It was hard for them to believe that Noah was calling them to reward them when they had done nothing so far to deserve it.

Was this about deciding whether they deserved to stay, whether they would be changed, punished, or removed before they became a liability?

Her breathing almost stuttered.

Noah noticed the difference in their reactions right away.

"What exactly are the two of you thinking about?" he asked flatly.

Then his gaze shifted more directly toward Alexandria.

"Listen to me first before thinking about things you don’t need to."

Her stiffened fur slowly softened as embarrassment and relief mixed inside her. Her gaze instinctively drifted toward Ailetta, who stood nearby with that same amused fascination she always seemed to carry when looking at Alexandria.

That gaze used to terrify her. Now, somehow, it helped.

Ailetta’s smile made the situation feel less like judgment and more like something she was simply waiting to see transpire.

"As I was saying," Noah continued.

He took a few steps closer.

Dog didn’t move, but Alexandria nearly stepped back before forcing her paws to remain in place.

"Dog has already witnessed this himself." Noah’s eyes settled on Alexandria. "But you have yet to see how much my blood has changed."

His gaze shifted behind them toward the cats and dogs watching anxiously from afar.

"I’m unsure how my blood will affect your kind anymore."

The atmosphere immediately grew heavier.

"It could make you stronger. There is a chance your appearances could change..."

Alexandria’s ears twitched. Dog remained still, though his eyes glistened even more in anticipation.

"Or," Noah continued, "it could cause you to lose your sense of self altogether."

Both of them stiffened.

Noah spoke loud enough for the beasts in the distance to hear. Their side grew even quieter as a result.

Noah watched their reactions without interrupting them.

Then he continued.

"Or nothing could happen at all."

The tension eased slightly, though not enough to truly disappear.

"I could test it on a random creature," Noah said. "But the result wouldn’t be concrete. Any creature I pick wouldn’t already have my blood flowing through it, so it wouldn’t give me the answer I actually need."

Alexandria hesitated. Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to speak anyway.

"So... you want to experiment on us?"

The question sounded small, but everyone close enough could hear the betrayal in her tone.

Were they test subjects? Were they only valuable because Noah needed answers?

Had everything they had done, everything they had tried to become, reduced them to creatures he could use to satisfy curiosity?

Noah shook his head.

"That’s why I’m giving you a choice."

"You don’t have to agree. If you refuse, nothing will happen to you. I won’t punish you. I won’t treat your groups differently. This is not an order."

Alexandria stared at Noah, trying to understand whether he truly meant that.

"But regardless of what happens, if this works, if it fails, or even if the worst case comes true, I’ll still give your kind the opportunity to become like us."

The words struck both of them deeply.

Dog’s tail stopped moving entirely.

Even though he was part of Fenrir’s pack, he understood the difference between himself and those like Dummy and Baka. He had grown stronger, but becoming a Fallen was something else entirely.

The difference was like night and day.

Alexandria’s pupils shrank. For a moment, her insecurities vanished.

She imagined her followers standing taller again. She imagined the defeated looks disappearing from their eyes.

She imagined them no longer glancing at the dogs with quiet envy, no longer wondering whether Noah had forgotten them, no longer questioning whether their pride had become nothing more than empty arrogance.

Then Dobby’s words surfaced in her mind.

Sometimes storms did not come only to destroy.

Their time had truly come.

"I agree."

The answer escaped her mouth before Dog could even speak. For the first time since they arrived, Dog looked genuinely surprised.

Alexandria did not look at him. Her eyes remained on Noah.

Her body still carried tension, but it was no longer fear controlling her. It was resolve.

Inwardly, Noah smiled.

He preferred dealing with those who understood the value of power.

Sometimes, risk was necessary to obtain what you wanted. Creatures who understood that were far easier to guide than those who wanted strength without consequence.

Dog let out a low growl. It was not directed at Alexandria. It was directed at himself for hesitating.

"I agree too," Dog said.

Noah nodded with satisfaction.

Truthfully, he was probably more eager to test the results than either of them was. He simply couldn’t let that show too openly.

