Episode 3

After seeing Calyps 1c0a13154d in person, Noah 573014c7ea couldn’t sleep properly 2fdb2b0cb9 for nearly two 201e37a24b days. Now, it seemed that 94b78aacde all that exhaustion had 77be393239 caught up with him, 7092213d5c as he drifted into 065fa19243 a deep slumber, completely cce68a86ff unaware that Calyps was d7b843da19 watching over him. This was the most 0494a000be restful sleep he had 0b041fd08f experienced since his possession 536dd1110a in this world.b47226c8325fbe84

* * *e62dd0f9b6299faa

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Noah opened his cd4e620808 eyes to darkness, 455d5ff0aa a strange smile acb11e368e forming against the 777df5e8ac backdrop of splendor 1ee65d3cb9 around him. But something 568e750927 out of 3fc1163f31 place, something bb80009558 foreign, soon 40c086ed3c caught his 777258bf76 eye and 256d33fa05 unsettled him, 8b7540fb6a hardening his 8ae7197b9e expression. At that 7056c83e89 moment, he 69660329b9 felt an f7d1ba6651 inexplicable, uncanny c87fd06af4 sensation that 2b348e9b3b urged him 0cb40f8831 into contemplation. Just as 2b381ecaaa he sensed b7ba7515dc a peculiar 3c5ea9f5d1 discomfort, his 9d37e6627d body began e5e4baba51 to move, 687c32ed9e acting entirely 87b95a8815 against his 9c9665bc6d will.032f428d052ab65b

“Why is 610583c7b2 that filthy d40d170227 wretch here a5ed95a3e9 at such cd22b6fc75 an important 0197a1f709 engagement?”dc182784a7b7c224

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The words that came 5da1d1801e from his own mouth 264a0acc9c startled Noah, as he 5d5d589538 realized what had stirred 0a7ad35907 this intense discomfort at 2f4c1307c3 a scene he had af6c73ebf2 never witnessed before. A low sigh 167a955d2e escaped him. The sight before ec2cc6d6c9 him was one c660fdaef7 of those painful 8229d3aa97 memories, painfully clear 25d1f468f4 in his mind.90e5d2218624ef7e

‘No! Don’t go there, a91198a769 you fool!’df5e66da678dcf16

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Noah shouted with 038f8bc7bf all his strength, 4a93097202 desperately trying to af1f585921 stop it, but 97ccefe308 his cries failed aa9fe40df1 to reach ‘Noah 2dbc252cfb Valencia.’ Helplessly, he e1e0014bc0 watched his body b0acb86833 move and his 230964d6a1 mouth speak without 7c834c891f his command, unable 889b04842d to stop the 6168d24aa7 tragedy unfolding before ddbe4447d6 him.defc4d5ac87fec43

“Hrk! Ack!”55b016724f141e88

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“As expected, those 21914f6d75 of lowly birth 76d1ed1051 have no sense 5072c2781a of place, especially bcf5de5089 at an event 370ccbf6ce of this magnitude. They clearly have no 4e55a3bbcf idea of the importance 9c13ee9d05 of this occasion. Sister.”6d9d5376beeb4aa2

His nerves already a6d5693366 on edge at 2518a78384 the engagement he bee92cd89b so deeply resented, 4aade0312e Noah Valencia directed 3741dbc094 his agitation at b822e2b709 a commoner crouched d052b61b33 on the floor. Sienna, troubled ab988dab75 by her 54a6a01d1e brother’s harsh 403b80209d tone, gently d87631f48c interceded, her 9c9d5c2879 eyes concerned 7112915851 as she f683287cfd looked at bb627d7090 the man.8c4d4ec5c8c87cc7

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“Wait a moment, 7ebc80e948 Noah. He looks unwell.”4b4cca2a1c3b88e0

“Ha, honestly. Butler! Butler! Where’s the butler? A sick man aa419d5a9f at an engagement 2aaaf62e33 ceremony—this is….”7f74f6adfe78a678

