The waiting room was buzzing with energy from the last match, but a different tension lingered in the air.
Darius had won. He was going to the finals.
But Stella and Lena weren't focused on that.
Their eyes were locked on Hugo.
For a long time, none of them spoke. The background noise of the tournament barely registered.
Then—Stella broke the silence.
"What happened to Solstice?"
Hugo, who had been leaning back against the wall, remained still. His expression didn't shift, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the room.
Lena crossed her arms. "You know something about him , don't you?"
No response.
Stella took a step closer. "You fought alongside him in the war, didn't you?"
Still nothing.
Lena narrowed her eyes. "You're not even going to say a word?"
Silence.
Then—Cosmos hummed.
Not its usual, amused hum.
Something deeper. Heavier.
But like Hugo, the sword said nothing.
The tension in the waiting room was unshakable.
Hugo, who had remained silent beneath Stella and Lena's questioning, finally exhaled.
Then, in a low, steady voice, he spoke.
"It's not that I don't want to talk about it. It's just that—"
Before he could finish—
Something cracked in his mind.
A flash of memories.
A battlefield shrouded in darkness.
A sky split in two—one half bathed in golden radiance, the other swallowed by endless black.
A sword—a devouring void in the shape of a blade.
A final clash.
And then—
The sound of a door slamming shut.
The memories hit him like a tidal wave, his vision blurring for a split second. His fingers tensed against his arm.
For the first time—
Hugo looked afraid.
Stella and Lena noticed it immediately.
Then—Cosmos hummed.
A softer sound. Reassuring. But with an unmistakable finality.
"We don't talk about that battle."
The weight of those words settled over the room.
Whatever had happened—
It was something Hugo wasn't ready to face.
The room was still thick with tension.
Stella and Lena had noticed Hugo's reaction. The fear in his eyes—the kind of fear that didn't belong to a man like him.
Neither of them knew how to respond.
Then—the door swung open.
"Hey! Guess what I got!"
Ethan burst into the room, holding up a sleek black card. A VIP pass.
"I don't even know how, but someone just gave me this!" he said excitedly, waving it in the air. "I think they were tournament staff? They said something about 'honoring guests of the finalists'—"
He paused, finally noticing the atmosphere.
His expression dropped slightly.
"…Did I miss something?"
Stella and Lena glanced at each other. For a moment, the weight in the air lingered.
Ethan grinned awkwardly. "Okay, y'know what? Whatever it was, let's forget about it."
He pointed to the VIP card. "Because this means free food, private seating, and—oh yeah—backstage access! Which means snacks!"
Stella snorted.
Lena rolled her eyes, but her shoulders relaxed. "…You're ridiculous."
"Exactly," Ethan grinned. "And you love it."
Slowly, the tension started to ease.
But Ethan's attention quickly snapped toward Hugo.
And just like that—his excitement returned tenfold.
"HOLD ON. We're just gonna ignore the fact that HUGO is in the finals too?! Hugo! The Hero of the Eclipse!"
Ethan clapped a hand on Hugo's shoulder, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Dude, that fight against Kain? INSANE. You barely even tried! And now you're gonna fight in the finals again, just like a legend should—"
Hugo gave him a small, tired smile.
A fake one.
He knew Ethan meant well. And for a brief moment, he almost wished he could feel that same excitement.
Instead, he just patted Ethan's shoulder.
"Thanks, kid," Hugo said, forcing some lightness into his tone. "Glad you enjoyed the show."
Ethan grinned. "Enjoyed?! That was history in the making!"
He kept talking, but Hugo's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
He assumed the tension had been about Draven. The Dominion's presence. The tournament.
He had no idea what Stella and Lena had truly been asking about.
And for now—
Hugo wasn't planning on telling him.
Hugo let Ethan ramble on, letting the kid's energy fill the silence.
Stella and Lena, however, exchanged glances.
Ethan might have assumed the tension was about Draven… but they knew better.
