[center][h1][B][COLOR=#4876FF]N[COLOR=#A9ACB6]oelle[/COLOR][/COLOR] [COLOR=#4876FF]N[COLOR=#A9ACB6]ichi[/COLOR][/COLOR][/B][/h1]
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[@moonberry][@DoubleChecker]
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It was eerily quiet in the back corridor of the pavilion. When Noelle peeked just around the corner, the hall was completely empty save for the masked man. That was not right. She knew he had entered with another contestant. Where was he? Noelle didn’t have much chance to wonder as the masked man's voice was heard from the corridor. The sound of the man’s voice froze Noelle in place. She could only look, trembling in fear as the man walked by. His words hit deep. Crumbling the already fragile pride that the girl had. Was he right? Was she holding herself back? But what could she do? She really felt like she gave it her all every single time. How could she do even better?

 [COLOR=#B23AEE][I]"S̴t̸o̴p̷ ̴i̶g̷n̵o̷r̶i̴n̴g̸ ̷m̴e̷"[/I][/COLOR] The voice in her head brought Noelle back to her senses. [COLOR=#B23AEE][I]"Y̴o̸u̸ ̴t̷h̷i̶n̸k̷ ̶t̷h̵a̵t̴ ̷l̸i̸t̴t̵l̵e̷ ̶s̶t̶u̷n̸t̸ ̵o̷f̴ ̵y̶o̸u̶r̸s̶ ̵w̴i̶t̶h̴ ̷t̷h̷a̴t̸ ̴w̶i̴t̴c̶h̸ ̶w̷o̴u̷l̷d̷ ̸g̸e̵t̸ ̴r̸i̷d̵ ̵o̶f̴ ̶m̴e̸,̴ ̶e̸h̴?̸ ̸D̶o̴e̸s̶n̵'̷t̷ ̴w̷o̴r̷k̷ ̶t̶h̶a̸t̷ ̸w̵a̶y̶,̴ ̶d̵a̴r̸l̷i̴n̶g̶.̸"[/I][/COLOR] 
[COLOR=#B23AEE][I]"*sigh* B̶u̶t̸ ̶I̷ ̸w̸i̴l̷l̴ ̵a̴d̶m̵i̴t̴ ̵i̶t̶ ̸h̵a̵s̵ ̵m̷a̸d̶e̶ ̴i̶t̶ ̷q̷u̵i̴t̸e̶ ̵a̵ ̶b̷i̷t̷ ̶m̷o̸r̶e̶ ̷d̵i̶f̶f̸i̵c̵u̷l̸t̴ ̶t̷o̵ ̴t̵r̵y̶ ̴a̸n̴d̸ ̸c̵l̸a̴i̷m̸ ̷w̸h̴a̸t̴ ̵i̷s̶ ̶m̵i̵n̴e̸.̷.̸.̵ ̶u̷n̷t̵i̶l̸ ̴y̶o̸u̵ ̵a̶c̸c̶e̵p̶t̵ ̷m̷e̸n̸d̵i̸n̶g̶ ̴o̸f̷ ̴t̵h̶a̵t̶ ̸s̵c̷a̶r̸ ̴y̶o̶u̶ ̷p̶l̷a̸c̴e̵d̶ ̴o̵n̴ ̷y̴o̶u̸r̴ ̷m̶i̶n̸d̴ ̸t̵h̴a̷t̷ ̸i̵s̶.̷.̶.̷ ̷N̸o̴n̴e̵t̴h̷e̷l̷e̵s̸s̷,̴ ̵i̶t̷'̷s̴ ̴n̵o̸t̵h̷i̸n̴g̷ ̷m̶o̵r̴e̵ ̷t̴h̷a̸n̶ ̸a̶ ̸t̷e̸m̸p̴o̷r̷a̶r̸y̶ ̸s̴e̴t̸b̸a̴c̸k̷ ̸i̷n̷ ̶t̶h̶e̵ ̸e̷n̷d̸.̸"[/I][/COLOR] Noelle’s fear vanished and was now replaced with another dread [color=#4876FF][i]"Can you please shut up. This is bad already to have you making it worse"[/i][/COLOR][COLOR=#B23AEE][I]"T̶h̴a̶t̶ ̵i̸s̴ ̶n̵o̷t̸h̵i̴n̵g̵ ̴l̶i̷k̴e̶ ̸y̷o̸u̷.̴ ̸W̸e̷r̶e̸n̵'̵t̵ ̷y̵o̷u̵ ̵t̴h̶e̵ ̴o̸n̶e̷ ̵w̷h̶o̶ ̷t̸o̸l̴d̷ ̶B̶l̸o̵n̴d̷i̴e̴ ̴s̷h̷e̴ ̸s̵h̶o̸u̴l̵d̴ ̵n̷o̶t̴ ̷h̷e̴e̸d̸ ̵a̷n̴y̴t̴h̷i̶n̶g̴ ̸t̸h̴o̴s̵e̴ ̶j̵u̵d̷g̶e̶s̵ ̴s̷a̸i̸d̵?̸ ̵Y̷e̴t̴,̴ ̶y̷o̶u̷ ̵l̷e̶t̵ ̵t̷h̴e̷ ̵w̸o̶r̸d̷s̸ ̵o̷f̶ ̸t̷h̵a̵t̵ ̶g̷o̴l̷d̷f̸a̶c̸e̶d̸ ̴c̷r̵e̵e̷p̴ ̷g̷e̴t̷ ̸t̵o̸ ̸y̸o̴u̶?̸"[/I][/COLOR]
Noelle fell silent. The voice was right. She couldn’t let words get to her head. [COLOR=#B23AEE][I]"I̶'̴m̶ ̵n̴o̸t̸ ̵d̸o̵i̷n̸g̴ ̴t̷h̵i̴s̴ ̵b̶e̴c̴a̸u̴s̴e̵ ̴I̴ ̷l̷i̴k̶e̸ ̶y̸o̸u̸ ̵o̵r̷ ̵s̸o̸m̵e̷t̵h̴i̶n̸g̷.̷ ̴I̶ ̶j̸u̶s̵t̶ ̴d̵o̵n̶'̴t̶ ̸w̷a̶n̵t̸ ̴y̷o̸u̷ ̶t̸o̴ ̸d̸a̴m̸a̷g̶e̷ ̵o̷u̸r̶ ̷p̶r̴e̶t̵t̴y̷ ̸l̴i̸t̵t̷l̷e̷ ̴f̴a̸c̵e̷ ̵b̸e̸f̵o̴r̸e̴ ̸I̷ ̸c̷a̴n̶ ̴t̵a̵k̸e̵ ̵i̶t̶.̷.̸.̶ ̵B̵u̶t̶ ̶I̴ ̷w̷i̶l̸l̶ ̵w̸a̷r̸n̷ ̶y̷o̶u̵.̸ ̸I̶f̵ ̷y̷o̷u̷ ̴d̸a̵r̸e̶ ̴t̷o̶ ̸l̴o̵s̴e̸ ̶h̵o̸p̴e̵ ̶o̸n̵e̴ ̴m̵o̶r̶e̵ ̴t̴i̶m̶e̸,̵ ̸I̴ ̶W̴I̴L̷L̷ ̶t̴a̸k̴e̷ ̴o̶v̶e̸r̷ ̴t̷h̶e̶ ̷r̶e̶i̶n̸s̶.̷ ̵T̴h̷a̷t̶ ̶s̶c̷a̶r̴ ̵m̵i̷g̸h̵t̵ ̷m̸a̵k̵e̴ ̵i̶t̵ ̴h̷a̶r̴d̸e̴r̵.̸ ̷B̷u̷t̸ ̴i̴f̷ ̴y̸o̶u̷ ̷a̷r̵e̶ ̴t̶o̵o̶ ̶w̷e̴a̵k̵ ̵t̷o̸ ̷r̴e̷s̵i̵s̷t̸.̵ ̵I̴t̴ ̶m̴i̵g̸h̶t̸ ̵b̷e̴ ̷l̵i̷k̸e̶ ̸i̸t̸ ̴i̷s̶n̵'̴t̴ ̴t̶h̶e̷r̵e̶ ̸a̸t̴ ̶a̷l̵l̵.̶.̷.̶ ̵K̴e̷e̴p̵.̸ ̸T̸h̷a̵t̸.̴ ̴I̵n̷.̸ ̷M̵i̷n̶d̵.̶.̵.̵"[/I][/COLOR] As the voice issued its warning Noelle gulped. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she felt in her mind the voice softly caressing her cheek.

