Ramen Therapy

The Sage of Lunaris Sanctum exhaled slowly, their glowing eyes settling on the group.

"For this training to succeed," they said, "Hugo must be alone."

Lena frowned. "Alone? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

The Sage nodded. "His greatest enemy is not the Dominion. It is himself. The presence of others will only be a distraction."

Eclipse Zero exchanged uncertain glances.

Darius crossed his arms. "I don't like it. Last time he trained alone, we all got bruises."

Nathan sighed. "Yeah, no offense, but I almost died."

Stella looked at Hugo. "…Will you be okay?"

Hugo nodded. "I'll be fine."

Ethan sighed. "Alright. We'll step out—for now."

Reluctantly, the team left.

Nathan was the last to go, glancing at Hugo one final time.

"…Don't screw this up."

Then, he left too.

The doors closed behind them.

Now, only Hugo and the Sage remained.

The Sage sat cross-legged in the center of the chamber, motioning for Hugo to do the same.

Hugo lowered himself to the ground, exhaling as he tried to clear his mind.

The air around them shifted, glowing softly with Luna Arcana, forming a still, tranquil aura.

"Close your eyes," the Sage said. "Breathe."

Hugo did.

"Now… return to your past."

Hugo felt his consciousness drift.

The warmth of Lunaris Sanctum faded—and suddenly, he was somewhere else.

When he opened his eyes, he was standing in the ruins of an old battlefield.

He knew this place.

The sky was dark, the land was scarred with destruction—a place that had been torn apart by war and betrayal.

And in the center of it all…

He saw himself.

A younger Hugo—standing tall in shining armor, Cosmos in hand. His eyes burned with the determination of a warrior, but his face was hardened. Cold.

Across from him stood Xander and Mina.

And just behind them—an army.

This was it.

The final battle of the Eclipse War.

The moment when everything changed.

Hugo's chest tightened.

Even though he knew this was just a memory, he could feel everything.

The weight of his sword.The raging emotions.The sense of betrayal.

He remembered the moment Mina hesitated, when Xander raised Vengeance, when he had made the choice that ended everything.

The battle began again.

And just like before—Hugo lost.

The memory shattered.

The battlefield blurred.

And suddenly—Hugo wasn't just reliving the past.

He was fighting it.

The world darkened, and Voltra surged through his body—just like before.

The once calm meditation chamber turned into a storm of black energy.

Hugo gritted his teeth, trying to fight back the corruption—but Voltra Mode wasn't just awakening.

It was taking over.

His breath turned ragged.

His fingertips twitched as black lightning crawled across his body.

"No—" Hugo clenched his fists, trying to hold onto his balance.

The Sage, still seated, watched in calm silence.

Then, they lifted their hand—placing two fingers on Hugo's forehead.

"Enough."

A pulse of Luna Arcana rushed through Hugo's body—breaking the connection instantly.

The dark energy recoiled, fading away.

Hugo gasped, snapping back to reality.

His body trembled. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

The meditation chamber returned to its original state.

Silence filled the room.

Hugo let out a shaky breath, his entire body aching.

"…I failed," he muttered.

The Sage shook their head.

"No. You merely learned how deep your wounds run."

Hugo didn't respond.

He felt exhausted—mentally and physically.

The Sage slowly stood. "Rest. We will continue tomorrow."

Hugo looked down at his hands, still shaking slightly.

For the first time in a long time, he felt truly uncertain.

Could he really do this?

Hugo stepped out of the Grand Archive, his body still sore from the meditation session. The sky above Lunaris Sanctum had darkened slightly, twilight settling over the city, casting a soft glow across the ancient structures.

Eclipse Zero was waiting outside near a stone fountain, their expressions immediately shifting when they saw him.

Lena was the first to speak. "You look like hell."

Darius grinned. "Which, for you boss, is impressive."

Nathan, still new to the group's dynamic, tilted his head. "Uh… is this normal?"

Ethan sighed. "Yeah. Unfortunately."

Stella crossed her arms. "So? What happened?"

Hugo sat down on the edge of the fountain, exhaling before explaining everything—from the meditation, to the memory of the Eclipse War, to the Voltra energy breaking his focus.

By the time he finished, the group had fallen into silence.

Nathan frowned. "So… you lost control again?"

Hugo nodded. "Yeah."

Iris, standing slightly apart from the others, watched him carefully.

Then—without warning, she grabbed Hugo's wrist.

Hugo blinked. "...What?"

Iris just grinned.

"Come with me."

And just like that, she pulled him away.

The group stared as Iris casually dragged Hugo down the street.

Nathan looked around. "Uh… should we be worried?"

Lena sighed. "Nope. Iris is doing her thing."

Darius smirked. "Oh yeah. It's happening."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What's happening?"

Ethan smirked. "Watch and learn."

Hugo, mildly confused, let Iris lead him through the city.

They passed glowing libraries, quiet alleys filled with researchers, and small street vendors selling books and Arcana-infused items.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a small ramen restaurant, tucked between two towering archive buildings.

Hugo immediately recognized the smell.

His eyes narrowed.

"…Iris."

"Yes?" she responded innocently.

Hugo crossed his arms. "This is a ramen shop."

Iris nodded. "Correct."

Silence.

Then, Hugo sighed.

"...You're feeding me ramen."

Iris grinned, eyes gleaming smugly.

"I know."

She walked inside like she owned the place.

Hugo followed without argument.

Fifteen minutes later—

Hugo sat at the bar counter, a bowl of steaming ramen in front of him.

Iris sat beside him, stirring her own bowl casually, her expression oozing satisfaction.

The atmosphere was warm, the scent of broth and spices filling the air, the sound of soft chatter from other customers.

Hugo picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

It was perfect.

Iris, slurping a noodle, glanced at him with a knowing smirk.

"Better?"

Hugo exhaled. "Yeah."

Iris leaned slightly closer, her voice teasing.

"You're welcome."

Hugo gave her a side glance. "…You're enjoying this way too much."

Iris grinned wider.

"Oh, absolutely."

Then—

The rest of Eclipse Zero walked in.

Lena, Ethan, Darius, Stella, and Nathan stopped in the doorway, immediately noticing the situation.

And then—it happened.

Lena facepalmed. "I knew it."

Ethan shook his head. "Iris. Stop feeding his addiction."

Darius laughed. "You're enabling him!"

Stella sighed. "This is why he won't eat anything else."

Nathan, completely lost, looked between them. "Wait, what? What's going on?"

Iris, completely unbothered, picked up another bite of noodles. "Oh no, Hugo's finally eating. What a tragedy."

Lena groaned. "That's not the point!"

Ethan sighed. "You're making it worse."

Iris, still smirking, turned to Hugo. "You gonna stop eating?"

Hugo, mid-bite, shook his head.

Iris turned back to the group. Smug victory.

"Exactly."

Lena groaned. "I hate that this works."

Darius sat down at the counter. "Screw it. If Hugo's eating, I'm eating."

Stella shook her head but took a seat as well. "Might as well."

Nathan, still confused, sat down last. "…I don't get it, but okay."

Iris took another bite, still smirking.

Hugo just kept eating.

For the first time in days, things felt normal again.