couldn’t see its body.

He couldn’t even tell how far away it was.

But he knew.

This wasn’t the Dead Zone.

This wasn’t Irus.

This was something deeper.

Something that had finally answered.

The voice came without sound.

"Inheritor."

Noah’s heart stopped for a beat.

He whispered:

"Ragnarok?"

The crimson eyes brightened.

And the darkness answered.

"Come closer."