Chapter 75 Already dead.

Chapter 75: Chapter 75 Already dead.

Noah noticed that the moment he stepped into the cafeteria, a pair of eyes immediately locked onto him.

Slyvia.

She was whispering to her partner, though whoever it was seemed to be intentionally hiding behind her, making it impossible for Noah to get a proper look.

For some reason, it felt deliberate.

"Now what is that evil bitch laughing about?" Lamia muttered under his breath, leaning toward Noah and Rose.

The two followed his gaze.

Sure enough, Slyvia was giggling so loudly that she sounded no different from an old bus with a rusted engine that was about to collapse.

Her laugh was horrifying.

"Tell me something... why is she the heroine again?"

His thoughts must have shown on his face because Lamia gave him a questioning look.

"Heroine?" Lamia frowned. "Don’t tell me you’re talking about that demon, Slyvia?"

Noah almost laughed.

Somehow, Slyvia had managed to earn the title of demon from both the Alphas and his own friends.

Beautiful.

Not knowing how to explain himself, something suddenly clicked inside his head.

"I was just comparing her to the heroines from the novels I’ve read," Noah said with a shrug. "I can’t find a single resemblance."

Lamia immediately grimaced.

"And please stop comparing her to heroines. She doesn’t deserve that title."

Before Noah could respond, Rose had already secured them a table.

Not in the elite section.

But not among the paupers either.

Instead, she found a spot in the middle-class seating area, comfortably distant from the corner Noah privately thought looked more like a pile of discarded furniture than an actual dining space.

The three settled down.

"So..." Rose clapped her hands together. "While I go order food, let’s finally have this discussion."

She looked between the two boys.

"Who’s going first?"

Lamia and Noah exchanged awkward glances.

Both of them had too much to say.

"So neither of you is talking?" Rose sighed dramatically before pointing at Lamia.

"Fine. I’ll start."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Lamia... why the hell didn’t you tell me you could use magic? I thought we both lost our powers."

Lamia’s face instantly paled.

"I... I didn’t recover my powers."

His voice became quieter.

"I honestly don’t know what happened. It felt like I already knew those words. The moment I came to stop everything... the spell just erupted by itself. I’ve never been able to do something like that before."

Rose stared at him suspiciously.

Even Noah wasn’t entirely convinced.

Before anyone could continue, Noah suddenly felt someone’s eyes on him.

Turning around, he saw two familiar figures entering the cafeteria.

Eugene.

Marcus.

Apparently, Eugene was heading straight toward their table.

Noah silently sighed.

Not now.

"Stop right there."

His voice interrupted Eugene before he could come any closer.

Rose and Lamia both looked up.

"Woo..." Lamia whispered.

"Is he always this tall?"

Noah rolled his eyes before facing Eugene.

"Whatever you want to tell me can wait."

His tone wasn’t rude.

It was simply firm.

"My conversation with my friends can’t."

"I just came out of that room where the four of you surrounded me. I think asking for a little space isn’t too much, right?"

The cafeteria instantly became quieter.

Murmurs spread among the students who had nothing better to do than monitor every little interaction around them.

Seriously...

Noah would never understand people like that.

Any tiny piece of gossip became tomorrow’s headline.

Still...

Life inside the academy was harsh.

Maybe gossip was simply everyone’s favorite coping mechanism.

Eugene stood silently for a few seconds.

Then...

"Ash..."

His voice softened.

"I’m sorry about the proposal I rejected."

Noah’s eyes widened.

Without thinking, he rushed forward and covered Eugene’s mouth.

But...

It was already too late.

Proposal?

One of the Moonlight Alphas...

Proposed...

To Ashton Lane?

The cafeteria exploded.

"Oh my God!"

"So Slyvia’s reign as queen bee is finally over?"

"Does this mean Ashton is replacing her?"

"I knew something was going on!"

The whispers spread faster than wildfire.

Across the room...

Slyvia’s expression completely shattered.

Her face twisted so badly that she looked moments away from fainting.

Lamia leaned toward Rose.

"Wait... you’re telling me one of the Alphas actually proposed to our friend?"

Instead of looking excited, Rose looked worried.

"This isn’t good."

She shook her head.

"If this rumor spreads too far, Slyvia could lose her eligibility for tomorrow’s mating ceremony."

She lowered her voice.

"And if that happens..."

"...she’ll completely lose her mind."

Lamia slowly nodded.

Noah looked around the cafeteria.

After days of relative peace...

He had somehow become the center of attention again.

Thanks to Eugene.

Fantastic.

He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back at the Alpha.

"You know what..."

He forced a polite smile.

"Marcus..."

"Can you please drag your friend to another table?"

"I’d really like some peace."

Eugene remained silent for several seconds before giving a small nod.

"If that’s what you want..."

He looked at Marcus.

"Let’s go."

Even while walking away...

His eyes never left Noah.

The moment they disappeared, Lamia practically slammed both hands onto the table.

"Alright."

"We need the full story."

"The entire tea."

Noah sighed.

That conversation would definitely happen.

Just...

Not yet.

"Later."

He shook his head.

"I promise I’ll explain everything after this."

"But what we’re discussing now is much more important."

His serious expression immediately quieted both Rose and Lamia.

No more teasing.

No more jokes.

Noah looked toward Lamia.

"So..."

"How exactly do you know Lysander?"

