Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: War crime Chapter 64: War crime The moment Miss Brooks left the room, the silence in the classroom shattered like glass.

“What do you think he did?” one student whispered loudly, their voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and fear.

“I heard Albright only deals with serious cases,” another chimed in.

“Maybe Noah was involved in something…

illegal?” “That’s ridiculous,” Lila snapped, her voice sharper than usual.

“Noah’s not like that.” Cora nodded hesitantly.

“But why else would they come for him like that?

They looked so…

determined.” Kelvin, meanwhile, didn’t engage in the speculation.

He stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder and grabbing Noah’s blazer from the back of the chair.

His expression was unreadable, but his movements were purposeful as he quickly packed up his things.

“Kelvin, where are you going?” Lila asked, her tone laced with worry.

“Where do you think?” Kelvin replied curtly, not even sparing her a glance.

“I’m going to find out what’s going on.” “But-” Cora started, but Kelvin had already exited the classroom, the door swinging shut behind him.

The murmurs in the room grew louder as he left, but Kelvin blocked it out.

He stalked down the hall, his grip on the blazer tightening with every step.

His mind raced as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

Arrested?

By Albright’s orders?

None of it made sense.

‘Noah wouldn’t just get himself into trouble,’ Kelvin thought.

‘There’s got to be more to this.’ Kelvin’s pace quickened as he approached the main corridor, determined to track down Noah-or at least someone who could tell him where they had taken him.

— Back in the classroom, the tension was still thick.

“I can’t believe Kelvin just left,” Lila muttered, crossing her arms.

“Does he think he can just fix this on his own?” Cora glanced at her friend and then at the empty spot where Noah usually sat.

“He and Noah are close.

Maybe he knows something we don’t.” Lila frowned, tapping her fingers on her desk.

Her heart was pounding, and her mind raced with every possible worst-case scenario.

She couldn’t just sit there doing nothing.

“I’m going after him,” she announced, grabbing her bag and heading toward the door.

“Wait, what?” Cora’s voice stopped her just as she reached the threshold.

Lila turned to face her, her usually bright green eyes clouded with worry.

“I can’t just sit here, Cora.

Something’s wrong.

Really wrong.

They just dragged Noah out of here like he was some criminal.” “And what exactly are you going to do about it?” Cora asked, her tone calm but skeptical.

“Storm into wherever they’ve taken him and demand answers?

This is Albright we’re talking about, Lila.

You’d just get yourself in trouble, too.” Lila hesitated for a moment, gripping the doorframe tightly.

“I don’t care.

Noah-he wouldn’t just get arrested for no reason.

If no one’s going to find out what’s happening, I will.” Cora sighed and leaned back in her chair, arms crossed.

She wasn’t the type to throw herself into situations like this, but something about the desperation in Lila’s voice gave her pause.

She had woken up to Lila’s worried face in the medbay after Cannadah.

That small moment of kindness had stuck with her, even if she hadn’t said much about it.

“You’re going to get yourself in over your head,” Cora muttered, standing up and grabbing her own things.

Lila frowned.

“What are you doing?” “Helping you, obviously,” Cora said flatly.

“Not because I think this is a great idea, but because you’ll probably get yourself suspended-or worse-without backup.

And I owe you one, anyway.” Lila blinked, surprised by the admission.

“You don’t-” “Don’t argue with me,” Cora interrupted.

“Let’s just get moving before Miss Brooks comes back and locks us in here.” A small, grateful smile tugged at the corner of Lila’s lips.

“Thanks, Cora.” “Yeah, yeah,” Cora muttered, brushing past her toward the hallway.

“Let’s find out where they took him before I change my mind.” The two slipped out of the classroom, moving quickly but cautiously down the corridor.

Lila’s heart raced as she thought about Noah-where he was, what he might be going through-and a steely determination settled over her.

Cora, on the other hand, kept her focus on the task at hand, her sharp eyes scanning for anyone who might stop them.

