Chapter 16 Sinister plan (2)

The beast let out one final breath, and then—

Its body began to shimmer. The glow of ancient magic enveloped it, flickering like embers carried by the wind.

The ground beneath trembled as the dragon's form dissolved into light, breaking apart piece by piece, returning to the land from which it came.

Nimfa, standing beside Noir, brought her hands together, bowing her head in quiet reverence.

The soldiers who had once cowered in fear now stood in silence, their weapons lowered.

Even Cedric, for all his greed, found himself momentarily speechless.

A gust of wind swept through the village, scattering the last remnants of the dragon into the night sky—its essence joining the stars above.

And in its place, nestled safely in Lyric's arms, lay the only thing that remained—

A single, unhatched egg.

Noir clenched his fists.

Another chain of fate had been placed upon him.

But this time—

He would not run.

Noir's POV

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, his breath vanishing into the cold night air. His sharp gaze fixated on the moonlight.

"Another one dies in front of me, huh?"

Without a sound, Noir disappeared, leaving only a swirl of dust behind—then reappeared in front of Ronan, shielding Lyric.

"You… can you give me that egg?" His piercing eyes locked onto Lyric, his voice steady and cold.

"You! You can't just take that!" Cedric roared, his anger igniting as he lunged, sword raised high, ready to strike Noir down.

"So noisy."

With a single swift motion, Noir unsheathed his single-edged sword. The blade sliced cleanly through Cedric's weapon and shield.

Clang!

"What…?" Cedric's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the broken remnants of his sword.

"Did this guy just cut through my weapon…?" A shiver ran down his spine as he clutched the shattered pieces, his hands trembling.

Before he could react, Noir moved again—this time, his blade flashed, severing four of Cedric's fingers in an instant.

"Stay out of my business, human." His voice was void of emotion, yet behind his mask, an ominous aura radiated—a silent warning to anyone who dared challenge him.

Nimfa's POV

A sharp gasp escaped Nimfa's lips as she clutched her chest, her heart pounding against her ribs.

"I thought… I thought he was going to kill that man."

Her body refused to move at first, paralyzed by the cold finality in Noir's voice, by the ease with which he cut through Cedric's weapon, by the merciless way he severed his fingers. The blood-stained steel glinted under the moonlight, a grim reminder that Noir was a demon—a being raised in violence, bound to destruction.

And yet…

"Why does it feel like he isn't just some heartless monster?"

She recalled the moment she embraced him—how his body had stiffened, as if the warmth of another was something foreign to him. In that brief contact, she had felt something beneath the cold, the cruelty. A sorrow so deep, so vast, that it swallowed her whole. A pain buried beneath layers of steel and silence.

"What has he been through? Why do demons always carry such unbearable suffering?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. No. I can't just stand here. I have to do something… I have to reach him.

Before she could second-guess herself, her feet carried her forward. She rushed between Noir and the soldiers, her small frame standing as a fragile barrier in the midst of chaos.

She took a deep breath and straightened herself, forcing her voice to be gentle yet firm.

"Ahem… um, little girl, can you let us take care of the mother egg?" she asked, her words laced with caution as she addressed Lyric.

Silence followed.

Then—

"Why…?" Ronan's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

His expression shifted from confusion to suspicion, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. His gaze flickered between Nimfa and Noir, searching for an answer that made sense.

"An angel… and a demon… standing together?"

His blood ran cold.

Ronan's POV

His breath hitched as realization settled in.

"No, there's no mistake. I know that mask. I know that aura, no matter how much he tries to hide it."

A bitter taste filled his mouth. It's him.

His vision clouded with the past—flashes of fire, of screams, of blood staining the earth. The ruins of his village burned into his memory.

"This is the demon who destroyed everything ten years ago."

Yet here he was, standing beside an angel, as if he belonged anywhere other than the abyss he had crawled from.

Ronan's hands curled into fists, nails digging into his palms. A storm of emotions surged through him—rage, grief, and something far more dangerous… doubt.

"What the hell is happening? Why is she standing with him?"

For the first time in a decade, his certainty wavered.

Nimfa gasped, her breath hitching as she took in Ronan's expression of pure horror. His eyes were wide, his grip on his sword trembling.

"A... a D-demon?" Cedric stammered, his voice weak. Blood dripped from his shaking hands, his body frozen in fear.

Even the surrounding soldiers hesitated, their faces mirroring Cedric's shock.

Cedric's POV

"I knew it… If an angel is nearby, a demon is never far behind. But why… why are they together? Am I really going to die here?" The thought clawed at his mind, his pulse hammering in his ears.

"A demon and an angel… side by side?" one of the soldiers muttered, still locked in place from disbelief.

Noir's POV

"They still remember… the massacre I caused a decade ago." Noir exhaled slowly, his very presence suffocating the air around them.

A strangled cry escaped one of the soldiers. "Hiiik! R-run!"

Panic erupted. The soldiers bolted, their discipline shattered. Even Cedric, despite his injuries, turned and fled, fear overriding reason.

Yet amid the chaos, a soft, calming voice cut through.

"...What will you do with the egg?"