"You still haven’t explained that part."

Rose visibly swallowed.

"You remember what we wanted to tell you on your birthday?"

Noah nodded.

"That..."

"It wasn’t just Lamia."

"I found it too."

She hesitated before continuing.

"There used to exist a race called the Pure Bloods."

"They possessed something similar to angelic blood."

"They were incredibly rare."

"But one day..."

"They were wiped out."

"Almost completely."

Silence settled over the table.

"The records say the last Pure Blood existed about five hundred years ago."

Rose glanced around before lowering her voice even further.

"And according to forbidden history..."

"He fell in love with the Devil’s son."

Lamia continued where she stopped.

"The two of them were caught together."

"In the academy restroom."

Rose looked at Noah.

"I didn’t know the person you were with was actually the Devil’s son."

"Lamia confirmed it afterwards."

Noah felt his entire body freeze.

Five hundred years...

Lysander had lived that long?

Just...

How old was that man?

Goosebumps spread across both of his arms.

The realization refused to settle inside his mind.

Trying to stay calm, Noah forced himself to ask another question.

"So..."

"I’m a Pure Blood."

"I still don’t understand."

"What does that have to do with everything happening now?"

Lamia answered almost immediately.

"Because you’re not just a Pure Blood."

He looked directly into Noah’s eyes.

"You’re also a Grave Affinity user."

Rose slowly nodded.

"That affinity was banned centuries ago."

"It eventually disappeared."

"Life and death were never meant to coexist."

"But somehow..."

"You possess both."

Noah leaned back.

His head felt like it was about to explode.

"I’m... what?"

He laughed weakly.

"Wonderful."

"Every time I think this world can’t get any crazier..."

"It proves me wrong."

He inhaled deeply before exhaling.

Rose and Lamia quietly watched him.

Noah suddenly frowned.

"There... there’s more."

It wasn’t a question.

Both of them nodded.

Rose reluctantly continued.

"And tomorrow..."

"...is the academy’s mating ceremony."

"You’ll be expected to choose your mate."

She hesitated.

"So will Slyvia."

Noah’s face instantly lost all color.

"Oh..."

"...hell."

Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse.

They somehow did.

As Noah slowly turned his head...

His eyes finally landed on the figure hiding behind Slyvia.

Maria.

The instant their gazes met—

Everything stopped.

Pain exploded inside Noah’s skull.

His vision blurred violently.

He staggered backward before collapsing onto the floor.

"Noah!"

Lamia and Rose rushed toward him.

Before either of them could touch him—

BOOM!

A blinding shield of golden light erupted from Noah’s body.

The force blasted both of them away like leaves caught in a hurricane.

They crashed through several tables, splintering wood upon impact before finally rolling to a stop.

The entire cafeteria erupted into panic.

Students screamed.

Some fled toward the exits.

Others froze where they stood.

Noah slowly rose from the floor.

His body floated several inches above the ground.

Golden light poured from his skin.

His eyes...

Had become two burning suns.

Maria instinctively staggered backward.

Fear filled her face.

Right then...

Killian and Damian stepped through the cafeteria doors.

Both of them had come searching for Noah.

Instead...

They found someone else entirely.

Noah took another step forward.

Slyvia, trembling in fear, released her Divine Flame.

The golden fire crashed directly into Noah.

It disappeared without leaving so much as a scratch.

His expression never changed.

With a simple snap of his fingers—

Golden tendrils burst from the air itself.

They spread across the cafeteria like roots.

One after another...

Students screamed.

Pain flooded their minds.

The memories stolen from Ashton’s birthday began returning all at once.

Every horrifying moment.

Every forgotten detail.

Every nightmare.

People collapsed onto the floor clutching their heads.

Some cried.

Others screamed.

Some simply stared into space in horror.

Noah’s glowing eyes remained fixed on Maria.

"It is time for you to leave."

His voice echoed unnaturally.

"You dark entity..."

"You are not welcome here."

Slyvia tried to interfere again.

The moment she moved—

Her body twisted violently.

CRACK!

Her wrist bent at an impossible angle.

CRACK!

Her shoulder dislocated.

Her neck began twisting until—

Damian appeared.

He blocked Noah’s path.

Blood streamed from Damian’s nose.

His own memories were returning.

The pain was unbearable.

Yet...

He still refused to move aside.

He couldn’t allow Noah to kill Slyvia.

If Noah regained his senses afterward...

The guilt alone would destroy him.

And worse...

The Emperor would never forgive it.

"Move."

Noah’s voice carried no emotion.

Damian stood his ground.

"No."

A terrifying inferno erupted from Noah’s chest.

Golden flames exploded across the cafeteria.

The blazing wave tore toward Maria and Slyvia with enough force to shake the entire academy.

Far beyond the school...

The cemetery suddenly trembled.

Graves collapsed inward.

Ancient tombstones shattered.

Golden fire erupted from beneath the earth itself.

Maria’s terrified scream echoed through the chaos.

"No!"

"You won’t ruin my plans!"

"You won’t, Ashton!"

A smile slowly appeared across Noah’s glowing face.

Cold.

Ancient.

Completely unfamiliar.

Then...

A voice far older than humanity thundered through the academy.

"Who said..."

"...I was Ashton?"

The heavens themselves seemed to shake.

"The pathetic Ashton you knew..."

"...is already dead."