Farther down the road, three black cars were speeding at full throttle toward the capital.
Inside one of the vehicles, Noa and Éric were seated in the back, while Ethan and Simon were in the front, the latter at the wheel.
Éric was calmly writing in his journal, completely focused on what he was doing.
The pen scratched against the white paper… then stopped.
His gaze turned toward Noa.
The young boy was sleeping peacefully, his arms crossed.
The pallid light coming through the window made his black hair shine.
— It's been a long time since I last saw him this relaxed…
It might have seemed trivial, but seeing Noa this calm was extremely rare.
Even for those close to him, it was an almost nonexistent sight.
Yet behind that gentle face, his mind was far from resting.
Flashback
Inside a reading room, bathed in a warm, golden light.
Noa, seven years old, stood in front of his grandfather, who was bandaging the accumulated wounds on his grandson's arms.
The old man looked intrigued.
— Noa… may I know how you got all these injuries?
The young boy hesitated for a moment, looking away, then decided to answer.
— I was training in the forest… to better use my Chaos energy.
The grandfather raised an eyebrow.
— Training to master your Chaos? For what purpose? You don't have an innate technique.
Seeing the demoralized expression on his grandson's face, the old man sighed softly.
— Listen to me carefully. When a child reaches the age of five, they naturally awaken their Chaos energy, because their soul reaches a certain level of maturity. And with it is born an innate technique, unique to each individual. This rule applies to everyone, to every living being.
He gently placed a finger on the boy's heart.
— But you are seven years old. You possess a phenomenal reserve of Chaos energy… And yet, the absence of an innate technique unfortunately makes that reserve unusable.
Silence fell over the room.
But the young boy did not seem demoralized at all.
He gently pushed his grandfather's finger away from his chest and took a few steps back.
— What are you doing…?
asked the old man, now genuinely worried.
Noa brought his hands together, then closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a blue aura emanated from his body.
But what truly surprised the grandfather was the change in the nature of that aura.
It transformed into electricity.
— He… changed the nature of his aura… But how is that even possible…?
he thought to himself.
Noa, on the other hand, did not stop.
To him, it seemed perfectly natural.
— There… I managed to develop a technique.
Grandfather Dave remained silent, staring at the phenomenon before him.
There was no doubt…
— Noa… when did you discover you could do this ?
Noa thought for a moment.
— Actually, it was after training. I had seen Oliver use a similar technique. And a few days later… I used it by accident.
At those words, the grandfather burst out laughing.
— This can't be… you did it !
— Grandpa Dave… are you okay ?
With a quick motion, he pointed at Noa with a wide smile.
— I think I understand. And what if we tried something, if you're willing ?
End of flashback
Noa opened his eyes inside the car.
Éric, red with embarrassment, realized he was still staring at him.
— Ah… Noa, you're awake… what a surprise!
— Sorry… I fell asleep. I think I was tired.
Simon, at the wheel, let out a small laugh.
Ethan, meanwhile, kept his gaze fixed on the scenery passing by on his left.
— Ethan thinks the young master should rest more often, instead of training all the time.
Simon added calmly:
— I completely agree with Ethan. And besides, we won't always be by your side. You'll have to manage on your own.
Noa opened his eyes, a little confused.
— I'll keep that in mind… well… I think ?
Éric gave a slight smile.
Noa looked at him, and his face reminded him of a feeling of calm and safety he hadn't felt in a long time.
But suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine.
He brought a hand to his mouth, confused.
His blue eyes shone intensely.
Éric immediately noticed the change.
— Noa… are you okay?
Without answering, Noa abruptly opened the car door, even though the vehicle was still moving.
— Sorry… but I need to check something urgently.