pages of rebellion

Somewhere in the labyrinth, Victor, one of Blake's companions, wandered through the endless corridors.

"Damn it, I don't know what to do after getting separated from Blake. I have to find him quickly," Victor thought silently, his anxiety growing. He started running, hoping to find Blake faster.

In another part of the labyrinth, Liam was walking when he noticed fresh bloodstains smeared on the walls, increasing in frequency as he moved forward.

"W-What is this?!" Liam muttered in shock. His pace quickened.

"Could someone be injured?! The headmaster said he would save us if our lives were in danger. Has he not noticed yet?! Or… is this still not considered dangerous?!" His thoughts raced wildly, and his worry intensified. Suddenly, he heard the sound of crying. He ran toward it, his steps echoing through the dark labyrinth.

As he turned a corner, chasing the source of the sound, the air around him grew heavy, pressing down on him. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating him—until, in a flash, they disappeared.

Liam suddenly found himself in a vast, open void—an endless space without boundaries or a ceiling. Darkness engulfed him from all sides, except for a single shining point in the distance.

In the center of this void stood a strange entity. At first, Liam felt a sense of familiarity as he stared at it. It looked just like someone he knew—same face, same movements, identical in every way.

But something was off. The reflection before him was more than a mere copy. It was distorted. Its eyes gleamed with an eerie, glass-like shine, as if they were polished mirrors. Then, Liam realized—it wasn't just any reflection.

It was an Echo, and it was noah Echo

The Echo—or "Mirror," as Liam instinctively called it—breathed in an unnatural rhythm, its presence twisted and unsettling. A strange weight settled in Liam's chest, as if the Echo carried all of Noah's suppressed emotions and pain.

Yet, what made Liam's heart pound in terror wasn't just the entity itself—it was the scene around him.

Looking down, he saw students sprawled across the ground, covered in blood. Deep wounds marred their bodies, their vacant eyes wide open. Blood splattered the floor, painting a grotesque picture of chaos.

It was a nightmare.

"What… what happened here?" Liam whispered in shock, his voice barely audible over the silent screams of the fallen. The students seemed dead, yet their wounds weren't fatal.

The Echo of Noah stood motionless, indifferent to the carnage. It did nothing—simply existing at the heart of the chaos. A reflection of Noah's agony, twisted into something monstrous.

Everything was dark. Everything was false. And everyone around him was trapped in this horrifying moment.

"You…!" Liam whispered, his hands clenched into fists, his heart hammering. He stood there—between death and madness, between reality and illusion—while the Echo watched in silence, reflecting nothing but the emptiness left behind.

At the Gate – Where the headmaster, Rael, and Noctis Stood

"What do you mean his body doesn't seem human?" Edgar asked in confusion, looking at Noctis.

"His mana flow is… strange. We humans absorb mana from birth until we reach 'Awakening' and unlock our abilities. But his body…"

"It's as if he's generating mana on his own," Rael interrupted, adding to Noctis's observation.

"Are you suggesting he's a demon?" Edgar asked.

"No, that's unlikely. I know how demons' mana flows due to my past work. His mana isn't demonic—it's something completely different… Honestly, I don't know what he is. But I can confirm one thing—that boy isn't human." Noctis's expression was serious.

The director suddenly laughed out loud, catching Rael and Noctis off guard.

Edgar stopped laughing and said, "Forgive me, but the truth is… that boy, Noah, has no abilities at all."

"W-What?!" Rael exclaimed in shock.

"How can a human have no abilities?" Noctis asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

"Well, his father said that Noah's immune system considers mana a virus and actively rejects it," Edgar explained.

"Immune system?" Rael repeated, puzzled.

"Forgive my curiosity, but… who exactly is his father?" Noctis asked.

Edgar smirked, his grin sharp and mocking. "That boy's father is none other than Adonis Ares, the Flame Emperor."

Rael and Noctis were stunned into silence.

After a moment, Noctis broke the tension. "Even if his father is one of the world's top 10 strongest hunters, he could still be lying."

Edgar chuckled darkly. "If you want to make an enemy like the Flame Emperor and secretly investigate his son, you are free. But that'll cost you your life."

A heavy tension settled over Noctis. The last thing he wanted was to be burned alive by the Flame Emperor himself. But his curiosity as an investigator burned just as strongly.

