Chapter 194: Squad One

The dining hall was louder than usual.

Noah sat with Squad Seven while Eric continued eating as if the academy had declared food a competitive sport.

Across the hall, Squad One occupied a table near the windows.

Maria noticed Noah looking over.

She raised her hand.

Noah returned the gesture.

Eric immediately noticed.

"You’ve made a new friend."

Noah continued eating.

"Apparently."

"You’re getting popular."

"I’m sitting at a table."

"That’s how it starts."

Sophia laughed.

Laura glanced toward Squad One.

"They seem close."

"They’re good," Noah said.

Damien nodded.

"Second place wasn’t luck."

Luna looked between them.

"Maybe we should train with them again."

Eric pointed his spoon toward her.

"Exactly."

Noah sighed.

"You just want another chance to beat them."

"Yes."

At that moment, Maria stood from her table and walked over.

"Are you talking about us?"

Eric smiled.

"Maybe."

Maria pulled out a chair.

"Then you’re going to have to be more specific."

Zelen, Zane, and Torino followed behind her.

Noah looked at the four members of Squad One.

"Didn’t expect the whole squad."

Zelen shrugged.

"We were curious."

Zane sat down.

"Squad Seven is already getting attention."

Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

Zelen leaned back.

"It’s motivation."

Torino remained quiet, observing everyone.

After a moment, he spoke.

"Your teamwork during the evaluation was impressive."

Damien nodded.

"Yours was too."

Torino looked toward Noah.

"You adjusted quickly."

Noah shrugged.

"We’ve trained together for a while."

Maria smiled.

"That’s exactly what we’re missing."

Zelen looked at her.

"We’re not missing anything."

"We are."

"No."

"You argue too much."

"You argue more."

Zane sighed.

"Here we go again."

Luna laughed.

The conversation continued for several minutes.

Nothing important.

Nothing dangerous.

Just students talking.

Noah found himself enjoying it.

Eventually, Maria stood.

"We’re heading to the training grounds."

Eric immediately looked at Noah.

"Race you there."

Noah frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

Eric sprinted away.

Noah stared after him.

"Idiot."

He stood and followed.

The others laughed as they left the dining hall.

Outside, the afternoon sun covered the academy grounds.

Squads moved between buildings.

Some trained.

Others studied.

A few sat beneath trees, talking about anything except combat.

Noah slowed down.

For so long, his life had been defined by survival.

Now there were moments where he could simply exist.

He looked toward the academy’s tallest tower.

Valhalla was enormous.

There were still countless students he hadn’t met.

Teachers he hadn’t spoken to.

Training grounds he hadn’t explored.

Libraries he hadn’t entered.

And perhaps most importantly, a future he hadn’t considered.

Noah smiled.

He had no idea how long this peaceful period would last.

But he intended to enjoy it.

Because for once, Valhalla wasn’t preparing him for a battle.

It was teaching him how to live between them.

The afternoon training session ended earlier than expected.

For once, nobody had been injured.

Noah considered that another victory.

He left the training grounds with Eric, Sophia, Luna, Damien, and Laura. The six of them walked through the western courtyard, where the noise from the training fields gradually faded behind them.

Eric stretched his arms.

"I’m starving."

"You just ate," Sophia said.

"That was hours ago."

"It was two hours ago."

"Exactly."

Damien shook his head.

"How do you survive?"

"Food."

Noah laughed.

They reached a quieter section of the academy.

Unlike the main courtyard, this area was surrounded by old stone walls and several enormous trees. A few benches had been placed beneath them.

Laura sat down.

Sophia joined her.

Luna wandered toward the edge of the courtyard, looking at the flowers growing beside the wall.

Damien leaned against a tree.

Noah remained standing.

He looked around.

There was something strange about seeing Valhalla like this.

Peaceful.

The academy was enormous, but there were quiet corners everywhere.

Places where students could escape the noise.

Places where nobody was training.

Nobody was competing.

Nobody was talking about rankings.

Eric dropped onto a bench.

"Why don’t we do this more often?"

Noah looked at him.

"Do what?"

"Nothing."

Noah raised an eyebrow.

Eric gestured toward the courtyard.

"Just sit around."

Sophia closed her book.

"Because you usually want to train."

"People can change."

Laura smiled.

"Can they?"

Eric pointed at her.

"That sounded insulting."

"It wasn’t."

"It definitely was."

Everyone laughed.

For a while, the conversation wandered.

They talked about classes.

The evaluation.

Squad One.

Some of the strange instructors at Valhalla.

Even the food.

It was ordinary.

Comfortably ordinary.

Noah sat beneath the tree and listened.

He realized he hadn’t had a moment like this in a long time.

No missions.

No monsters.

No ancient beings.

No Dead Zone taking control.

Just his friends.

His friends.

The thought lingered.

Noah looked toward Laura.

She was reading again.

Sophia was quietly listening to Eric complain.

Luna was attempting to convince Damien that he needed to try something from the academy cafeteria.

They were his friends.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, they had become that.

Noah leaned back against the tree.

His eyes closed.

For a few seconds, he simply listened to the wind.

Then something moved inside his consciousness.

You trust them.

Noah opened his eyes.

The Dead Zone’s voice was quiet.

Yeah.

That’s dangerous.

Noah looked at his friends.

"Maybe."

There was a pause.

But you need it.

Noah said nothing.

The Dead Zone disappeared into silence again.

Noah looked toward the sky.

He didn’t know what waited beyond Valhalla.

He didn’t know what Ragnarok would eventually demand from him.

He didn’t know what the strange signatures inside him meant.

But he knew one thing.

He wasn’t alone anymore.

And for now, that was enough.

The academy bell rang in the distance.

Everyone stood.

Eric stretched.

"Back to class."

Noah smiled.

"Back to normal."

They walked together toward the main building.

Behind them, the quiet courtyard returned to silence.

For another day, Valhalla remained peaceful.

As the power inside him was quiet but no sign to have woke up. "Is this feeling normal...yes it is, but also this is how to live a normal life", Noah talking to him with a little smile on his face.