Episode 29

Noah awoke in familiar darkness.

The pitch-black void gradually faded, and the world around him became clearer. As his surroundings sharpened into focus, a low sigh escaped his lips.

The scene before him was one he knew all too well.

He remembered—before leaving Valencia Castle, he had seen Calyps and Dennis conversing in the stables.

“The horses are in better condition than I expected.”

“It looks like someone has been taking care of them.”

The two of them had expressed surprise at the well-kept horses, but something about that moment had given Noah a strange sense of déjà vu.

He slowly looked around.

No matter where he turned, he couldn’t see Cedric.

Jason was missing too.

‘Where did Jason go?’

An uneasy feeling settled in his chest.

Before he could dwell on it, the darkness returned, swallowing everything. When his vision cleared again, he found himself riding a horse alongside Calyps.

The landscape passing them by was unmistakably familiar.

‘The gates of Valencia Castle…’

Though the setting had changed, Cedric and Jason were still nowhere to be found.

His anxiety spiked. His heartbeat pounded fiercely, as if signaling impending doom.

Then, like a trigger, he heard a voice—one he knew too well.

“It’s quieter than I expected.”

“Do you think a rescue team is nearby?”

Jacob’s excited voice rang out, followed by Peter’s agreement.

Noah’s stomach twisted. He knew what was coming next.

As his tense gaze landed on Jacob, the nearby bushes rustled violently.

He wanted to scream.

Wanted to warn them.

Wanted to tell them to run.

It’s dangerous. Get away from there!

But his body refused to move.

Through the shifting foliage, the figure of a mutant zombie emerged.

And in that instant—Sienna’s dying face flashed through Noah’s mind.

‘No—!’

A desperate, soundless scream echoed within him.

“Aaagh!”

“Krrrrgh!”

Blood splattered.

A nauseating stench filled the air.

The horses, sensing the chaos, let out terrified cries.

Jacob had been caught.

His body was twisted grotesquely in the mutant zombie’s grasp, his screams turning into something inhuman.

Panic engulfed the group.

No one moved, frozen in horror.

Noah’s gaze flicked to Peter.

He was trembling, gripping his gun tightly.

The muzzle was pointed at the mutant.

But Noah knew.

He knew exactly where that bullet was going to hit.

His head snapped toward Calyps.

He had to warn him.

Move. Move, damn it!

But again, his body refused to obey.

Peter, unable to bring himself to shoot Jacob, finally pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck—

Straight through Calyps’s left arm.

The moment the warm blood splattered across Noah’s cheek, he realized it.

He was trapped in this nightmare.

It wasn’t real.

It was a twisted echo of the past.

And yet—

Even as he knew this, the pain in Calyps’s groan rang clearly in his ears.

Noah’s lips pressed into a thin line.

He turned back toward Jacob.

The boy, who had once been screaming for help, now made guttural noises.

“Krrk… Kurrh…”

His arms and legs bent at unnatural angles in the zombie’s grasp.

Noah wanted to look away.

Wanted to shut his eyes.

But the nightmare refused to release him.

It forced him to watch.

A curse burned in his throat.

‘Fuck…’

“Krrrrrr!”

“Shit!”

Dennis swore loudly, aiming his gun at Jacob.

He hesitated for only a moment before pulling the trigger.

The bullet struck Jacob’s forehead.

At the same moment, a woman’s shrill scream pierced the air—

And Noah’s world was swallowed by darkness once again.

Three Days Later
Noah had been asleep for an entire day, showing no signs of waking.

As time passed, the others grew increasingly worried.

“Could he be sick?”

“No, I think it’s just extreme exhaustion. It’s best to let him rest for now.”

Derek’s reassurance didn’t completely ease Cedric’s concerns.

He gazed down at Noah, who lay motionless, his once-elegant features now sunken and marred with bruises.

After a long silence, Derek turned to Dominic.

“He’s highly sensitive right now. It’d be best if he stays in a quiet place.”

Though he spoke cautiously, Derek kept a close eye on Dominic. He knew enough about how Dominic had treated Noah in the past to be wary.

Dominic, watching Noah with an unreadable expression, unexpectedly agreed.

Derek studied him, suspicious of his willingness, but ultimately let it go.

With Dominic’s permission, Noah was moved to the quietest, safest room in the fortress.

Yet, despite being carried there, he remained deep in sleep.

Two days passed. Then three.

Still, Noah did not wake.

