CHAPTER 96: THIS IS THE START

Like a floodgate bursting, everything poured in.

The chains biting into his wrists, the endless darkness, Osiris’s cold smile, the fire that burned his soul, the agony that never ended.

Noah gasped, clutching his head as the images came faster and faster, every scream, every fracture of his mind replaying in horrifying clarity.

"No..." he whispered, voice breaking. "No, no, no, no!"

Terror clawed through him, burning hotter than any pain. His body reacted before thought could catch up.

He threw himself out of the bed, his legs giving way the instant they touched the ground. He collapsed onto the cold stone floor, limbs weak and trembling from disuse.

His body refused to obey him, but it didn’t matter. He clawed at the floor, dragging himself inch by inch toward the door, toward escape, toward anywhere but here.

The nurse screamed, dropping her clipboard with a clatter. "Help! Someone help!"

Noah snarled, the sound feral, raw, more beast than man. His eyes were wild, unfocused, his teeth bared as he struggled, forcing his battered body to move.

His vision blurred, dark edges creeping in at the corners of his sight. His chest heaved, every breath rattling as though he’d choke on his own desperation.

Then, as if the weight of the world crashed down on him, everything went black.

Noah’s body went limp on the infirmary floor. The nurse froze in horror, her scream still echoing through the halls. The only sound that followed was the steady pounding of boots as people rushed toward the room.

But Noah was already gone, swallowed whole by the darkness within.

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Noah woke to the most pleasant sensation he had ever felt in his entire existence.

It was almost surreal, a welcome change from the endless agony he had endured for months.

His body tingled faintly, his chest felt strangely light, and deep within, the oppressive weight that hadn’t even been aware of but had always lingered over him since his Awakening was gone.

Immediately, he knew what it was.

No Soul Burns. None from spells, none from skills, none at all.1

His soul, for the first time since he had been brought to this cursed world, was clear from magic usage.

His eyes widened, then narrowed as the realization sank in. He could advance right now, immediately, without waiting.

All he needed to do was find the right ritual, gather the resources, and do what needs to be done.

He tried to sit up, but metal bit into his wrists and ankles. Thick restraints bound him to the infirmary bed. He let out a quiet exhale, his lips twitching upward.

"How foolish."

Darkness welled up in his palm. He whispered the word like a curse.

"Devour."

The black shadows hissed as they spilled from his fingers, creeping across the restraints like oil came alive.

The metal bindings groaned, corroded, and crumbled into nothingness as the shadows consumed them, dissolving them entirely.

Noah sat up slowly, savoring the feeling of his body obeying him.

The memories had settled within him. He couldn’t forget, even if he wanted to.

Every scream. Every interrogation. Osiris’s emotionless eyes. The searing torment of his soul burning alive, again and again.

The laughter. The madness. The betrayal. Arlo. Leo. Galahad. Cecilia. Camelot. Demons. The world.

It was all in his mind now, every memory settled like shards of glass driven deep into flesh. The storm of emotions that had once consumed him, fear, sorrow, anger, had all burned away. What remained was one thing.

Hatred.

A soft manic laugh tickled his ears. It wasn’t his voice, yet it was.

Noah turned his head slowly, his feet sliding off the bed as he stood. The laugh followed him as he walked toward the window of the ward.

He gazed out, the sight of the academy grounds sprawling before him.

The sun was warm on his face, the morning breeze carrying faint laughter and chatter from distant students.

Noah closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. For the first time in three months, he could feel the sun without chains, without shadows of flame licking at his soul.

He smiled faintly.

When he opened his eyes, he turned to look back at the ward.

It was empty.

But at the same time, it was full.

They were everywhere.

Shadows of darkness, black silhouettes smeared with faint color, draped across every bed, clinging to the walls, crouched on the ceiling.

Dozens, no, hundreds of them. Their heads twitched unnaturally, their mouths split too wide in laughter or sorrow.

Noah didn’t need to ask who they were. He knew.

They were fragments of himself.

Fragments of his soul that Osiris had shattered, ripped apart, drowned in terror, burned in fire, broken in madness, but still connected to him.

Some shadows laughed shrilly, their forms clutching their sides. Others wept quietly, faces buried in their hands. Some seethed with rage, snarling and clawing at the air. Others trembled, shivering with terror.

Manifestations of everything he had felt, everything he had endured.

Inside, however, Noah was hollow. Empty. There was no joy, no grief, no fear. Only the echoing emptiness where those emotions had once been.

His voice broke the silence. "How long?"

One shadow curled on the floor sobbed into its hands, its voice quivering. "Three months..."

Another shadow snarled, spitting venom. "Three long months of pain and suffering!"

The voices layered one after another.

"Three months chained!"

"Three months burning!"

"Three months of his fire, his laughter!"

"Three months... three months..."

Their whispers built, rising in pitch and volume, until it became a deafening cacophony.

Noah lifted his chin. Slowly, he opened his mouth.

The shadows froze. Silence fell over the ward like a blade, every fragment staring at him in anticipation.

"I’ll burn it all down."

The ward exploded with sound.

The shadows howled and shrieked, their forms convulsing in ecstasy. Some laughed manically, others screamed wordless rage. They clawed at the air, their voices layering in endless celebration, reveling in his declaration. Rage, bloodlust, madness, all roared together in unity.

The door creaked open.

A nurse stepped in, a tray of medicine balanced in her arms. She froze at the sight of Noah standing, staring at the window. Her eyes darted where the restraints should have been on the bed.

"Mr. Webb?" she asked warily, voice trembling. "Are... are you okay?"

Noah turned his head slowly. His lips stretched into a smile that did not touch his eyes.

"I’m okay." He said softly. "More than okay."

The nurse shivered. A cold, unnatural chill ran through her spine, rooting her in place.

She stared at the boy before her, his calm smile, his empty gaze, and for a moment, she swore something else was staring back at her through him.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod. "I’ll... I’ll go get the doctor. To check on you."

Noah said nothing, only watching as she backed away, fumbling with the door before slipping out quickly.

The door shut.

The shadows chuckled all around him. Noah let out a low, hollow laugh of his own, turning back toward the window.

The academy grounds stretched before him, serene, unsuspecting.

"This..." he whispered, the sun glinting in his eyes.

"...is where I’ll start the destruction."

Soul Burn is a different kind of damage from what Osiris did to his soul. Yes, Osiris used a fire spell that burned and fractured Noah's soul, but Soul Burn is a self inflicted damage on one's soul from advancing and using spells. Since Noah had magic restraining cuffs, he couldn't cast magic for three months. He has no Soul Burns.