Noir's sharp gaze shifted. A young girl stood before him, her small hands clutching the dragon egg protectively.

"Lyric, stay behind me," Ronan ordered, positioning himself in front of her. His sword gleamed under the dim light, poised to strike.

Lyric, however, stepped forward.

Nimfa's POV

From where she stood, Nimfa's heart pounded in her chest. Noir's masked face was unreadable, but his eyes… they were locked onto Lyric, a predator prepared to kill.

No—!

Her body moved before she could think.

"Noir, stop!" she cried, reaching out.

"Reaper Chain."

The words were cold. Commanding.

Nimfa squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

But when she reopened them—

It wasn't Lyric who was bound.

It was Ronan.

Ronan's POV

"What the—?! I... I can't move!" He struggled against the chains constricting his body. They were unbreakable. "Damn it! What is this?! Let me go!"

"Be quiet."

Noir's voice was like ice.

Then, just as quickly as his killing intent had surfaced, it vanished. His cold gaze flickered from Ronan to Lyric, who was still standing in front of him, clutching the egg tightly.

He knelt. Their eyes met.

Nimfa, watching from the sidelines, felt her heart twist.

"This isn't right... My kin have always spoken of demons as ruthless monsters." Her fingers curled against her chest. "So why... why I want to know more about him?"

Her golden eyes locked onto Noir's, searching for something—anything—that made sense.

"The dragon entrusted her daughter's egg to me," Noir murmured. His voice, while chilling, held an eerie calm, a quiet promise that seemed to soothe Lyric's fears. "I intend to protect it."

Lyric hesitated. "A-are you really a demon?"

The innocence in her voice made the question cut deeper.

Lyric's POV

"My mother told me that demons are evil. That they only bring destruction." She swallowed. "But if you're a demon... then why did you help the village?"

Noir's POV

He stared at her, his usual answers failing him.

Why, indeed?

The images from a decade ago still haunted him. The screams. The fire. The blood.

"I wonder that myself," he murmured. "A decade ago, I foresaw what would happen to this village. I came… because I wanted to know if my vision was true."

And it was.

But that answer didn't explain why he had chosen to stay.

Lyric's POV

"My friend… he protected us. He saved this egg from the goblins that attacked us."

Her voice wavered. She lowered her gaze, staring at the dragon egg cradled in her arms.

"But he's already—"

A lump formed in her throat, cutting off the words. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks, trembling as they fell.

"It's my fault…" she whispered. "I lost my friend… because I wanted to play in the mountains."

The weight of guilt pressed down on her small frame, her fingers tightening around the egg as though it were the only thing keeping her together.

Noir's POV

He listened in silence, allowing the girl's sorrow to settle into his mind. Her pain was one he recognized all too well.

"If you wish to protect something," he murmured, "then you must be willing to stake your life on it."

He understood what she was truly saying. The loss of her friend wasn't just grief—it was regret. A burden she felt she had to carry alone.

Noir knelt down, lowering himself to her level. His voice was steady, quiet, but firm.

"Your friend was brave," he said. "He sacrificed himself to protect you and this egg."

He closed his eyes briefly. Memories stirred—flashes of battles long past, of comrades who had fought beside him, only to be swallowed by death.

A deep ache pulsed in his chest.

"I am done with destruction. I just want to live a peaceful life… but fate seems to have other plans."

His hands clenched slightly. How many times had he tried to escape? How many times had blood found him, no matter where he went?

"So be it. If fate insists on pulling me back into this world… then this time, I will take control. I will protect what I want to protect. Those close to me… I will not lose them."

"You fought hard too," he continued, reopening his eyes. "Now, I will take that burden from you. I will protect this dragon… and I will ensure its safety."

Gently, he placed a hand on Lyric's head.

Lyric's POV

The touch was unexpected.

Warm. Steady. Familiar.

Her breath hitched. A long-forgotten memory surfaced—of someone who had once comforted her in the same way, a flickering light in her darkest moments.

"This feeling…"

A single thought crossed her mind as she closed her eyes, leaning into the touch.

"It's warm."

For the first time since her friend's death, the crushing weight on her chest seemed to ease, if only a little.

Noir's POV

A faint smile ghosted his lips beneath the mask. It was small—barely there—but for those paying attention, it was unmistakable.

His cold, unreadable gaze softened, if only for a fleeting moment.

Nimfa's POV

She blinked, stunned.

"Eh…?" Her golden eyes widened, flickering with disbelief.

"Noir… smiled?"

She searched his face, uncertain if she had truly seen it or if her mind was playing tricks on her.

A demon—one who had brought terror and bloodshed—had just shown kindness.

"So… you have a soft side too," she murmured under her breath, watching him with new curiosity.

Ronan's POV

Ronan clenched his fists, his heart pounding.

"What is this…?"

He struggled to reconcile the image before him with the demon he remembered from the massacre a decade ago.

The Noir he had seen back then was a monster. Merciless. Bloodthirsty. A demon who slaughtered without hesitation, his mask hiding nothing but death.

But now…

The man before him was different.

And that terrified him more than the demon he once knew.