Calmly but persistently, Calyps checked on him whenever he had the chance.

On the third day, during one of his visits, he was startled to find Noah breathing heavily in his sleep.

His forehead was damp with sweat.

His body trembled.

And occasional whimpers slipped from his lips.

Calyps immediately realized—

Noah was having another nightmare.

Just like in the garden that day.

Concerned, he reached out and gently wiped the cold sweat from Noah’s forehead.

At that moment—

Noah’s eyes shot open.

Their gazes met.

“Are you—”

Before Calyps could finish asking if he was alright, Noah suddenly grabbed his hand.

His fingers trembled as they clung to Calyps’s wrist.

His wide, frantic eyes pleaded for something unspoken.

Calyps’s heart clenched.

He couldn’t deny it anymore.

He had already fallen deep into Noah Valencia’s grasp.

He had sworn not to be swayed.

And yet—

All it took was a few moments of hesitation for that resolve to crumble.

It was unlike him.

Calyps Ater was a man of discipline, a soldier who drew clear lines between duty and emotion.

Yet, here he was, looking at Noah with nothing but quiet sympathy.

He had known all along.

He had simply refused to admit it.

His voice, softer than usual, came out naturally.

“Shhh… It’s alright, Noah. Breathe.”

Something about the gentle reassurance finally pulled Noah from the nightmare’s grasp.

He blinked, his mind clearing.

The first thing he registered was Calyps’s bandaged arm.

His expression darkened.

Calyps noticed the shift—the return of clarity to Noah’s gaze.

A silent sigh of relief escaped him.

“You’re finally—”

“Where’s Jacob?”

Noah cut him off, immediately demanding Jacob’s whereabouts.

Something about his tone made Calyps pause.

Noah’s face paled.

Did he think—

Seeing his panic, Calyps instinctively pressed a hand against his chest, keeping him from sitting up.

“Stay down.”

“I need to know—”

“You need rest, Noah.”

Noah’s complexion was ghastly. Where exactly did he think he was going in that state?

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Calyps watched as Noah’s eyes trembled with uncertainty.

A quiet sigh slipped past his lips.

“If you’re asking about Jacob, he’s alive and well. In fact, he’s in better shape than you and is probably out there helping the others right now.”

“Ah…”

“So now that you’re reassured, why don’t you lie down and actually rest? Like I said, you need it.”

At Calyps’s words, the tension drained from Noah’s body, and he leaned back against the headboard with a sigh. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

‘It was just a dream. Jacob is still alive.’

It’s fine. It’s okay.

Noah repeated the thought to himself like a mantra, convincing himself that everything was alright.

But then—he felt Calyps’s gaze on him.

The weight of his silent stare made Noah instinctively open his eyes.

Even from this angle, looking up from below, Calyps’s face was flawless.

For a brief moment, Noah found himself absentmindedly staring at him—until their eyes met. Startled, Noah flinched, his body tensing.

‘Why is he just standing there, staring at me like that? And… why is he even here?’

It didn’t cross his mind that Calyps might have been worried about him.

The air in the room wasn’t heavy, but there was something strangely tense about the silence that followed.

Unable to endure the awkwardness, Noah cautiously spoke up.

“Uh… shouldn’t you be resting too? What are you doing here?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Noah realized how obvious the answer was and scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

‘What kind of dumb question is that?’

There was only one reason why Calyps would be here.

Anyone with half a brain could figure that out.

Calm as ever, Calyps parted his lips slightly, as if debating how to answer. Then, after a brief pause, he finally spoke.

“I just came to check on you. Derek will be here soon, so don’t move around unnecessarily. Like I said, you need to rest.”

“Got it.”

Satisfied with the answer, Calyps turned to leave.

Noah watched him go, following his retreating figure with his eyes.

Just as Calyps reached for the doorknob, Noah suddenly called out to him.

“Take care of your wound… and get some rest too.”

“…Yeah. I will.”

Calyp’s eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the unexpected concern.

He quickly masked his reaction and stepped out of the room, but once outside, he found himself lingering in place.

His mind replayed the sight of Noah trembling in the garden—then again, just moments ago, shaken from his nightmare.

His reaction had been too extreme for it to be just a bad dream.

‘There’s definitely something more to this.’

After a long pause, Calyps finally made up his mind.

If anyone had the answers he was looking for, he knew exactly who to ask.

With that thought, he swiftly walked away.