They weren't going to push Hugo now—not after seeing his reaction.
But this wasn't over.
"Alright," Ethan said, finally catching his breath. "Since we're officially VIPs, what do you say we check out the VIP lounge?"
Stella raised an eyebrow. "You just want free food."
Ethan didn't even hesitate. "Absolutely."
Lena sighed but stood up. "Fine. Let's go."
Hugo followed wordlessly. A change of scenery would help.
The group left the waiting room, heading toward the exclusive VIP area.
But even as they walked—
Hugo couldn't shake the feeling that his past was creeping closer.
And soon, it wouldn't let him run anymore.
The VIP lounge was surprisingly empty, despite the luxury it offered.
Plush seating, dim lighting, and a massive holographic screen displaying tournament highlights. The air smelled of freshly prepared food, and the quiet hum of conversation made it feel like a different world compared to the chaotic main arena.
Ethan's eyes lit up the moment he spotted the buffet table.
"Free food," he whispered in awe.
Lena sighed. "Don't make it weird."
"Too late."
As they walked inside, however, they weren't alone.
Seated at one of the lounge tables, looking annoyingly confident, was Darius.
And, right beside him, were his three youngest fans—the group of kids who always followed him around, treating him like a hero.
They were leaning in close, clearly still riding the high from Darius' victory.
"That was SO cool, boss!""Drill Breaker was INSANE!""I bet you're gonna destroy the finals!"
Darius leaned back in his seat, grinning. "Obviously."
Then, his gaze drifted past them—
And he spotted Hugo's group.
His grin widened.
"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up."
Stella groaned. "Oh, great."
Darius gestured dramatically. "Come to pay respects to your future champion?"
Lena scoffed. "You do realize Hugo's still in the tournament, right?"
Darius smirked. "Obviously. That's the whole point."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes locking onto Hugo.
"Finals, old man. You and me."
Hugo, who had already walked past him, casually sat at an empty table.
Then—he pulled out a bowl of steaming ramen and started eating.
Darius blinked.
"…Are you seriously ignoring me right now?"
Hugo slurped his noodles.
Ethan sat down across from him, his own plate stacked with food. "You get used to it," he said casually.
Darius' eye twitched. His crew looked between him and Hugo, confused.
"You do realize I'm literally calling you out, right?"
Hugo, without looking up, picked up an egg from his ramen and took a slow bite.
Darius' youngest fan tugged on his sleeve. "Boss… I think he's doing it on purpose."
Darius gritted his teeth. "Tch—fine. Ignore me all you want. Just don't cry when I take your title in the finals."
Hugo finally paused.
He set his chopsticks down, exhaled slowly, and—
Took another bite.
Darius nearly flipped the table.
Darius glared at Hugo, his fingers twitching against the table's surface.
His crew looked between him and Hugo, waiting for some kind of dramatic response.
Instead—
Slurp.
Hugo calmly ate another mouthful of ramen, as if Darius wasn't even there.
Darius clenched his fists. "Okay, that's it."
He stood up, pushing his chair back with a sharp scrape. "I don't care if you ignore me now, but when we're in that arena—"
"—It won't matter."
Hugo finally spoke, but his voice was almost lazy. He didn't even look up.
Darius froze mid-sentence. "What?"
Hugo set his chopsticks down, rolling his shoulders. "You're getting all worked up over a fight you haven't even had yet."
Darius narrowed his eyes. "Because it's important."
Hugo shrugged. "Then fight. No need to talk about it."
Darius' crew gasped.
Ethan, still happily eating, muffled a laugh. "He got you there."
Darius' eye twitched.
Stella grinned. "Man, he's really in your head, huh?"
Lena smirked. "I think he's been there for a while."
Darius groaned. "You're all the worst."
His crew patted his back, trying to console him.
"It's okay, boss! You'll get him in the finals!""Yeah! This is just… mental warfare, right?""…Right?"
Darius grumbled something under his breath before sitting back down, crossing his arms.