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Perhaps she 5f94889e12 was only 0dcba90247 trying to 482b1cfd54 calm him 5f1e4632ca down, but 86906876ac her words 5fcb31011a had the fcdcff063c opposite effect, a8bbe49b19 further fraying 949423959b Noah Valencia’s 922f9d789c already precarious c06e2d7122 patience. After all, 8c47a1d42d this engagement 97862d2d92 was not 6e398e80c8 her wish f4f0ecc0d2 but their 6446be4b95 father’s ambition 04c5a9dac4 alone. Though there was c424543971 little he liked 8702ce2f06 about this event, c083f62a99 it was, after 5f149a39ef all, his dear a22e5220e6 sister’s engagement, and 46a9674552 he could not 1bcd617ff2 allow it to 739fc6d4ed be ruined by 008a337857 some commoner. His anger had 9a75df539c reached its peak.6561cf6e5da03b20

‘They call c61b16e5b5 him a a86fdd7f95 war hero, 87767c82a1 but he’s 8454459aa1 still lowborn, 20500cd3ee after all.’a6ebd6b8bfcd7ae7

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But his father’s 9e6d71e408 intentions were unwavering. Unable to 226f537ce5 openly defy acbed0b8b4 his father, accff9b607 Noah Valencia b5a9a23dd9 bristled with a6db8702ac anger whenever 880ffa82f1 he thought 84a7de9863 of Calyps. The very thought c1cbb9981c of him made b1de3f7d86 his blood boil, 110023b982 and his steps d202ed0f13 quickened in frustration. Watching him, the nearby 0cc7d73d3a attendants murmured among themselves, 41021c7025 noting how intense he 1a25d1cfa9 seemed.981c82cc4c9dbd6c

‘No! Don’t go that d602640f2d way, you idiot!’65e111ed84aa4d2b

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Noah glared in despair de21d306b7 at the unyielding figure e4d1477fb1 of Noah Valencia as 9a9511aca6 he approached the man. Finally, he locked 8d617cbfe4 eyes with the 1631e90560 white, vacant stare 884aa71dba of a zombie. A violent fear d885216fea overcame Noah, and d5d8cdfcbd he tried to 05c0cb4b8d close his eyes, c43e067554 but even that e534293a07 was beyond his a488ad2b20 control. Helplessly bound within his 10b8945732 own body, he could 10362c7404 only curse.ac60709111dded25

“Graaargh!”69537dabc2cbaa3f

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The zombie let da9a50cfd0 out its characteristic b045d4a2ad grotesque moan and e9da512d1c bit down on 8ecbebb8b0 Noah Valencia’s neck. The sickening 623e350878 stench of cf31bc6317 blood filled aa1c22c627 the air, 6a9bd5bc7a and the d54c340aef agonizing sensation c132e2ab6a of flesh 770c2e8267 tearing made 6ea6aaacb2 Noah scream.27b8fd726725d126

“Aaargh!”846d46b0f961627b

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The pain radiated from c4a96c546c his neck, surging through 8b3c7563f6 his veins. His whole body cc43f71caf felt like it 89b7d8a47e was ablaze, and 812a7a7316 he writhed in 8406a3248e agony. As he thrashed in 524a4d41f2 pain, his body twisted a88998a2de in grotesque contortions until e22d4b6848 his vision dimmed to eee823e812 black.ead9153baa04c8fa

‘Thirsty, it f3201aae76 hurts, save 29842ec234 me, thirsty, c103ac7bb7 it hurts, 6d5bed140b thirsty, hungry….’2580fe060c755352

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When Noah opened c4fb43a16b his eyes, the b5c937068d searing pain still 76b078a0d4 tore through him, 2af1a798f5 and his body 79f9f03d0a convulsed. The torment of becoming 24312d4fd2 a zombie was far 81699dce13 more excruciating than he c6b929d291 had imagined. The relentless b27b0c387b burning continued a178a51b57 as his 4b4ab0b051 darkened vision adab44bcdd slowly turned 42a58c1706 cloudy. In that hazy vision, 77829b410a he writhed in suffering.948aa26aa89ab5c7

