Noah listened to the recorded conversation several more times, straining to find any new clue. But all she confirmed was what they had already pieced together.
"Who is this 'Shadow'? Why have I never heard you or Dad mention that name before?"
Inside her consciousness, Noah posed the question to her ancient passenger. For once, even the Ancestor seemed to have no answers.
"I do not know. But this 'Shadow,' since they were able to grant Adam a Black Dragon Scale, must be deeply connected to the essence of 'Ultimate Fear.'"
Noah frowned, lost in thought for a long moment. "My dad was away from home for a long time on an investigation. He did not even come back for important family events. Yet, he suddenly appeared in the Demonic Moonlit Forest during my promotion trial, teaming up with Constantine to defeat Adam. I always thought that was just a lucky coincidence. But now, it is clear they were following a lead on Adam to get to the 'Shadow' behind him."
"Your father's primary goal must have been to use Adam to trace the mastermind," the Ancestor agreed. "But then that hammer-wielding fool dared to injure you. After that, the mission's priority changed for your father."
The Ancestor could not entirely grasp the nuances of friendship, but she understood the primal depth of a parent's bond. And there was no one in this world who did not know that General Leon was a famously devoted father.
When his daughter was put in mortal danger, how could he focus on anything else? Of course, his rage would have been absolute, his retaliation swift and merciless.
"I think so too," Noah admitted quietly.
She paused, took a deep breath, and added, a hint of guilt in her voice, "But still... if Dad had been chasing such a critical lead, it must have been truly dangerous. And because of me, that lead was cut short..."
"Self-blame does not work that way, child."
The Ancestor's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. She formed a spectral hand and softly rubbed Noah's shoulder, then patted her head with a tender touch.
"If you were my daughter, in that situation, I would have moved heaven and earth to ensure your vengeance. Any true parent would have made the same choice without a second thought."
"It is not your fault. The blame lies with Shadow, who orchestrated the harm. They are the target of your father's wrath."
The Ancestor, speaking with rare earnestness, comforted the young princess. Noah was not one to dwell on negative emotions for long. She nodded, her tone still a little subdued, but her mood visibly lifted.
"Alright. I understand."
"At the very least, we now know for certain about the existence of 'Ultimate Fear' and its connection to Shadow," the Ancestor stated. "We can use this knowledge to help your father from the shadows."
"The only difficulty," she added, "is figuring out how to present this lead to him without raising his suspicion. We must be his daughter and his secret advisor, not another mystery for him to solve."
"That is the challenge," Noah agreed. "If I reveal too much or am too direct, he will undoubtedly become suspicious. But if the clue is too vague, it becomes useless."
Noah furrowed her brow, feeling momentarily stuck.
"Take your time. There is no need to rush this," the Ancestor reassured her. "The fact that your father spent months at home after dealing with Adam and 'Shadow' indicates the situation has not yet escalated to a critical point of immediate danger."
The Ancestor's tone then shifted, becoming graver.
"However, I have some more troubling news to share."
"What is it?"
"When Constantine handed the Black Dragon Scale to your father, I could still sense a residual presence of Chaos Energy... on Constantine himself."
Noah froze, her mind racing to process the implication. "You are saying... Constantine still carries traces of the Black Dragon Scale's corrupting energy?"
"Yes. The primordial chaos tied to Ultimate Fear lingers on him like a faint stain. I do not know what this might mean or what it could lead to, but you must find a way to warn your father—" The Ancestor's spectral form seemed to intensify. "—to be extremely careful around his fiery ally."
.
.
.
The next morning, Noah struggled to breathe, her senses overwhelmed by a sweet, distinctly milky fragrance.
She forced her eyes open and found her face nuzzled against something incredibly soft resting on her pillow. The familiar texture and scent were comforting, yet felt... distinctly wrong.
This was not her mother.
Realization dawned, and Noah's eyes flew open.
"A-Aunt?! What are you doing here?"