 A chime rang through the pavilion, announcing that the names of those who passed the first round were about to be announced. Looked at the screen, still holding the magic beast in her arms as the names appeared one by one. Deep inside, Noelle prayed her name not to appear on the screen. If she were eliminated from the competition, she would have no reason to stay here. She could then just leave. Run away and not look back. But that fortune was not bestowed on her. She already feared that to begin with. Her performance was just too good not to have passed. As more names appeared, Noelle noticed a reaction from the mana beast, seeing the names. Noelle realised that meant that the girl was also through to the second round. She looked at the names, seeing if she could figure out the name of the girl. But there was none that she could directly link. Although the name Belmonte sounded familiar. But she can’t put it exactly where. 

 The attendant spoke to announce some information about the second round. Although the attendant sounded a bit confused with the word “Versatility”. Noelle prepared herself to go to the eastern wing for the performance competition when the message of the “Cross-disciplinary interactions will be required” appeared on the screen. Noelle was initially confused about what was meant by that. With the elaboration of the attendant and her encounter with the masked judge earlier, Noelle felt a sense of dread with the words. And by the reaction of the mana beast, she was not the only one. [COLOR=#4876FF][B]"This is not going to require me to sing a song and make an act out of baking a cake, isn’t it?"[/B][/COLOR] She said, troubled. She let out a deep breath and petted the mana beast's head. [COLOR=#4876FF][B]"We need to find her. Before anything bad can happen to her"[/B][/COLOR] She said to the mana beast in her arms as she started to walk towards the eastern hall, looking to see if she could find Aedrianna before the competition started again. If the mana beast wanted to jump out of her arms, she would let it.