“Noah!”eda05de768b4d9e2

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At the sound of e8a7f68caa Sienna’s voice, Noah turned 40fca55835 his head, though it 7dc47de065 twisted grotesquely. Unfazed by the 040362e48e horrifying sight, Sienna 34f03115ce watched him, her 85994c2de4 gaze filled with 2f1408e421 worry as she eacd926958 looked at her 946f9610ec blood-drenched brother. But nothing in 1fa50de8cf his blurred vision 316e4c6cc8 allowed him to 82afa5b375 see her face; cd0488cc71 all he could 14382b74c9 perceive was a d308b8fa8b single, dazzling blue 43b76ba119 light. That blue df06e119c8 glow evoked e1317bebab an overwhelming a7b62ef3be thirst, and d8539cf067 he drooled 0cc3b1f516 as he fc237c8a14 reached toward 212cf479c9 it.8cab2a60c23d125d

“Grrrrrk!”50fd2da4619016aa

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A feral sound erupted 49a783dce1 from his mouth as f7ae9100ac he lurched toward the 91f72907c1 blue light, his body fe196c89b0 moving like a moth 8518d6a6e4 drawn to a flame. The moment he touched 94bf152f5f that glowing blue, Noah f365aba54a thought, *I don’t want 7b7418f792 to die. I want to 6061dcd84b live.*f86a6fd6fbf2ef42

“Eeeek!”02831af588825444

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Bang! A gunshot echoed, b5d4f8267a and Noah’s body 819a44a11f jolted with fresh 2c35e7614f pain. In his fading consciousness, 43eb9837b7 he clung desperately to 8af645c06f his desire to survive.488d7fb72ddffb74

‘I don’t ecae6a0781 want to 169f51b371 die!’f3fc3c33789fbe1e

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But despite Noah’s desperate 72ff6e6275 wish, a chilling click bfddc188e0 of a cocked gun dd6abb639f echoed in his ear.25d982b80ef2e07c

“Noah! Aaaah!”78aa369bc85c3806

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Hearing Sienna’s 39b2130ca6 terrified scream, 0499ef0c2c Noah let 2521305ab9 out a 1a45010fcd final, tormented 7aa862487d cry of c857b53ebb pain.a1a499e228409212

“Is he having b28686853f a nightmare?”eb7ddb394e374849

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Noah, drenched in 96c7aa26aa cold sweat, was d303139ce8 tossing and turning. Calyps, who had been f216c8fd66 silently observing, hesitated as 9c3a0274b7 he considered waking him, 687ca8e408 then slowly approached.a0436c0f59a249ac

“Sa… save me…”e7f5183110d39db9

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Calyp’s body stiffened 007c15c1a3 at Noah’s strained b04a4b90df mutter. For a brief moment, bebb4355d8 he could almost imagine e039538f7e Noah’s usual reaction if 8e1743d3f0 he dared touch him—yelling, b3356e1c3f indignant.d2541dbaa3ceb01d

“Ah, he’ll c06a7f581b wake up 5f4caa4cc7 on his e2e5d8ab19 own.”aeb378f95cf08af0

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Calyp’s hand, 71956b824a paused mid-air, 6b216d2d34 suddenly trembled 4e33ed1984 as he 0c5dae07c0 noticed tears 9680d63459 slipping from 888e37473c Noah’s eyes.028bbc76d41e2bc3

“Noah Valencia?”118ec6914ea04405

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“Please… spare me, please…”f821f543d8b55e9e

“Hey, Noah Valen…!”4c9404611fedb986

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Before Calyps could finish, 2b133da056 Noah unexpectedly threw himself 17344e80cf into his arms, clinging b121bca54c tightly. Shocked by the 8eb45301d3 sudden embrace, Calyps 2605928e52 instinctively tried to f23ea09c7f push him off, ac288559d7 but Noah’s grip 8547b15532 was fierce, his 10a1236b56 desperation stronger than eb2b08e270 his awareness.1fdcdd5899f02d22