"Before we begin," Noah said, looking between them, "you can decide who will test it first."

Dog immediately turned toward Alexandria, clearly intending to discuss it with her first.

But before he could fully face her, Alexandria spoke.

"Let me do it."

Alexandria could feel the weight of everyone’s attention on her back, but she did not turn around.

If she looked at her followers now, she might hesitate.

So she kept her gaze forward.

"I should be the one. Dog is no longer like the rest of us. His body has already grown significantly stronger. If he goes first, then we won’t know whether the result is because of what changed in your blood or because his body was already prepared for it."

Alexandria’s claws pressed into the ground.

"Even if the results worked for him, it wouldn’t tell us whether the rest of us could endure it."

"And if the risk is losing oneself, then I should be the one to take it."

A faint tremor passed through the felines watching from afar.

"I am their leader; if I am too afraid to take the first step, then I have no right to ask them to follow me later."

From behind them, several felines stared at Alexandria with widened eyes.

Pride, fear, hope, all of it mixed together.

Dobby’s cloudy eyes remained fixed on Alexandria’s back. His smile deepened faintly.

Noah studied Alexandria for a long moment.

He could see the fear still there. Her body was too honest for that. Her fur, her breathing, everything betrayed her anxiety.

But she was standing there anyway.

Dog eventually looked away from Alexandria and faced Noah again.

"I’ll go after her." He wasn’t as wordy as Alexandria, but he was filled with the same sense of duty for those he was responsible for.

Noah gave a small nod.

"Then we’ll start with Alexandria."

At that moment, the felines straightened one by one. Some looked terrified. Others looked inspired. A few looked as though they wanted to call out to Alexandria but restrained themselves because they understood what this moment meant.

Their leader was risking herself for them.

And whether the result was strength, failure, or something far worse, none of them could ever question her leadership.

Noah stepped closer, and this time, Alexandria didn’t flinch.

Noah lowered himself slightly so his gaze was closer to Alexandria’s level.

"I’ll say this once more," he said. "You can still refuse."

Alexandria met his eyes.

For a brief moment, she thought of the version of herself that would have refused without hesitation.

The proud cat who wanted autonomy more than anything else. The one who would have hated the idea of letting someone else’s influence decide her future.

That version of her still existed. But it was no longer the only part of her.

She had responsibilities. A place she wanted them to belong to. And if belonging required strength, then she would obtain it.

"No," her voice was quiet whilst she forcibly shook her head in denial. "I won’t refuse."

Noah stared at her for another moment. Then his lips curved faintly.

"Good."

The single word caused Alexandria’s heart to jolt.

Not because it was affectionate, or because it was comforting.

But because, for the first time since being in his presence, she felt as though Noah truly saw her as an individual instead of just another cat.

Her gaze followed him as he stood up.

A tendril extended from his body, stretching towards her before it lingered right over her head.

This wasn’t the first time she had received his blood. So seeing it hover over her, she knew what she needed to do.

She hesitated only for a moment before she tilted her head back.

"Oh, I forgot to mention." His voice snapped Alexandria out of her thoughts. Her head shifted back down to look at him.

"We are doing two tests, the fir- Don’t look at me like that."

Alexandria’s ears flattened. Alexandria suddenly wasn’t sure whether she should feel reassured or concerned anymore.

Noah ignored the looks directed at him and continued calmly.

"The first test is my blood without being infused with mana." Noah’s gaze remained fixed on her. "If your body can’t even endure that much, then there’s no point continuing further."

The atmosphere immediately became heavier.

Alexandria stared at the tendril hovering above her head before narrowing her eyes slightly.

"And the second test is naturally with mana infused into it." He then turned to Ailetta.

"Le, can I ask you to keep a watch on them?" He gestured to the cats and dogs.

"You can count on me."

Noah gave a small nod before his attention returned to Alexandria.

"Try not to resist it too much," he said calmly. "Your body will adapt faster if your instincts stop fighting the change."

That did not reassure her in the slightest.