Chapter 223 223: Into the unknown

Words : 1801 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Between the Lines Noah adjusted the straps of his bag and turned toward Kelvin, who sat hunched over his tablet, fingers gliding across the screen at lightning speed. The dim glow from multiple floating holograms reflected in his eyes, his focus absolute. "Anything?" Noah asked, pulling his hoodie from the chair. Kelvin barely reacted, still scrolling through lines of data. "Not yet. Nothing substantial, at least. No birth records. No family history. Lila's parents are ghosts, man." He sighed, rubbing his temple. "It's like they just popped into existence one day and decided to play house." Noah exhaled sharply. He had been hoping for something—a clue, a slip-up, anything—but the deeper they dug, the less they found. "I'm meeting Lila tonight," he said, slipping the hoodie on but leaving it unzipped. That got Kelvin's attention. His eyes flicked up briefly before returning to his work. "Where?" "Eastern perimeter of the arena," Noah said, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. "She wants to show me something." Kelvin frowned. "That sounds... sketchy." Noah gave him a dry look. "No shit. But I'll report back anything I find." Kelvin leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms. "While you're out playing detective with your mysterious blonde, I'm meeting with Vee." Noah immediately shook his head. "No. Hell no." Kelvin smirked, expecting the reaction. "Relax. I'm not giving her all the details. Just getting her take on things." "I don't trust her," Noah said flatly. "You don't trust anyone," Kelvin shot back. "Besides, she's one of the best technopaths in the school. If anyone can help us crack this, it's her." Noah folded his arms, unconvinced. "She's also been sniffing around the conspiracy about Commander Albright. You really think getting involved with her is a good idea?" Kelvin rolled his eyes. "You worry too much. I'll keep it surface-level. Trust me." Noah didn't like it, but he wasn't going to win this argument. He sighed. "Fine. Just... be careful." Kelvin grinned. "I live careful." With that, they parted ways, Kelvin diving back into his screens while Noah headed for the exit, pulling his hoodie over his head as he stepped into the cool night air. --- The eastern perimeter of Nexus Arena was quieter than the rest of the complex. Fewer people, less security, and a cold breeze that carried the scent of rain. Noah spotted Lila before she saw him. She stood under one of the arena's towering floodlights, her hoodie unzipped and fluttering in the wind, the dark fabric contrasting against her golden blonde hair. The dim lighting cast soft shadows over her sharp features, but his attention was inevitably drawn lower to her chest. Big. Round. Not helping anything. He looked away. Lila turned toward him, arms crossed, eyes sharp. "You made it." Noah nodded, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. "So... what's this about?" Lila hesitated. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "I need you to see something." Lila led him through the winding corridors of the Nexus Arena, her pace measured, her voice even as she spoke. "If you were inside, with a fire closing in, where would you go first?" Noah followed beside her, eyes scanning the environment. "Depends. If I had to get someone out, I'd need a clear escape route. The main exits would be useless if the fire's spreading fast." She nodded as if expecting the answer. "So?" He exhaled, looking around. The arena had multiple levels, each with pathways that either opened into vast seating areas or disappeared into maintenance corridors. "If I could, I'd go for the upper vents. Smoke rises, but some of these vents lead outside. Could get someone through before things collapse." Lila didn't comment, just kept walking, her hoodie swaying with every step. Her hair, too, caught in the light breeze, golden strands shifting against her shoulders. The whole time, she looked stiff—tense. Noah narrowed his eyes. "This isn't just about fire rescue, is it?" She ignored his question, pointing toward the stationed guards along the walkways. "They rotate every thirty minutes. If you needed a clean path out, you'd move between shift changes. If you had to breach through force, though, you'd go for—" He stopped listening. Something was off. She kept talking, kept moving, but her shoulders were drawn tight, her hands balled into small fists at her sides. She was scared. He could see it in the way she kept her head slightly down, the way she seemed to hesitate before taking each turn. And then there was her hoodie—unzipped, open. The cold had made certain things impossible to ignore, her nipples visible through the thin fabric of her shirt, but she didn't seem to care. She barely seemed aware. This wasn't Lila. Not the one he knew. The one he knew had an unnerving confidence about her that sometimes bordered psychotic. This one, this one didn't. Noah stopped walking. "Lila." She didn't pause. He grabbed her wrist. "Lila." She froze. Then, before she could react, he stepped in front of her, guiding her back until her spine met the cold metal wall. They were in a blind