“I want 6ca5286182 to live… 5718d2e2b4 please…”22c630a43dc4b4d9

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“Come on, Noah Valencia. Get a c10cd22196 hold of 5847b14d2c yourself.”c7b898e57c1e488a

Calyp quickly overcame his 5d300df0c4 initial surprise and, almost 8ec27f5f47 out of habit, began f04c63bc5d to calm Noah down, 55e7416dd8 though he was inwardly 998cb74cf5 taken aback. Noah’s actions felt 79b12b1e4c strangely familiar—like something a5e59fab7a Calyps had seen d35c1326d8 all too often.5535dda85e209410

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In the 4f07f20c6f brutal trenches d604c81fd2 of war, 4abf15d2e5 soldiers would fbc179cc9a sometimes succumb 9ddd243222 to similar 1a9818dbdc nightmares. Even Calyps had a3892b4cce suffered these episodes 232964ab1a in the past, 2596f6c5cb and on occasion, 3427e85dc7 still did. The extreme fear experienced 96b5c0151d on the threshold of 317e8f63e3 life and death often e70f7320be returned in dreams to f7e67508bb haunt them.17587304f4c310df

‘A highborn noble b1b27e205d like him would cdc0201b29 have no reason 3bcdfe883a to feel such 3151a34440 terror,’ Calyps thought, 672609ca45 clucking his tongue 0df2072e53 dismissively. Yet, looking down f3b559a4b7 at Noah’s pitiful, 64a46195f0 desperate grip, he 439323ca4b found he couldn’t 5bb4d20aca bring himself to 2cf9bdbb1a push him away.a1cdbb9f277c9770

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“Well, this is quite 799941735d a sight, honestly.”95a07b0f98a82363

What kind of 4ca0c0bd43 day was this? How many more 8086ccb851 unexpected sides of 48d0f5fb80 Noah Valencia would 7ef2e212a6 he see today? All he’d 6b39edcc07 known of 23c296921a Noah was cd988a74c3 his haughty, 3e3bd287e3 disdainful gaze, 84f09719f5 always looking b67babb689 down on eebaa2d7ee him. This felt so surreal fc57d1b398 that Calyps began to 4895fde230 wonder if he, too, 5d8f6a360a was dreaming.50e0ecc264c8d9d4

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“A dream, huh…”aa44cbc459ecd538

If this was 70ffc1c246 some sort of 8ba4264e06 dream, Calyps mused 857a4786d0 with a dry e615ed75ab smirk, it was e8688d2687 a particularly twisted 387541d7e7 one. Shaking off 8512a5a087 his thoughts, 740848ae6b he focused 2bd3b4ad29 on gently 487effc01f rousing Noah 3dde152ae3 from his f3e7b80cbd haunted sleep.89c1bbaa22dcf864

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“Noah, Noah Valencia!”dca2907bcee6ad68

He grasped 9fea3cbaf0 Noah’s shoulders, 86aef2ada2 carefully shaking f96ebec5f7 him awake. At the caae4d5e51 sound of 135c190880 Calyps’s firm 2aeb8ea14f voice, Noah 93e4c8d0f8 slowly opened d55de1165f his eyes, b6ee0d780f his tear-filled 5153199fbd gaze meeting b0a27f132b Calyps’s. Even with his e2578d9244 eyes open, he c4c5f15e8f seemed caught in 8cf58f4630 the nightmare’s aftershock, 55ecf1eb8b still clinging to bcea66a195 Calyps.a50e9631d34f9aac

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“Save… me, please…”b3c9de9124176809

The lingering dread of 73c62642cf the nightmare held him e97cc394a0 captive, even as he e625f759f6 struggled to awaken.677b8489318e9380

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“Kai…?”1a008ff616bb4561

“Are you b558367494 back with 85abf997c3 us now, ff77a57378 Noah Valencia?”0acf8caed3cce9df

