Chapter 5

The weight of their words pressed into Noah like an invisible force.

*“And what if we don’t let you bear it alone?”*

The six men surrounded him with an intensity that sent his pulse racing. They—his supposed enemies—were offering help. Protection. Something he didn’t deserve.

[They don’t understand. The system doesn’t care about their sympathy. If they interfere, it’ll—]

A deafening *crack* split the air.

Before Noah could react, a searing bolt of lightning slammed into his chest. His body convulsed as raw pain tore through him, his limbs spasming uncontrollably. A strangled scream ripped from his throat as he crashed onto the marble floor, his vision whiting out.

**System Alert: Unacceptable Interference Detected.**

Another bolt struck him. Agony exploded in his nerves, every inch of him set ablaze from the inside out. His fingernails scraped against the cold ground as he writhed, gasping for air.

Blood spilled from his lips.

The dining hall erupted into chaos.

“Noah!” Lucian lunged forward, but a third lightning strike sent him skidding back, his sword clattering uselessly to the ground.

Veyron’s magic surged instinctively, dark tendrils reaching toward Noah—only for another surge of lightning to lash out, sending the sorcerer crashing into the wall.

Soren tried to move, but an unseen force froze him in place. “What the hell is this?” His voice was raw with fury.

A screen materialized above Noah’s trembling body, the crimson text burning into the air like a death sentence.

**System Alert: Any attempt to protect the Host is strictly forbidden.**

**Punishment: Administered.**

Noah’s chest heaved as he struggled to lift himself onto his elbows. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body screaming in protest. Blood dripped from his mouth onto the marble floor, dark and glistening. The metallic taste coated his tongue, bitter and suffocating.

[It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.]

He felt like he was dying.

No, worse—*he wasn’t allowed to die.*

The system wouldn’t let him escape that easily.

**New Directive: The Host must embody the villainous role perfectly.**

Another wave of pain lanced through his skull, making him clench his teeth hard enough to nearly crack them.

**Failure to maintain character will result in further disciplinary actions.**

The words flickered ominously before fading, leaving only the suffocating silence of the room. The system had given its warning.

It would not be kind again.

For a long moment, no one spoke. The six men who had once been poised with unreadable intensity now stood frozen, staring at him with something far worse—*horror.*

Lucian’s hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles white. “This—this is torture.”

Caius’ lips pressed into a thin line, his normally calculating gaze clouded with something close to anger. “This is control.”

Ezra’s fingers twitched against his cane, his expression eerily calm. Too calm. “And we are powerless against it.”

Noah swallowed thickly, forcing himself upright despite the agony radiating through his limbs. His fingers trembled as he wiped the blood from his chin, his smirk weak but still intact.

“Pathetic.” His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper, yet it carried through the suffocating air. “Is this all it takes to break you?”

Soren’s jaw tightened. “Noah—”

“*It’s Ravenn.*” He cut him off coldly, his crimson eyes flickering with false malice. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking I need your pity.”

Damien, who had remained silent the entire time, stepped forward. His steel-gray gaze bore into Noah’s, searching for something beneath the mask of cruelty.

“You’re lying,” he murmured.

Noah’s smirk didn’t waver. “And?”

Lucian took a step closer. “You expect us to stand back while you suffer?”

[Yes. If you want to survive, yes.]

Noah scoffed, tilting his head. “I expect you to remember who I am. The villain. The enemy. The one who will take the throne in twenty-four hours.”

A flicker of something dark passed through Lucian’s golden eyes. “Is that what *you* expect?”

Noah didn’t answer.

He turned sharply on his heel, ignoring the way his body protested with every step. His hands were still shaking, his vision blurred at the edges, but he refused to let them see his weakness any longer.

The system’s warning echoed in his mind. **Be the villain. Play the role.**

He had no other choice.

As he reached the doors, he felt their gazes burning into his back. The air was thick with something unspoken, something dangerous.

[This is getting worse. They’re not afraid of me anymore.]

[They’re afraid *for* me.]

The thought was more terrifying than the system’s punishment itself.

Because if they kept trying to save him—

—then they were all going to die.

**Time Remaining: 24 hours, 45 minutes.**

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