Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner

The pre-dawn stillness wrapped around Lucas and Noah as they stood at the intersection where the others had departed. The campus felt eerily quiet after the chaos they'd left behind at School 8.

"You did something brave today," Lucas said, his hand clasping Noah's shoulder. His voice carried both pride and gravity. "Standing up to Diana like that—most second-years wouldn't dare, let alone first-years."

Noah shifted uncomfortably, still processing the night's events. Everything had moved so fast—from planning with Lucas to the actual confrontation. Part of him still couldn't believe he'd gone through with it.

"About that proposal," Lucas continued, his tone careful but intent. "The Top 25 could use someone like you. Someone who can think on their feet, who understands when to hold back and when to strike." A slight smile crossed his face. "Someone who can keep secrets until exactly the right moment."

The reference to their shared planning made Noah glance up. They'd kept it from the others—the contingency of Nyx, the carefully orchestrated surprise. Even now, Oba and Bailey had trudged off to bed, unaware that their newest teammate had been the source of that bone-shaking roar.

"The attention that comes with it..." Noah began, hesitant.

"Will come either way now," Lucas finished. "At least this way, you'll have position to back it up. Protection, even."

Noah rubbed his eyes, exhaustion finally starting to seep in. The adrenaline was wearing off, and with it came the weight of everything that had happened. The fight with Diana, using Nyx's presence—even if not fully manifested—and now this offer again.

"We both need sleep," Noah said with a tired smile. "Later. We'll talk about it later."

Lucas nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Get some rest. You earned it." He turned to go, then paused. "And Noah? Whatever you decide... what you did tonight? That was Academy material. Real Academy material."

They parted ways, each heading to their respective dorms as the first hints of dawn began to color the eastern sky. Noah's mind wandered to the choice ahead of him—the relative anonymity of being just another first-year versus stepping into the spotlight that came with the Top 25.

But those were thoughts for later. For now, his bed called, and even dragon summoners needed their sleep.

Lucas walked the empty campus paths, satisfaction lingering in his smile. The night had gone perfectly—better than perfectly. Not only had they struck back at School 8, but they'd done it in a way that would leave Jayden stewing for weeks.

The first hints of dawn were just starting to paint the sky when a voice cut through his thoughts.

"Number One."

Lucas turned to find a blonde girl standing in his path. She couldn't have been more than a first-year, but something in her stance made him pause. Her smile was pleasant enough, but her eyes... there was something off about them.

"Can I help you?" he asked, maintaining his usual composed demeanor.

"I'm Lila. First-year." She tilted her head slightly, that same unsettling smile never wavering. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Noah was all night?"

Lucas blinked, caught off guard by the directness of the question. "Excuse me?"

"Noah. He wasn't in his dorm all night." Her voice remained sweet, but there was an edge underneath it. "And since you're always dragging him into your little schemes, I thought you might know."

"I'm not sure what gives you the impression that Noah's whereabouts are any of your business," Lucas replied coolly. "Or mine, for that matter."@@novelbin@@

Lila's smile widened fractionally. "Oh, but they are my business. Everything about Noah is my business." She took a step closer, and Lucas found himself fighting the urge to step back. "You've been a bad influence on him, you know. Taking him to those clubs, getting him involved in your politics..."

"Look," Lucas started, his patience wearing thin, "I don't know who you are or what you think—"

"I know where you were tonight," she cut in, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "School 8. Quite the ambitious raid. Did you think nobody would notice?"

Lucas felt his blood run cold. The operation had been completely covert. Even most of the Academy's staff wouldn't know about it yet. How could this first-year possibly...?

"You should be more careful," Lila continued, her tone conversational but her eyes hard as steel. "Noah isn't meant for your games. He's special. He shouldn't be risked on your petty rivalries."

"You don't know anything about—"

"I know everything about him." The sweetness in her voice made Lucas's skin crawl. "And I know that if anything happens to him because of your schemes..." She let the threat hang in the air, unfinished but clear.

Before Lucas could respond, she turned away, giving a little wave over her shoulder. "Oh, and congratulations on tonight's win. I'm sure Jayden was quite surprised."

Lucas stood frozen, watching her disappear into the pre-dawn shadows. For the first time in a long while, he felt genuinely unsettled. Not just by her knowledge of the raid—though that was concerning enough—but by the way she'd spoken about Noah. Like he was a possession. Like she had some kind of claim on him.

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair.

He'd dealt with obsessed fans before. It came with the territory of being Number One. But this... this was different. There had been something deeply wrong in those eyes, something that set off every warning bell he had.

As he finally continued toward his dorm, Lucas found his victory high somewhat dampened. He'd have to warn Noah about this, but how do you tell someone that they've apparently attracted the attention of someone who seemed one step away from building a shrine in their honor?

More importantly, how had she known about School 8? Who was she really?

The morning sun finally crested the horizon, but Lucas's mind was far from rest. They'd won the night, yes, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just glimpsed something far more dangerous than any school rivalry.

Sometimes the real threats weren't the ones you faced in battle—they were the ones that smiled sweetly while making veiled threats in the dark.

Meanwhile at the other end of the academy, Noah slipped into his dorm room, careful not to make a sound. Kelvin was sprawled across his bed, snoring softly—exactly as he should be, completely unaware of the night's events. The sight of such normal, peaceful sleep almost made the raid on School 8 feel like a dream.

A slight smirk crossed Noah's face as he sat on his own bed. No one except Lucas knew what had really happened tonight. Even Diana, when she eventually woke up, wouldn't know exactly what had hit her. The fight had been close—too close—but next time... next time he wanted to face her without Nyx's help. See how he'd measure up, skill against skill.

But something nagged at him. During the confrontation, Nyx had acted... strangely. The dragon had refused to fully emerge from the portal, something it had never done before. Sure, it had worked out perfectly—the fear aura and red mist had given him exactly the advantage he'd needed. But why had Nyx chosen to hold back?

Noah glanced at the bathroom door. A quick check wouldn't hurt.

He slipped inside, closing the door behind him. In the small space, his whisper seemed to echo: "Domain."

Purple energy swirled around him, dark and familiar, ready to transport him to his personal realm. But as the energy enveloped him and the bathroom dissolved away, something felt... wrong.

The transition completed, and Noah's eyes widened in absolute shock.

His domain—his sanctuary—was nothing like he'd left it.

Something had changed.

Something was very, very wrong.