The laughter around the bonfire lingered long after the flames had burned low.
Stories turned into quiet conversations.
Conversations faded into comfortable silence.
One by one, the members of Riven’s strange little family drifted off to sleep beneath the calm summer sky.
Riven felt at peace.
He had a home.
People waiting for him.
People who cared whether he returned alive.
He didn’t realize it…
But fate rarely allows peace to last.
Before dawn had fully broken, Riven was already awake.
The first rays of sunlight barely peeked over the mountains as he stood alone in the clearing behind the house.
His feet dug into the earth.
His breathing was slow.
Controlled.
The world around him remained silent except for the rhythmic whistle of his blade cutting through the morning air.
One swing.
Then another.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Thousands of times.
Every strike was nearly identical to the last.
If the angle drifted even slightly…
Raku would notice.
“If your enemy survives because your blade was off by a single degree…”
Raku’s voice echoed from nearby.
“…then every swing before that one was meaningless.”
Riven corrected his stance.
His shoulders lowered.
Another swing.
The sword carved through the air with a sharper whistle.
“Better.”
Raku folded his arms, giving the smallest nod of approval.
“You may become a respectable swordsman yet.”
Riven allowed himself the faintest smile before continuing.
Another hundred swings passed.
Then…
Raku’s expression changed.
The old warrior slowly turned his head toward the distant hills overlooking Thunderwood.
The playful instructor disappeared.
Only the veteran soldier remained.
“…Sire.”
Riven didn’t stop swinging.
“I know.”
His voice remained calm.
“I’ve felt them for a while.”
Far beyond the tree line…
Four figures, three appearing to wear hooded veils to hide their appearance but one was not. they slowly appeared over the crest of the hill.
They weren’t hiding.
They walked openly.
Confidently.
Almost casually.
Like wolves wandering into a pasture.
Raku narrowed his eyes.
His hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his spectral sword.
“One of them…”
His voice became unusually quiet.
“…is a High Chaya.”
That finally made Riven stop.
The sword lowered to his side.
His eyes settled on the approaching strangers.
“I’ve never felt soul pressure like this before.”
Neither had Raku.
“…Do not underestimate him, Sire.”
For the first time since meeting Riven… there was genuine concern in the old knight’s voice.
“If he wished to kill you…”
Raku paused.
“…he will succeed.”
Riven stared silently at the approaching men.
Then he turned toward the house.
“Aelwyn.”
The elderly mage appeared almost instantly from inside.
“Hide the house.”
Without asking questions, Aelwyn immediately understood.
His expression became grave.
He raised his staff.
Ancient runes carved into the walls of Riven’s home began glowing a pale blue.
Wind circled the building.
The barrier awakened.
Then… the entire house shimmered.
Like heat rising from stone.
Moments later… it simply vanished from sight.
Invisible.
Aelwyn looked toward the windows where Vistara, Syanna, and Javon had begun watching.
“Stay inside.”
His tone left no room for argument.
“No matter what happens.”
The four strangers finally reached the clearing.
They stopped only a few yards away.
For several seconds…
Neither side spoke.
The morning breeze drifted between them.
The apparent leader smiled first.
“So…”
His crimson eyes slowly examined Riven from head to toe.
“This is the famous Golden Demon.”
For a brief moment, Riven studied the man in return.
He was tall, standing a full head above him, with the lean, balanced physique of someone who had spent a lifetime mastering combat rather than building muscle.
Every movement was unnaturally smooth, almost graceful, as though he had complete control over every breath and every step he took.
Long black hair rested against his shoulders, swaying gently despite the still morning air.
His pale complexion made the crimson glow of his eyes all the more striking.
They weren’t filled with hatred or anger.
They held only amusement.
His face was almost impossibly handsome, so flawless that it felt unnatural.
High cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and thin lips curled into a lazy smile gave him the appearance of a nobleman rather than a warrior.
Yet that smile carried no warmth.
It was the smile of someone who viewed everything around him as little more than entertainment.
He wore a long black coat embroidered with faint crimson stitching that caught the morning light like threads of blood.
At his side rested a simple black scabbard, its weapon still hidden, though even sheathed it seemed to radiate an unsettling presence that made the hairs on the back of Riven’s neck stand on end.
Nothing about the man appeared threatening.
Yet every instinct Riven possessed screamed the same warning.
Run.
Another man burst into laughter.
“Him?”
He looked almost disappointed.
“This little kid killed Varnis?”
The others chuckled quietly.
“I expected someone…”
“…bigger.”
Riven simply rested his sword against his shoulder.
His face showed no emotion.
“Can I help you?”
His calm voice immediately killed the laughter.
The leader raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“He has a spine.”
He casually stepped forward.
Only one step.
That was all.
A flash of silver exploded between them.
Before anyone could blink…
Raku stood directly in front of the stranger.
His spectral blade rested lightly against the man’s throat.
The clearing became deathly quiet.
“Take…”
Raku’s voice was colder than ice.
“…one more step.”
The blade pressed slightly deeper.
“And your head leaves your shoulders.”
The stranger didn’t even flinch.
Instead… he smiled wider.
“Interesting.”
His eyes shifted toward Raku.
“So the reports were true.”
“A Soulbinder.”
He looked almost delighted.
“And one capable of manifesting his Vanguard physically.”
He slowly raised both hands.
“No need for hostility.”
“I’ve simply come for a duel.”
His grin somehow became even more unsettling.
“I’d like to see whether the Golden Demon deserves his reputation.”
Behind Raku…
Riven stepped forward.
Raku immediately turned.
“Sire.”
His voice was unusually urgent.
“Please.”
“I do not trust this man.”
Neither did Aelwyn.
Standing on the porch, the old mage couldn’t explain why… but every instinct he possessed screamed the same warning.
