All eyes were fixed on one place — Noa.
He knelt there, breathing heavily, his clothes torn to shreds, blood seeping from his hands.
Silence reigned over the courtyard. Then, from among the crowd, a voice rose:
"The prince has fallen."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Some laughed, others shook their heads in pity.
The ancient dragon elders furrowed their brows — Noa received only cold silence from them. Yet their faces clearly showed satisfaction.
A bitter taste rose in Noa's throat. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, drawing fresh blood. With every breath, shame crushed his chest — as if trying to crush everything inside him.
"Why do you all hate me?" he whispered.
The beast leaped toward him and struck with its paw. Just as the massive claw was about to reach Noa's shoulder, the creature's body suddenly shattered — blood sprayed across Noa's head and face.
Noa's eyes widened. He looked around. First at his father: the Emperor watched with an expressionless face. The crowd seemed faintly regretful. Noa scanned the surroundings desperately, searching — until his gaze fell upon a cloaked, hooded figure standing atop the arena wall — a dragon in Niva form.
The dragon glanced back over its shoulder, fixing its eyes on Noa for a brief moment, and whispered:
"I'm still alive. Those who try to kill you… will die themselves."
The words were spoken to itself. In the next instant, its silhouette vanished into thin air.
The Emperor, having seen it depart, turned his gaze to Noa. His voice thundered like lightning:
"The trial is over! The prince has proven himself unworthy of inheritance! From this day forward, he is no longer part of the royal family!"
Noa dug his fingers into the ground to stop himself from crying.
He rose from his knees, trembling.
"I…" he said quietly but clearly. "I have failed… just as you all wished."
Inside, he cursed himself: Damn it… damn it.
The crowd fell into an eerie silence. No one had ever heard a prince openly admit defeat. Yet Noa offered no excuses.
"But," he said, clenching his fists until his knuckles cracked, "I will not surrender. Today I fell — but tomorrow I will rise again. I will prove myself not through brute strength… but through mind and truth."
Whispers rippled through the crowd once more. Some mocked him, others admired his courage. Zagn's lips twisted with contempt. His voice was low, yet it froze the entire square:
"Words mean nothing. A weak heart has no value."
Those words pierced like a blade. Noa closed his eyes.
—Father, is this what you wanted? he thought.
As he walked out of the courtyard, a boy ran toward him — the son of a servant, tears streaming down his face. He grabbed Noa's hand tightly.
The crowd gasped. Someone tried to pull the boy away, but Noa held his hand and gave a faint smile.
"Don't cry. This is not the end."
The boy sobbed. Noa gently stroked his hair.
"I will return — and when I do, everyone will respect me."
His words echoed across the square.
Someone laughed mockingly:
"Respect you? Ha! What a joke!"
Zagn watched him with a faint, barely noticeable smile.
That night, in the palace garden, he met his mother. Tears shimmered in Arya's eyes.
"My son… Why has it come to this?"
Noa tried to smile, but couldn't.
"Mother, I've grown up. Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will overcome it."
Arya gripped his hand tightly, her voice trembling:
"You will always be my pride, Noa. May your kind heart never change."
Then she took a small silver seal from her robes and placed it in his palm.
"This is your inheritance. Only a pure heart can awaken it.
But to use it… darkness born of light is required."
The moment the seal touched Noa's palm, it melted and seeped into his hand. Noa stared at his palm in shock.
A faint glow began to spread across it.
What just happened? he thought, then looked up at his mother.
His mother said nothing, turned, and walked away.
At dawn, the Emperor issued his final decree.
Noa was stripped of all titles, erased from the royal registry, and exiled to the northern frontier — as nothing more than an ordinary border guard.
Standing before the palace gates, he looked at them and whispered:
"I will become strong. For my mother's tears. For my father's wrath.
For the people's scorn."