Chapter 208: The end

Lila entered the room, her gaze sweeping over the sparse furnishings before settling on Kelvin's empty bed. She perched on its edge, hands folded in her lap—a picture of demureness that seemed at odds with her provocative attire. "Can I get you anything?" Noah asked, suddenly aware that he was alone in his room with a girl who wasn't Sophie. "Water, maybe?" "No," Lila replied, looking down at her hands. The silence stretched between them, uncomfortable and heavy. Noah remained standing, arms crossed. "So... what did you want to talk about?" Lila looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. "Why did you change? Toward me, I mean." "Change?" "After you and Sophie got together, you were cold. Dismissive." She tilted her head slightly. "But now you're... decent. Almost kind." Noah considered this. It was true that he had deliberately kept Lila at arm's length after beginning his relationship with Sophie. Partly out of respect for his girlfriend, partly because of Lila's open pursuit of him despite his relationship status. "I saw no point in holding onto animosity," he replied, his tone measured, free of the emotion that had colored their earlier interactions. "You helped me when Albright's men cornered me. Those year-three students would have done serious damage if you hadn't intervened." He shrugged. "You put yourself at risk for me. The least I can do is be decent in return." Lila nodded slowly, a brief smile crossing her lips before fading. "That's not why I'm here." "No?" "No." She stood up, pacing a few steps before turning back to face him. "I'm not here to confess my undying love again and get rejected. Been there, suffered through that." Her attempt at humor fell flat, her expression too strained to sell the joke. Noah waited, sensing there was more. "I think..." Lila began, then stopped. She took a deep breath and tried again. "I think I might have made a huge mistake. And I don't know if I can fix it now." Noah frowned. "What kind of mistake?" Lila shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't say. Not exactly. Not yet." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "But it's bad, Noah. And it's because of my parents. They've been pushing me—" "Parents always push," Noah said with a shrug. "They want what's best for us." Lila's laugh was sharp and bitter. "Is that what you think? That parents always want what's best?" Her gaze hardened. "Did your parents want what was best when they abandoned you?" The words hit Noah like a physical blow. His past wasn't a secret, but it wasn't something people brought up in casual conversation, either. L Lila's eyes widened as she realized what she'd said. "Noah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that—" "Yes, you did," Noah replied, his voice steady despite the old pain her words had stirred. "But it's fine." "It's not fine," she insisted, stepping toward him. "I shouldn't have said that. I know better." She reached out as if to touch his arm but stopped short. "I'm not myself lately. That's no excuse, but... what I've done is terrible. And I'm not sure I deserve forgiveness." Noah studied her. Despite her sometimes erratic behavior, he'd never seen her quite this unsettled. "Whatever it is, Lila, just talk to your parents. See if they can understand your perspective." She smiled then, a sad, knowing smile that transformed her face into something almost unrecognizable—older, harder, more resigned. "If talking to them was the solution, I wouldn't be here now." She moved toward the door, then paused, her hand on the knob. "For what it's worth, I'll keep my promise to you." "What promise?" "To not let you get hurt," she said softly. "No matter what." Her expression shifted again, a seriousness settling over her features. "But you should know, Noah—when the ash settles, life happens. And no one should blame me." Before Noah could ask what she meant, Lila turned to leave, her hand on the doorknob. "Wait," Noah said, surprising himself with the firmness in his voice. Lila paused, looking back at him with questioning eyes. "I can't let you leave like this," Noah continued, crossing his arms. "You came here for a reason, and whatever's going on has you seriously rattled." "I shouldn't have come," she muttered, not meeting his gaze. "This was a mistake." Noah studied her—the tension in her shoulders, the slight tremor in her hands. This wasn't the confident, sometimes abrasive Lila he knew. Something was genuinely wrong. "Look," he said, his tone softening, "I can see you're not in a good place right now. And while you might not want to tell me what's going on, I don't think you should be alone." Lila's eyes narrowed. "I don't need your pity, Eclipse." "That's not what this is," Noah replied evenly. "You've had my back before—with Albright's goons, remember? Sometimes people just need a friend." He glanced at his phone for the time. "And right now, I could use one to grab something at the arena cafeteria. I haven't eaten since before the matches." For a moment, Lila simply stared at him, as if trying to detect some hidden agenda in his offer. Then, slowly, her expression softened, a small but genuine smile replacing her guarded look. "Food does sound good," she admitted. Noah nodded, grabbing his key card from the desk. "Let's go, then." The walk to the cafeteria was quiet but not uncomfortable. The massive dining hall was mostly empty at this hour, with just a few scattered groups of students talking in hushed voices about the day's events. After collecting their food—a proper meal for Noah, and ice cream for Lila—they found a table in a secluded corner. Noah watched as Lila methodically worked through her dessert, suddenly remembering how this had been her ritual before. Before every one of her awkward confessions of feelings, there had been ice cream. A peace offering, perhaps, or a sweet prelude to potentially bitter rejection. "This takes me back," he commented, taking a bite of his sandwich. Lila glanced up, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. "You remember." "Hard to forget. You bought me lunch and ice cream three times, remember?." She winced slightly. "Before making a complete fool of myself each time." "You weren't a fool," Noah said gently. "Just... persistent." That earned him a genuine laugh—brief but real. "That's a diplomatic way of putting it." As they continued eating, Noah found himself reassessing the girl across from him. Beneath the dramatic outbursts and occasional manipulations was someone who could be genuinely kind when she chose to be. Someone who had stepped in when he needed help, despite their complicated history. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "you're not so bad when you're not being too much of a drama queen," Lila rolled her eyes, but her smile remained. "High praise indeed." "I mean it," Noah continued. "I think maybe we could actually be friends. Real ones, not whatever complicated thing we've been doing." Something flickered in her eyes—hope, perhaps, or relief. "I'd like that," she said softly. They finished their food in companionable silence before heading back toward the dorms. As they reached the point where they needed to go separate ways, Lila turned to him. "When you have time," she said, "I'd like to teach you something." "Teach me what?" A mysterious smile played at her lips. "Something about chi." She winked. "Let's just say there are techniques they don't cover in Master Anng's class." Noah frowned slightly. "How would you know? You weren't in that class." "There's a lot you don't know about me, Eclipse," she replied cryptically. Then, before he could respond, she stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight, lingering hug. Her breast were practically rested on his chest the entire time as she squished them on him. It was oddly comforting, despite its unexpectedness. When she finally pulled away, her expression was serene, almost peaceful—a stark contrast to the turmoil she'd shown in his room earlier. "Goodnight, Noah," she said softly. "Thank you." As Noah watched her walk away, he couldn't help but wonder about her cryptic comments regarding chi. It wasn't something taught before the academy, and she hadn't taken Master Anng's specialized classes. So how did she know enough to offer teaching him? Back in his room, Noah stripped off his clothes, ready to finally get some sleep. As he tossed his jacket onto the chair, a small piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Curious, he picked it up—it was one of the ice cream wrappers from the cafeteria, but there was something written on it in neat, precise handwriting. Just two words: "The End." Two simple words that felt heavy with implication. Noah sat on the edge of his bed, turning the wrapper over in his hands as if searching for additional clues. His mind raced, trying to connect the dots between Lila's strange behavior, her cryptic warnings, and now this message. _"I think I might have made a huge mistake. And I don't know if I can fix it now."_ _"It's because of my parents. They've been pushing me—"_ _"When the ash settles, life happens. And no one should blame me."_ Sleep was now the furthest thing from his mind. Noah paced the small room, mentally reviewing every interaction he'd had with Lila over the past few months. Something was seriously wrong—that much was clear. But what could she have done that was so terrible? And what did her parents have to do with it? The door clicked open, and Kelvin strolled in, a satisfied grin on his face. "Well, someone looks like they've had a good night," Noah commented, trying to sound normal despite his inner turmoil. "Cora is..." Kelvin's voice trailed off as he noticed Noah's expression. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Noah hesitated, then handed Kelvin the wrapper. "I need your help with something." Kelvin examined the cryptic message, his brow furrowing. "The End? What is this, some kind of threat?" "It's from Lila." "Lila?" Kelvin's eyebrows shot up. "As in Lila Rowe? The crazy side chick we've been running from all year?" "That's not very nice," Noah admonished, though he couldn't entirely disagree with the characterization. "But yes, that Lila. She came by earlier, acting strange. Scared, almost." He quickly filled Kelvin in on Lila's visit, her cryptic warnings, and their subsequent conversation at the cafeteria. "So let me get this straight," Kelvin said when Noah finished. "The girl who's been obsessed with you for months shows up at your door dressed to kill, talks in riddles about some terrible mistake, then slips you a note saying 'The End'—and you want me to what, exactly?" "I need you to look into her background," Noah replied. "Her family. The Rowes." Kelvin's eyes widened. "Are you asking me to spy on her?" "I'm asking you to help me make sure nothing bad is about to happen," Noah corrected. "Something's not right, Kelvin. I can feel it." Kelvin studied his friend's face, then sighed dramatically. "Fine. Though I should point out that the Rowes are a pretty coveted family in military circles. Respected, connected. Not the kind of people you want to mess with without good reason." "Do you know why they're so respected?" "No idea," Kelvin admitted. "But since I apparently have nothing better to do than hack into restricted databases the night before a major tournament..." His fingers began to glow a soft green as he retrieved his specialized comm-pad from his bag. "I'll see what I can dig up." Noah nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I know it seems paranoid, but—" "No, I get it," Kelvin interrupted, his expression unusually serious. "You've got good instincts, Noah. If something feels off to you, it probably is." He settled onto his bed, comm-pad in hand. "So, why the sudden interest in the Rowes? Besides the creepy note, I mean." "For now, it's just a hunch," Noah replied, already moving toward the door. "I need to check on something else. I'm going to see if I can find Lucas." "Lucas? At this hour?" Kelvin looked up from his comm-pad, the green glow from his fingers and eyes casting eerie shadows across his face. "What's he got to do with this?" "He mentioned some concerns earlier," Noah said vaguely. "I just want to see if he's heard anything new." "Well, while you're off playing detective with the tournament champion, I'll be here using my incredible technopathic powers to illegally access classified information." Kelvin wiggled his glowing fingers. "Like a good friend." Noah smiled despite himself. "The best friend," he corrected, slipping his key card into his pocket. "I won't be long." As he closed the door behind him, Noah couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out—that whatever Lila had cryptically warned him about was already in motion. The tournament, Sophie, Minister Reign, Lila's warnings, the mysterious note—they all seemed connected somehow, pieces of a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. Not yet, anyway. Noah headed down the corridor, his mind racing as fast as his feet. Lucas had mentioned something about irregularities in the tournament structure, the heavy security around the arena. Could that be related to whatever Lila was afraid of? Or was he grasping at straws, seeing connections where none existed? Either way, Noah couldn't ignore the growing sense of unease. Tomorrow's arena battles would test his combat skills, but tonight was testing something else entirely—his instincts. And right now, those instincts were screaming that something was very, very wrong.