Still, every instinct in his body screamed at him not to act rashly.

"…I won't do anything that puts my life in danger," Noctis finally said, still feeling uneasy. After all, just hearing the name of one of the top 10 ranked hunters was enough to strike fear into demons themselves.

Edgar's lips curled into a smirk.

"Noctis is highly intelligent and extremely curious—undoubtedly due to his past work during the Second Great War against the demons. Back then, he worked as both a spy and an investigator, one of the key figures that secured humanity's victory. But this time, it was good that he chose to step back. Even demons would rather commit suicide than provoke one of the top 10 hunters. Well, if he's that curious, he can just ask Noah himself when he comes out. But I doubt Noah knows anything either," Edgar thought to himself.

Then he spoke aloud, "anyway, one of the students seems to be in danger. We need to intervene immediately"

Elsewhere – Victor's Desperate Search for Blake

Victor continued running through the labyrinth, struggling to find Blake. He took another turn, his breath coming in short gasps as he cautiously navigated the twisting pathways. His heart pounded, adrenaline surging through his veins.

It felt like he had been running for hours, yet the endless maze stretched on, shifting its walls every so often with a sharp creaking sound—almost like a mocking laughter, ridiculing his desperate search.

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the corridor, sending a shiver down his spine.

His entire body tensed. Every sense sharpened.

Victor stopped, straining his ears for any further sounds. The air grew heavier, saturated with a putrid stench—a mix of fresh blood and the foul decay of ruins.

Then he saw it. A creature straight out of his worst nightmares.

It stood at three and a half meters tall, its body a monstrous blend of brute strength and savage elegance. Muscular and scarred, its glossy skin was drenched in thick, tar-like black blood.

But the first thing Victor noticed was its horns. Twisted, fractured, and dripping with fresh blood. Not just the aftermath of a battle. It was fresh.

As Victor's eyes followed the trail of blood, a horrifying realization struck him—the Minotaur was devouring another Minotaur.

Its massive jaws tore into the shredded flesh, ripping it apart mercilessly. Its teeth crushed strong muscle as if it were paper. The grotesque sound of chewing alone made Victor's stomach churn.

With each bite, blood and torn flesh dripped from its mouth. Its powerful fangs ground bones as if they were brittle twigs.

And then—it stopped chewing. Lifting its head slowly, it locked its glowing red eyes onto Victor.

It saw him. Measured him.

Like another piece of meat waiting to be devoured.

Raising its blood-soaked cleaver, it stepped forward, leaving a trail of death behind it.

Victor's heart nearly burst from terror. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat pouring down his face.

His legs gave out. He collapsed onto his back, tears welling in his eyes.

"I-I… Please! Don't kill me! P-please! Don't kill me! Please! Please! Don't kill me!!!" Victor screamed, begging for mercy as tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

At that moment, the Minotaur gave a wide, sinister grin that made Victor's heart stop for a moment. Then, the beast swung its massive cleaver, aiming to cut its prey in half. But just then, the headmaster appeared, extending his bare hand to block the cleaver's path. The blade shattered upon impact, yet Edgar's hand remained unscathed.

The Minotaur stepped back, feeling uneasy. It discarded its now-broken cleaver and grabbed the corpse of the other Minotaur it had just finished devouring, hurling it toward the headmaster. The corpse stopped mid-air before reaching Edgar, and from behind it, the Minotaur suddenly lunged forward. It had used the body as cover to conceal its surprise attack.

However, Edgar had already anticipated this. He grabbed the Minotaur by its horn, stopping its charge completely. The beast's overwhelming force was halted effortlessly. Then, with a loud crack, the Minotaur's horn snapped, and it let out a deafening roar of pain. Edgar swiftly used the broken horn as a weapon, stabbing the Minotaur with it. Blood gushed from the wound as the beast fell to its knees, clutching the injury with its hand.

Edgar stood calmly before the Minotaur, a thin sword materializing in his hand. The Minotaur let out a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the labyrinth, striking fear into every student who heard it. But in a single smooth motion, Edgar severed the beast's head. Its body collapsed to the ground while its head flew far from its body.

The sword disappeared from Edgar's hand as he turned toward Victor. He knelt down, extended his hand to the terrified boy, and gave him a warm, comforting smile.

"Let's go home, Victor," Edgar said softly.

Victor burst into tears and threw himself into Edgar's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.