Chapter 133: Five Messages

Daniella returned to the academy just before sunset.

She had cleaned the blood from her cheek, but the bruise beneath her ribs was already turning dark.

Nobody stopped her.

Nobody asked where she’d been.

That suited her.

She went straight to her room, shut the door, and dropped her weapon onto the table.

Her hands were still trembling.

Not from the fight.

From what Alcris had said.

It’s already too late.

Daniella replayed the words in her head.

She hated them.

They sounded like a farewell.

She picked up her communication crystal.

Five unanswered messages remained on the screen.

Daniella stared at them.

"You really are an idiot."

She sent another message.

Where are you?

She waited.

Nothing.

Another minute passed.

Still nothing.

Daniella threw the crystal onto the bed.

"I swear, Alcris..."

A knock came at the door.

She immediately turned.

"Who?"

"It’s me."

Daniella recognized the voice of a fellow academy student.

She opened the door slightly.

The girl looked at her face.

"What happened?"

"Training."

"That bruise doesn’t look like training."

Daniella smiled.

"Bad training."

The girl didn’t believe her, but she didn’t push.

"There was another announcement. Transportation won’t be ready tomorrow either."

Daniella’s expression changed.

"How long?"

"They don’t know."

"Of course they don’t."

The girl left.

Daniella closed the door.

Her eyes drifted toward the communication crystal.

The delayed departure suddenly felt less like an inconvenience.

If Alcris was still somewhere in Hildgard, every extra day gave her more time to find him.

She picked up the crystal again.

No response.

Daniella stared at his name.

"Fine."

She grabbed her coat.

"If you won’t answer me..."

She slipped the crystal into her pocket.

"...I’ll keep looking."

Across Hildgard, Alcris stood inside the abandoned building.

The same room where he’d fought Daniella was empty now.

The ancient circles beneath the floor had stopped glowing.

Alcris placed the three medallions onto a stone table.

Balgard.

Sylthin.

Flaros.

He stared at them.

For the first time, there was uncertainty in his expression.

His sister’s words kept returning to him.

Don’t become someone I can’t recognize.

Alcris closed his eyes.

"I already crossed that line."

A faint voice whispered from somewhere beyond the room.

Not loud.

Not human.

"You gathered them."

Alcris’s eyes opened.

He looked toward the darkness.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

The medallions began to vibrate.

Alcris stepped closer.

The three pieces emitted a faint glow.

His breathing slowed.

The voice returned.

"You know what they can open."

Alcris clenched his fist.

"I know what I need."

The glow faded.

The room became silent again.

Alcris looked down at the medallions.

He had spent weeks searching.

He had sacrificed friendships.

He had fought his own sister.

There was no turning back now.

At Valhalla Academy, Noah stood beside the same window as the night before.

The city lights flickered below.

Laura’s words from earlier came back to him.

You really don’t know yourself.

Noah smiled faintly.

"Maybe she’s right."

The system appeared.

[Ragnarok Dead Zone Resonance: 6.8%]

Noah’s smile vanished.

The number continued rising.

Slowly.

Almost patiently.

He stared at it.

"Why?"

A voice answered from within.

"Because something is calling."

Noah looked toward the old district.

For the briefest moment, he felt it.

A presence.

Distant.

Ancient.

Waiting.

His eyes narrowed.

"What is calling?"

Dead Zone smiled somewhere inside his mind.

"Not who."

A pause.

"What."

Noah remained by the window.

Far across Hildgard, three ancient medallions rested together for the first time in years.

And neither Noah nor Daniella knew how close their paths were to colliding again.

Daniella spent the next morning pretending everything was normal.

It didn’t work.

She sat through breakfast without touching most of her food. Her academy had gathered several students in the main hall to discuss the delayed departure, but she barely heard the announcement.

Three more days.

Maybe four.

Nobody knew.

Her fingers tapped against the table.

Alcris still hadn’t answered.

A student sitting nearby noticed.

"You look distracted."

"I am."

"Something happen?"

Daniella hesitated.

"My brother disappeared."

The student blinked.

"Alcris?"

She nodded.

"Maybe he’s just exploring Hildgard."

"He doesn’t disappear without telling me."

"Did you try contacting him?"

"Six times."

That earned a sympathetic look.

"Six?"

"Seven."

Daniella stood.

"I need to find him."

Her search began with the places Alcris was most likely to visit.

Training grounds.

Restaurants.

The tournament arena.

Several bookstores.

Nothing.

She eventually reached the central district and stopped outside Milstrif Library.

Her eyes narrowed.

This was one place she hadn’t checked.

Alcris had always liked old records and obscure history. During the tournament, he’d spent more time around Hildgard’s historical archives than most students.

Daniella entered.

The enormous library was quieter than the streets outside.

Rows of books stretched beneath towering shelves.

She approached the receptionist.

"Excuse me. Has my brother been here recently?"

"Name?"

"Alcris Vannheim."

The librarian searched the visitor records.

Her expression changed slightly.

"He has visited several times."

"When was the last time?"

The librarian hesitated.

"Recently."

"How recently?"

"I can’t give you information about another visitor."

Daniella leaned closer.

"He’s my brother."

"I understand."

"Was he alone?"

The librarian looked uncomfortable.

"Yes."

"Did he take anything?"

Another pause.

"I can’t discuss restricted materials."

Daniella’s eyes sharpened.

"Restricted?"

The librarian immediately looked away.

That was enough.

Daniella stepped back.

"Thank you."

She turned.

Her suspicion had just become certainty.

Alcris hadn’t been wandering around Hildgard.

He had been searching for something.

Outside the library, Daniella stood beneath the afternoon sun.

She replayed the librarian’s words.

Restricted materials.

Her brother had always been curious.

But curiosity had never made him disappear.

She pulled out her communication crystal.

She hesitated before sending another message.

Alcris, answer me.

She waited.

Nothing.

Daniella stared at the screen.

"Fine."

She lowered the crystal.

"If you’re hiding something in this city..."

Her eyes hardened.

"...I’ll find it."

Meanwhile, several streets away, Noah walked beside Eric and Damien.

Eric was complaining about the transportation delay for the fifth time that morning.

"This is ridiculous."

Damien shrugged.

"You’re the one who wanted to stay longer."

"I wanted to stay because there was food."

Sophia walked ahead with Luna.

Laura was beside Noah.

She glanced at him.

"You’re quiet again."

Noah looked at her.

"I’ve been thinking."

"About?"

He considered telling her.

Instead, he smiled.

"Nothing important."

Laura sighed.

"You’re terrible at lying."

Noah laughed.

"Apparently everyone thinks that."

"Because everyone knows you."

She smiled.

Noah looked ahead.

For a moment, everything felt peaceful.

But beneath his calm expression, the system quietly appeared.

[Ragnarok Dead Zone Resonance: 7.1%]

Noah’s smile faded.

The number was rising faster.

He dismissed it before anyone could notice.

Yet somewhere deep inside his mind, Dead Zone was already awake.

And this time...

it wasn’t laughing.