The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

Noah woke before sunrise.

Or at least, he thought he did.

For several seconds, he remained completely still.

His eyes stared at the ceiling.

The room was quiet.

Too quiet.

No whisper.

No shadow crawling across the walls.

No blue system screen.

Nothing.

Noah slowly sat up.

His clothes were damp with sweat.

He looked toward the window.

Hildgard was still covered in darkness.

Above the city, the three moons hung low.

The crimson moon.

The blue moon.

The silent central moon.

Noah rubbed his face.

"I need sleep."

A voice answered.

You need more than sleep.

Noah froze.

Silence returned.

His jaw tightened.

"You’re getting annoying."

Nothing answered.

That somehow bothered him more.

By the time the others gathered for breakfast, Noah had already decided that he wouldn’t tell anyone.

There was no point.

What was he supposed to say?

Something inside me is talking through my shadows.

Eric would probably laugh.

Sophia would demand answers.

Luna would worry.

Laura...

Noah stopped himself.

Laura would believe him.

That was exactly why he didn’t want to tell her.

"You’re early."

Noah looked up.

Sophia had just entered the dining hall.

"I didn’t sleep."

Sophia stopped.

Her expression changed.

"Why?"

"Couldn’t."

"Nightmares?"

Noah shrugged.

"Something like that."

Luna entered behind Sophia.

Laura followed shortly afterward.

Eric arrived last.

Damien wasn’t there.

Again.

Eric dropped into a chair.

"Where’s Damien?"

Sophia didn’t even look up.

"Probably somewhere."

"That’s not helpful."

"It wasn’t supposed to be."

Noah picked up his cup.

Then Luna looked toward the window.

"Are we exploring again today?"

Eric immediately lifted his head.

"Yes."

Sophia sighed.

"We explored yesterday."

"There’s an entire city outside."

Laura looked toward Noah.

"What do you think?"

Noah paused.

For some reason, the idea of remaining inside the academy district felt worse.

"Let’s go."

Eric grinned.

"Finally."

The streets were quieter than the night before.

Morning merchants were opening their stalls.

Magical carts moved through the roads.

Strange animals pulled some of them.

Others floated above the ground through enchanted mechanisms.

Sophia stopped several times to look at things.

Luna followed her.

Eric had already bought food.

Noah didn’t ask where he got the money.

Laura walked beside him.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

Then Noah broke the silence.

"You know a lot about Hildgard."

Laura looked toward him.

"A little."

"That’s not what you said yesterday."

Laura smiled faintly.

"Maybe I like reading too."

Noah looked genuinely offended.

"You’re all against me."

Laura laughed.

A real laugh this time.

Noah stopped walking for half a second.

Laura noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You’re staring."

"I was thinking."

"That’s dangerous."

Noah smiled.

"Eric said something similar."

Laura shook her head.

They reached the historical district before noon.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

The modern magical structures disappeared.

Older buildings replaced them.

Stone towers.

Ancient bridges.

Walls covered with symbols Noah couldn’t understand.

Sophia walked toward a large monument.

"What is this?"

An elderly Hildgardian guide sitting nearby looked up.

"The Boundary Monument."

Noah glanced toward it.

A massive wall had been carved with a map.

Hildgard occupied the largest section.

Beyond it—

Another territory.

The name was clearer here.

DEMI-HILDGARD

Eric leaned closer.

"Again?"

Sophia looked at him.

"Again what?"

"We saw that name yesterday."

Noah stepped closer to the monument.

The guide’s expression changed.

"Young man."

Noah looked toward him.

"Yes?"

"Don’t concern yourself with that place."

Sophia raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

The old man stared toward the map.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he spoke quietly.

"Demi-Hildgard was never meant to be part of this city."

Luna looked interested.

"What does that mean?"

"It means what I said."

The guide stood.

He slowly placed a hand against the stone monument.

"Long ago, creatures began gathering beyond that boundary."

Noah frowned.

"What creatures?"

The man’s eyes moved toward him.

"Creatures that preferred being forgotten."

Eric’s smile disappeared.

The guide continued.

"Demons."

Luna stiffened slightly.

"Succubi."

Sophia crossed her arms.

"And?"

The old man looked toward the sealed region.

"Things without names."

Silence followed.

Then Eric quietly said:

"Okay."

Everyone looked at him.

He shrugged.

"I officially don’t want to visit."

Sophia laughed.

"You were the one demanding exploration."

"Not demon exploration."

The guide’s face didn’t change.

"The boundary was sealed."

Noah looked toward him.

"By who?"

For the first time—

The guide hesitated.

"No one knows."

Laura’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Noah noticed.

But before he could ask—

THUMP.

His head suddenly pounded.

Noah staggered.

Laura immediately grabbed his arm.

"Noah!"

The world blurred.

The monument disappeared.

Darkness swallowed everything.

Noah found himself standing somewhere else.

A vast black plain.

There was no sky.

No ground.

Only darkness.

Then a voice echoed behind him.

You keep looking outward.

Noah turned.

Nothing.

At cities.

A step echoed.

At enemies.

Another.

At mysteries.

Noah clenched his fists.

"Show yourself."

A laugh echoed.

Then—

Two crimson eyes opened in the darkness.

Noah stopped breathing.

But you’ve never looked at what you’re carrying.

The darkness moved.

Something enormous shifted beneath it.

Noah stepped backward.

Then—

"NOAH!"

The world exploded back into existence.

He was on his knees.

Laura was holding his shoulder.

Sophia and Luna stood nearby.

Eric looked terrified.

"What happened?"

Noah looked around.

The guide was gone.

The monument stood silently above them.

Noah slowly stood.

"I’m okay."

Sophia’s face darkened.

"Don’t say that."

Noah looked away.

Laura hadn’t released his arm.

"You’re not okay."

Her voice was quiet.

But serious.

Noah looked at her.

For a moment, he almost told her.

Everything.

The system.

The rank.

The voice.

Ragnarok Dead Zone.

But the words never came.

Instead—

"I’m trying."

Laura’s expression softened.

That was the first honest thing he’d said.

They returned to the academy district before evening.

Nobody said much.

Sophia stayed close to Luna.

Eric was unusually quiet.

Laura remained beside Noah.

Damien still hadn’t appeared.

Noah noticed his absence more than before.

Then—

As they approached their building—

Damien stepped out from a nearby alley.

Eric jumped.

"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU KEEP COMING FROM?"

Damien stared at him.

"I was walking."

"From where?"

Damien didn’t answer.

Sophia sighed.

Noah looked at Damien.

"You’ve been gone all day."

"I know."

"Helpful."

Damien’s eyes shifted toward Noah.

For several seconds, he studied him.

Then Damien spoke.

"Something happened to you."

Noah’s body stiffened.

Sophia looked between them.

"What?"

Noah forced himself to relax.

"Nothing happened."

Damien’s eyes narrowed.

"You smell different."

Silence.

Eric blinked.

"What?"

Sophia stared at Damien.

"What does that even mean?"

Damien ignored them.

His eyes remained on Noah.

Noah felt a cold sensation crawl across his spine.

Damien continued.

"Yesterday, you smelled normal."

Noah stared at him.

"And today?"

Damien’s expression remained calm.

"Today..."

He paused.

Something seemed to genuinely disturb him.

"...there’s something else."

The silence became heavier.

Noah’s heart began pounding.

Then, deep inside his mind—

A voice whispered.

He noticed me.

Noah’s eyes widened.

Damien continued staring at him.

For the first time—

Noah wondered whether hiding the truth was already too late.

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