Hugo picked up his bowl again and took another slow bite.
This time, Darius didn't say a word.
For the first time all day—
Hugo actually won a battle without lifting a finger.
The VIP lounge had finally settled into a strange, comfortable silence.
Darius had stopped trying to get under Hugo's skin. His crew had also quieted down, though they still threw occasional glances at the legend sitting across the room.
Even Ethan had finished his fifth plate of food and was now leaning back in his chair, looking completely satisfied.
That's when Hugo finally set his empty ramen bowl down and stretched his arms.
"Alright," he said casually. "It's getting late."
Stella raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Hugo stood up, grabbing his coat. "Tournament continues tomorrow. We should head back to the inn."
Ethan groaned, slouching in his seat. "Aww, but there's still more food."
Lena crossed her arms. "You've eaten enough for two people."
"Yeah, but it's free."
Stella rolled her eyes but stood up. "Fine. Let's go."
Lena followed, nudging Ethan until he reluctantly got up.
As they made their way toward the exit, Darius leaned back in his chair.
"Better get some good rest, old man," he called out. "Wouldn't want you to be slow in the finals."
Hugo didn't even glance back.
He raised a hand in a lazy wave.
"I'll be fine," he said simply. "You should worry about yourself."
Darius clicked his tongue as Hugo's group walked out of the VIP lounge.
The finals were set.
And tomorrow—the real battle would begin.
The inn was silent.
The moonlight filtered through the window, casting a faint glow over the wooden floors. The only sounds were the distant rustling of leaves outside and the soft, steady breathing of Lena, Ethan, and the others, fast asleep in their rooms.
But Hugo was still awake.
He sat near the window, arms resting on the table in front of him, gaze lost in the night sky. His expression was unreadable, but the slight tension in his jaw betrayed his thoughts.
A quiet set of footsteps approached him.
"Can't sleep?"
Hugo didn't turn. He already knew who it was.
Stella.
She pulled out a chair across from him, studying him carefully.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—Stella sighed.
"Earlier," she started, resting her elbows on the table. "When we asked about Solstice… you had the same reaction as before."
Hugo finally looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Before?"
Stella nodded. "Back in Oakwood. When that little girl thanked you for saving her."
A flicker of something crossed Hugo's expression—something he quickly buried.
Stella didn't look away. "You froze. Just like you did today."
A long silence stretched between them.
Hugo leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose.
"…You notice too much."
Stella smirked, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah. And you dodge questions too much."
Hugo didn't deny it.
The room fell into quiet again.
Outside, the wind whispered through the trees.
And for once—Hugo wasn't sure if he had an answer to give.
Hugo stared at Stella for a long moment.
The weight of her words lingered in the air.
He could dodge the question. Like always.
He could change the subject, pretend it didn't matter.
But it did.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, they weren't distant anymore.
They were resolute.
"…Wake up Lena and her brother."
Stella blinked. "What?"
Hugo leaned forward slightly, his voice steady.
"It's time to tell you the truth."
She felt the weight in his tone. The heaviness of something long buried.
Something that had remained in the shadows of history.
Hugo stood up, his gaze unwavering.
"It's time you knew… what really happened during the Eclipse War."
Stella hesitated for a moment, searching Hugo's face.
But there was no hesitation in his eyes.
Whatever he was about to say—it wasn't something he had planned on telling them.
With a silent nod, she stood up and left the room.
A few minutes later, Lena and Ethan stumbled in, groggy but clearly sensing the weight in the air.
Lena crossed her arms, still half-awake. "What's going on?"
Ethan rubbed his eyes. "Did something happen?"
Hugo didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned toward the window, looking out into the night.
Then, without turning back, he spoke.
"The Eclipse War… it wasn't what history says it was."
Lena's eyes narrowed slightly.
Ethan tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Hugo finally turned, his expression unreadable.
"Sit down," he said. "Because if I start telling this story… I'm not holding anything back."