spot now, out of sight from the guards, away from the lights. His hands pressed flat against the wall on either side of her head, caging her in. Her breathing hitched. "What's going on?" he asked, voice low. Silence. She stared at him, wide-eyed, her lips slightly parted. For the first time since they started walking, she didn't have a response. Noah leaned in just enough to see her face clearly, searching her expression. "Lila," he murmured, softer this time. "Talk to me." Still nothing. Just breathless silence and that same conflicted look in her eyes. Noah's mind was working fast. Why was Lila asking him all these questions? Entry points, escape routes, security patrols—things she usually wouldn't focus on unless she was planning something. Or expecting something. And now that he thought about it... Lucas had mentioned security was tighter this year, much tighter than previous tournaments. He'd brushed it off at the time, but now Lila was not-so-subtly pointing it out, too. Almost as if she wanted him to notice. His eyes locked onto hers, his tone turning careful but firm. "Lila, don't say anything. Just nod or shake your head." She swallowed hard but nodded. "Are you scared?" Another nod. "Are we being followed?" She shook her head. "But you do know something." Her throat bobbed as she swallowed again, then slowly, hesitantly, she nodded. Noah exhaled through his nose. "Okay." Lila's shoulders sagged, and for a moment, she looked like she might collapse from relief. She reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a pen. "Do you have paper?" she whispered. Noah frowned. "You came with just a pen?" She nodded. Wordlessly, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled receipt from one of the food stalls earlier. He smoothed it out and handed it over. Lila pressed the paper against the wall, her hand trembling as she wrote. When she passed it back, Noah read the words carefully: Something bad is going to happen very soon. And I'm involved in it. But I can't tell you. His stomach tightened. He looked up at her sharply. "Why not?" Lila took the paper back, hesitated, then scribbled her response. They blocked me out. His jaw clenched as he stared at the words. She was shaking now, sweat forming at her brow despite the cold air. "The same mental block from two days ago?" he asked. She nodded. Noah exhaled, his fingers flexing. Whoever they were, they weren't playing around. If they could shut her down without her consent, they had a serious hold over her. "Is there a way to break it?" he asked. Lila hesitated before writing again, this time slower, as if struggling to focus. Not on this earth. His eyes flicked up to her. She looked exhausted, almost sickly. She continued writing: Not unless there was a way for me to instantly disappear from this very planet right now. There's no way I can get far enough, fast enough, without being outed. Noah stared at her words, then exhaled through his nose. A slow smile curled at the edges of his lips. Lila blinked at him, confused. "Why are you smiling?" she whispered. Noah pocketed the note. "Because," he said smoothly, "I might have an idea," Noah kept his eyes on her, watching every subtle shift in her expression. He knew this was reckless, knew he was crossing a line he might not be able to walk back from—but if Lila was in danger, if there were people controlling her, blocking her thoughts, then he had to take this risk. "There's something I want to show you," he said. Lila's brow furrowed. "What is it?" "Do you trust me?" She hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Yes." "Then you have to promise not to tell anyone." "Okay." Noah exhaled, already hating himself for what he was about to do. "I know a way you can speak freely," he said. Lila's eyes widened slightly. "How? Do you have a ship fast enough to escape this planet before they notice?" Noah almost asked who they were—her parents? Someone else?—but he swallowed the question. That didn't matter right now. Instead, he took a step closer. "First, you have to agree to come with me. No questions. Anywhere I ask you to." Lila frowned. "Noah, we're at the Nexus Arena. We can't just go anywhere without clearance. They'll know." "They won't," he assured her. "Not where I'm taking you." Suspicion flickered in her eyes. "Where?" He held out a hand. "I want to show you my domain." She stiffened. "Domain?" Noah nodded. "Yeah." Lila studied his face, searching for a hint of deception. Whatever she saw must have convinced her because she slowly exhaled, nodding. "Are you ready?" She hesitated only a moment before giving a single, determined nod. Noah took her hand. "Domain travel." Instantly, the air around them warped. A surge of dark purple energy swirled up from beneath their feet, expanding outward like a rippling tide. The space around them twisted, bending the very fabric of reality. The chill of the arena vanished, replaced by a weightless sensation as if they had been yanked out of existence. Lila gasped, her grip tightening around Noah's hand as the world disappeared. And then, in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Chapter 223 223: Into the unknown

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