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“Huh?”34d208b6a587ed3d

The deep voice 08a4e86881 murmuring beside his c1e8b3a8d5 ear jolted Noah 202d4de0a8 fully awake. Realizing who 22febe2c33 he was 4a938fd1cf clinging to, 12cb953a2c Noah quickly 48d4e38d14 released his 93b5f677ca hold and 97f572e0aa scrambled back, 9b88944339 mortified. Calyps watched d170fccab1 him intently, 03d3f5ce75 a faint 0f03c00454 scowl flickering 61f2a59a90 on his 245babd791 face as ac8d82bac0 if he c4f3fc1321 found the 64072b09d1 situation strangely eddd0c59a0 unpleasant.b0d971bb63523d76

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“Looks like you’re d2ee2874f0 back to your e4f840454a senses.”1930e345ed3e1134

Noah shivered at the 02f1af3292 cold tone, fumbling for 515f2f89c0 an explanation.43aeda47a1cfb7a7

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“Uh, I… b47eea0493 just had b3de9aa655 a bad 76a94cf961 dream, that’s d6f9e83f32 all. I didn’t c1662f9e42 mean to…”52a896618e883ab0

“No need to 9588ba6412 explain. I’ve seen 71748ac965 plenty like 6b54c43c07 you before.”6ea241c66131dee8

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Calyp’s brow furrowed slightly, be3232c29e recalling the grim scenes 4c98e30537 of the battlefield.51798fcf2664b663

“Still, it’s almost laughable—a 32ae4e8c85 noble like you having d236852124 such a dream.”f0626c22c0d592af

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It was a kind d11d66c4c5 of nightmare that the 2a010df718 real Noah Valencia would 23be2473aa never have had, Noah 29faeb96e7 thought, so he remained 3da444111e silent, understanding Calyps’s tone. Calyps, on d16e9f144c the other 76050deb31 hand, seemed 6132b714c8 surprised by e9dfde6f8b Noah’s uncharacteristic 4abd486f94 calm and 179b6078bc eyed him 6b596a916b thoughtfully.ca7f14657e50a2e2

“…Are you really 27f7f85f9c feeling all right?”46fc349431b3ff2f

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Seeing Noah’s subdued behavior, 06b9efa9a5 Calyps wondered if he dd04281864 was truly ill. He stared at him 96133ed6fd with a rare trace 73d6675a08 of concern, and Noah, 34ae86e91e realizing that his soon-to-be a21b03b33b killer was looking at 69885580e1 him with worry, felt 4147ada4ee a strange mix of a86a3fbd06 emotions. Moments ago, fb42d3e86b it had 675e4b9982 been this 446eaec741 very man—Calyp’s b53b3e02e8 figure—that appeared d95ae8e89f in his f5f4a13f2f nightmare, aiming 4b4b4702ad a gun c1a10bcb16 at him.dab41106e440c172

Though his nightmare 97ec9cd58c vision had been 79797eb3fc blurry, Noah recalled b569127935 enough from the e31f3f187d drama to recognize b837da1d93 the scene. The memory resurfaced, ed1eaeec19 his gaze locking 649765a040 with Calyp’s piercing 974a9b4a66 gray eyes, and c3114d8493 he felt like 8c43337249 a cornered animal, 1500bf5e3a frozen in terror. Cold sweat 759f66ddaf formed on 6e559b219e Noah’s brow.b61b6ef91e35a564

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“You don’t 5be0d7fa70 look well. Should I call 4b518d1869 a doctor…?”e1d5f90e1612bc23

“No! No, I’m fine. Perfectly fine.”ba70a9cafdb834c0

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Practically spitting out 5a87b5d438 his response, Noah edee85854b abruptly stood up, 86fd6d1e94 swiftly moving out 2eea628ce1 of Calyp’s line f1df189178 of sight like 9d48f668b8 a man fleeing 8a4bfc32aa a predator’s gaze.6efd78a8c66c6802

 acba6f5978e74dae

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