The red-haired beauty lying beside her stirred at the sound. Isha murmured sleepily, pulling Noah closer into a warm, engulfing embrace.
"Do not make a fuss, sweetie... Your mom left me at the door all morning. Let Auntie sleep a little longer."
"Mmph! Mmmph!" Noah could only let out muffled protests as her face was pressed firmly against her aunt's chest.
Isha finally loosened her hold just enough for Noah to speak.
"Can you breathe now?"
"Yes..."
"Good. Then let Auntie cuddle you a little longer..."
Noah blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering against Isha's skin, making her aunt squirm and giggle softly.
"Stop that, Noah," Isha teased.
"So, Auntie," Noah began, her voice slightly muffled again, "you came this early just to nap with me?"
"No," Isha replied with a lazy, dramatic yawn. "I mixed up the dates. I thought today was the day your dad fights Odin, but it is actually the day after tomorrow."
She adjusted her position, making herself more comfortable. "So I figured, since your mom was busy and out of sight, I would sneak into your room and claim a bed. But—ahhh—" Another yawn. "I ended up right here with you."
Her philosophy was simple and unwavering: If the strongest one is not available, cuddle the cutest one instead.
Noah sighed in fond exasperation. "So Auntie, you received the Tower Master's invitation as well?"
"Of course! How could I miss a spectacle like this? A duel between your father and Odin is a legendary event."
Noah rolled her eyes but settled back into her aunt's warm embrace. "Alright, then let us just rest—"
Before she could finish her sentence or drift back to sleep, the ground beneath them suddenly shuddered with violent force!
Noah gasped, disoriented by the sudden, violent tremor. Isha reacted instantly, her maternal instincts overriding her sleepiness. She scooped her niece up in one fluid motion and leaped from the bed. Not even pausing for shoes, she sprinted out to the balcony.
In a flash of crimson light, she unfurled her magnificent dragon wings and leaped into the air, hovering safely above the violently swaying city structures.
"What is happening? Everything was fine a moment ago!" Noah asked, her arms wrapped tightly around her aunt's neck.
Isha scanned their surroundings, her sharp eyes noting the other dragons taking to the skies to avoid the shaking buildings. She gently patted Noah's back. "Do not worry, sweetheart. It is just an earthquake. We are safe up here."
"An earthquake? But we are in Sky City! A floating city cannot have tectonic earthquakes!"
From behind them, Rossweise's clear, concerned voice rang out. "Sister! Noah! Are you both alright?"
Isha turned to see Rossweise flying toward them, the baby Muse held securely in her arms.
"We are fine," Isha called back. "But what in the world caused this? This should not be possible here!"
Before they could puzzle it out, Leon appeared, leaping from Noah's balcony onto a lower rooftop. Since he lacked wings, he used the architecture itself, landing with a series of controlled, acrobatic movements before reaching the solid ground.
He must have rushed into Noah's room the moment the tremors began, his first instinct to carry her to safety, only to find Isha had already taken her.
Once he landed, he looked up, his face a mask of concern. "Is everyone alright? Is anyone hurt?"
The earthquake lasted only a few more seconds before subsiding. Rossweise and Isha, each holding a child, descended gracefully to the ground beside him.
"We are fine," Rossweise confirmed. "But why did this happen?"
"Sky City floats. It is isolated from the ground... earthquakes should not be possible here..." Isha mused, her brow furrowed.
"It is the second one this year," a nearby dragon citizen commented, their voice worried. "This never used to happen before."
Leon's brow furrowed deeper as he listened to the chatter around them.
But Noah stood perfectly still, her feet planted on the still-vibrating ground. She was not listening to the conversations around her. Her entire focus was downward.
A chilling, insidious sensation was seeping up through the soles of her feet—a faint but unmistakable trace of something dark and sinister, emanating from the depths far below the floating island. It was a familiar, corrupting energy she had felt only once before, in the presence of a black scale.