She wasn’t sure why she was doing this, but something about the bond they’d begun to form since Cannadah made it impossible for her to ignore Lila’s distress.

They didn’t have a plan yet, but one thing was clear: they weren’t going to let Noah face this alone.

—- Meanwhile, — Noah’s mind raced as the soldiers marched him through the academy’s corridors.

The steady clink of their boots echoed around him, drowning out any attempts to focus his thoughts.

He tried piecing together what could have led to this, but nothing added up.

When he heard Albright had ordered his arrest, Noah expected to be dragged into some dark office or holding cell, the kind of place where secrets were kept and confessions extracted.

Yet, as they descended a familiar flight of stairs and turned into a broad hallway with gleaming white tiles, his confusion deepened.

The testing center.

Noah’s eyes narrowed as the realization hit.

It was the very place he and the rest of the Year 1 students had been brought to during their entrance examinations a month ago.

He remembered it all too well: the sterile smell of the facility, the faint hum of machinery, and the nerves that had hung heavy in the air as students showcased their abilities for the first time.

‘What the hell are we doing here?’ The lead soldier stopped at a reinforced door with an imposing metal frame.

He swiped a card through the scanner, and the door slid open with a soft hiss.

The soldiers flanked Noah, silently urging him forward.

As Noah stepped inside, the room’s familiar yet unsettling layout greeted him.

Rows of advanced machines lined the walls, glowing faintly with energy.

A raised platform sat in the center, surrounded by an array of sensors and monitors.

The testing pod.

“Why here?” Noah muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible.

No one answered.

Instead, the lead soldier motioned to the platform.

“Stand there,” he ordered curtly.

Noah hesitated.

“You’re not going to tell me what this is about?” The soldier’s expression didn’t waver.

“Stand there.” Clenching his fists, Noah walked to the platform, his boots clicking against the metal surface.

The air around him felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if the room itself were alive and watching him.

The soldiers took positions along the walls, their hands resting on their weapons.

Noah felt like a rat in a cage.

Before he could demand an explanation, a voice crackled through the room’s speakers.

“Thank you for bringing him here.” The side door slid open, and Commander Albright stepped in.

His broad shoulders and sharp uniform made him look as imposing as ever.

His silver hair glinted under the bright lights, and his piercing gaze immediately landed on Noah.

“Commander,” Noah said carefully, keeping his tone measured.

“What’s this about?” Albright stopped a few feet from the platform, clasping his hands behind his back.

“You’re going to be retested.” “Retested?” Noah’s stomach churned, though he did his best to keep his voice steady.

“For what?” “For your abilities,” Albright said, his tone clipped and cold.

“Your records don’t align with what we witnessed on Cannadah.

We’ve identified discrepancies that require immediate clarification.” Noah’s throat tightened.

He swallowed hard, trying to play dumb.

“I’m not sure what you mean by discrepancies, sir.

I did what I had to do to survive.

Isn’t that the point of sending us out there?” Albright’s piercing gaze seemed to weigh Noah down, making the air in the room feel heavier.

He took a step closer to the platform, his voice cold and measured.

“Intelligence suggests you’ve been withholding your true potential, Eclipse,” he said, his words cutting like a blade.

“If, by the end of this test, that turns out to be true…” Noah clenched his fists, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as Albright continued, his tone hardening.

“…then you will have knowingly committed a war crime.

You know what that means.” The weight of those words hit Noah like a sledgehammer.

His stomach sank, and his breathing quickened ever so slightly.

“I-I haven’t withheld anything, sir,” Noah stammered, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Everything I did was instinct, just survival.” Albright’s expression remained unreadable, his silence more intimidating than any retort.

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” he finally said, his tone icy.

“Step onto the platform and prove it.” Noah’s legs felt like lead as he forced himself forward.

Each step toward the center of the platform felt like walking into a trap, and the hum of the machinery around him only amplified the dread clawing at his chest.

“Begin the test,” Albright ordered, his voice ringing out with finality.