Chapter 48: The Heir of White
While Elira Varnis calmly tested the boy before her, her mind split in multiple directions—half debating, half observing, but fully invested in the outcome.
But for Noah, this was no test.
It was a nightmare.
His very existence felt like it was being unraveled, crushed by an invisible force that gnawed at more than flesh. It clawed at his soul. At the essence of what made him real. Alive.
This is what it means to face someone who exists on a higher plane, he realized. This isn't strength. This is presence. Recognition by the universe itself.
And against that?
You don't fight. You endure.
This is too much, he thought, gritting his teeth. Every part of him—body, soul, mind—screamed in agony. It was as if his soul was being pulled apart, strand by strand, and there was nothing he could do but hold on.
He didn't scream. Didn't groan. Just clenched his jaw and endured.
