The evening settled in, the air cooler now as the tournant's selection first day wrapped up.
Sophie had co out with a draw in her match. One point. She was clearly devastated, even if she tried not to show it.
But Noah? He didn't see it as a loss. Her opponent had been well-rounded, skilled. Pushing that fight to a draw was a win in itself. If anything, Sophie had earned more respect.
She stood near him, her arms crossed, staring at nothing in particular.
Noah didn't hesitate. He pulled her into a hug. "You gave it your all."
She didn't respond at first, but after a second, he felt her exhale against his chest.
Lucas, of course, had done what Lucas does. Absolutely decimated his opponent. Not that he cared to talk about it. To him, it was like every other Tuesday. Business as usual.
Now, it was just Noah and Sophie, walking toward where she'd parked her Clexus, the sleek hovering car humming faintly in its idle state.
They stopped just beside it. Sophie still looked down.
Noah leaned against the car, folding his arms. "This still about the match?"
She hesitated. Just for a second. Then, she shook her head. "No. It's… not that."
Her voice was quieter now, uncertain.
"Then what is it?"
She took a breath, then looked at him. "I just—do you think we'll ever be the sa? Now that you know about my ability?"
Noah's brows lifted slightly. He knew what she ant.
They had already fought about it. Her luck ability. The one that made things—events—happen in or against her favor. The sa ability that, for a mont, made him question whether they even t naturally.
And yet…
Noah let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "It was… a lot to learn. A lot to swallow." He glanced at her. "But we'll be fine. We'll cope just fine."
Sophie's expression softened, but the tension in her shoulders hadn't quite left.
Noah rubbed the back of his neck, a little awkward now. "And, uh… thanks. For the phone. The one you gifted ."
Sophie blinked, then let out a small laugh. "That's what you're thinking about right now? It's no big deal,"
Noah smirked. "Kelvin thinks otherwise after explaining the specs to ."
At that, Sophie laughed for real this ti. "Kelvin could get married to a motherboard and it wouldn't be surprising."
That made Noah grin.
She tilted her head, looking at him curiously. "So… what are you doing tonight?"
Noah thought about it. He didn't actually have any plans. "Why?"
She shrugged, glancing to the side. "Was wondering if you wanted to co over."
Noah's smirk returned. "Sure."
She unlocked the Clexus, and they both got in.
With a smooth hum, the car lifted off the ground and drove into the night.
___
Sophie's high-end apartnt sat nestled within the towering skyline, its sleek interior bathed in warm ambient lighting. The mont they stepped inside, Noah imdiately noted the contrast between the luxurious space and the exhaustion in Sophie's posture.
She barely said a word as she gestured toward the center of the living space. "Sit on the table."
Noah raised a brow at the odd request but complied, hopping up onto the smooth surface, feet dangling off the edge. "Yes, ma'am."
Sophie disappeared into the kitchen for a mont, then returned with a drink, setting it beside him. "Here."
Noah took it with a nod, watching as she remained standing in front of him, arms loosely crossed. There was sothing on her mind. He could tell.
And then, after a brief pause, she said it.
"I've been thinking."
Noah took a sip of his drink before setting it down. "Yeah? About what?"
She exhaled, glancing away for a mont, as if gathering her words. Then she t his gaze. "This. Being a soldier. Fighting Harbingers. You know… being at the front lines."
Her voice wasn't as firm as usual. There was hesitation in it, uncertainty.
"And?" Noah prompted. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire
"I don't know."
That surprised him.
Sophie had always been sharp, focused. She rarely second-guessed herself.
She let out another slow breath before continuing. "It's not because I'm the Minister of Defense's daughter. It's not about my family's expectations or anything like that. It's just…"
Her fingers curled slightly against her arms.
"At any mont, I could die."
Noah didn't respond imdiately. He just… let her words hang in the air.
"I know how it sounds," she added quickly. "It's cowardly, right? I signed up for this, I trained for this, and now I'm questioning it?"
Noah shook his head. "It's not cowardly."
She gave him a doubtful look.
Noah leaned back slightly, his hands resting on the table's surface. "It's realistic."
He understood where she was coming from. Her ability—luck. It made things happen around her, for better or worse. But even with an ability like that, there was always a breaking point.
One bad day. One unlucky mont. And she could be fucked.
Really fucked.
Noah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I get it. And the fact that your ability sses with probability? That ans it's not just about you."
Sophie nodded, gripping her arm. "Right. If I'm in a squad, I could affect them too. What if sothing happens because of ? What if soone dies because my ability screwed with the odds?"
She was in her third year, already approaching deploynt. If she wanted out, this was her last real chance to make that decision.
"So what do you want to do?" Noah asked.
She hesitated.
That was the thing, wasn't it?
Sophie could have her father pull strings, place her in a safer role—but was that what she wanted? Or was she afraid of making that choice and living with it?
Noah tapped his fingers against the table. "You trained for this. You worked your ass off. But that doesn't an you have to stay in it just because it's 'the plan.'"**
Sophie exhaled, rubbing her face. "I know. It's just… I don't know."
Noah studied her quietly for a mont before speaking again. "Then don't rush the answer."
Sophie blinked.
"You're not being deployed tomorrow. You've got ti. Think about it. And when you figure it out—when you're sure—then make the call."**
She let those words settle, then slowly nodded.
"Yeah. You're right."
For now, that was enough.
Sophie let out a slow breath, then, as if sothing in her finally eased, she smiled. It wasn't forced, wasn't weighed down by uncertainty—it was just her.
Without another word, she stepped forward, closing the space between them. Her arms wrapped around his waist as he remained seated on the table, her warmth pressing into him.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Noah let out a small, breathy chuckle. "I probably sll like hell right now."
Sophie smirked and tilted her head up at him, that familiar devilish glint in her eyes. "I like the view just like this."
Before he could respond, she reached up, fingers gently curling around the back of his neck, drawing his head down toward hers.
Her gaze locked onto his, her voice softer but filled with sothing real. "I'm lucky to have you, Noah Eclipse."
Noah huffed a quiet laugh. "Luck, huh?"
Then, before the word could linger between them, their lips t.
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