Run.
Riven looked between the stranger and Raku.
Then slowly lowered his sword.
“It’s alright.”
“If he wants a fair duel…”
“I’ll give him one.”
The stranger chuckled.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
He extended a gloved hand.
“My name…”
The smile disappeared from his face.
“…is Lucifer.”
Silence.
Raku froze.
The color drained from his face.
His sword lowered without him realizing it.
“No…” he whispered.
“…that’s impossible.”
On the porch…
Aelwyn’s staff slipped from his fingers and struck the wooden floor with a dull crack.
His ancient eyes widened in horror.
“It can’t be…”
Inside the house…
Vistara looked toward the old mage.
She had never— not once— seen fear on his face.
Syanna noticed it too.
“Master…” she whispered.
“Who… is Lucifer?”
Aelwyn didn’t answer.
He couldn’t.
His gaze remained locked on the smiling man standing across from Riven.
Memories buried for centuries resurfaced all at once.
Wars.
Kingdoms falling.
Entire armies disappearing.
Legends that should have remained dead.
Outside…
Lucifer merely smiled.
As if he had seen that reaction countless times before.
And somehow…that smile was far more terrifying than any weapon he carried.
“Raku…?”
Riven looked toward the place where the old knight had been standing only moments before.
Empty.
The same was true for Aelwyn.
“Aelwyn!.” yelled Syanna and Vistara as they saw someone who was protecting them just disappear.
Riven looked around frantically for his soldiers that had once been unstoppable now rendered useless.
It was as if they had simply ceased to exist.
The clearing suddenly felt much larger.
Much quieter.
Lucifer let out a pleased sigh and dusted an invisible speck from his sleeve.
“There.”
He smiled.
“Now it’s just the two of us.”
Riven’s grip tightened around his sword.
“What did you do to them?”
“Oh, nothing permanent.”
Lucifer waved a dismissive hand as if he had merely moved a chair out of the way.
“I simply severed your Soulbinder connection for a short while.”
He tilted his head with an innocent smile.
“They’ll return after our duel.”
His crimson eyes narrowed.
“I just didn’t think it would be fair if you cheated.”
Silence.
The words settled heavily over the clearing.
Inside the hidden house, Vistara slammed both hands against the invisible barrier.
“Riven!”
Her voice cracked.
“Run!”
She pounded harder.
Again.
Again.
Nothing.
The concealment barrier swallowed every sound before it could leave the house.
No matter how loudly she screamed…
Riven couldn’t hear a single word.
Syanna stood frozen beside her.
Javon gripped his shield so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Outside…
Riven slowly raised his sword.
The quiet expression he’d worn during battle returned.
His breathing slowed.
Every unnecessary thought disappeared.
Only the enemy remained.
“…Let’s go.”
Lucifer’s grin widened.
It stretched unnaturally across his face.
“Excellent.”
His body vanished.
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
Riven’s instincts screamed.
He barely raised his sword in time.
CLANG!
The impact echoed across the valley.
Riven’s feet immediately tore trenches through the earth as he was launched backward.
His arms shook violently.
The force alone nearly ripped the sword from his hands.
He skidded nearly thirty feet before digging the blade into the ground to stop himself.
Dust filled the air.
Lucifer hadn’t moved.
He still stood exactly where he’d started. New chapters come out on g.com first.
The only difference… was the amused expression on his face.
“Aww…” he sighed dramatically.
“Come now.”
“I’d hate to kill the famous Golden Demon this quickly.”
Riven shot forward without answering.
Steel collided with steel.
The clearing erupted into motion.
One strike.
Two.
Ten.
Twenty.
Their blades became flashes of silver dancing through the morning light.
To an ordinary soldier… they had already become invisible.
Only bursts of sparks revealed where the swords met.
Riven attacked relentlessly.
High.
Low.
Thrust.
Horizontal slash.
Reverse cut.
Everything Raku had drilled into him poured from his body like instinct.
Lucifer blocked every attack.
With one hand.
He yawned.
“Your footwork is decent.”
Clang.
“But you’re too honest.”
Clang.
“I can read every swing.”
Clang.
“You telegraph your shoulders.”
Clang.
“You hesitate.”
Clang.
Riven gritted his teeth.
He attacked faster.
Golden Vyr erupted around his body.
The familiar blue-gold aura surged across his arms.
His speed doubled.
Then tripled.
Lucifer’s smile became wider.
“There you are!”
Lucifer’s Interest in Riven spiked through the roof.
The clearing disappeared beneath exploding shockwaves.
Trees bent under the pressure.
The earth cracked beneath every exchange.
Inside the hidden house, the windows rattled violently.
Vistara watched helplessly as flashes of blue and crimson tore through the forest.
“I can’t even follow them…”
Syanna whispered.
“No…”
Aelwyn’s empty staff still lay on the floor.
Javon swallowed hard.
“I don’t think we’re supposed to.”
Outside…
Riven roared as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.
One.
Two.
Three.
Fifteen.
Thirty.
Fifty.
Every slash came with enough force to split stone.
Lucifer blocked every single one.
Without taking a step.
Without changing his expression.
Finally…
Lucifer flicked his wrist.
Riven’s sword was knocked high into the air.
His chest opened completely.
Lucifer’s fist stopped less than an inch from Riven’s heart.
“So…” he smiled.
“I win.”
Riven froze.
He hadn’t even seen the punch.
Lucifer laughed softly.
“You’ve grown stronger than Varnis.”
He leaned closer.
“But…”
“…you’re nowhere near me.”
He casually backhanded Riven.
The strike sent him crashing through three trees before he rolled across the ground.
Blood spilled from the corner of Riven’s mouth.
He tried to stand.
His legs refused.
Lucifer slowly walked toward him.
Every footstep calm.
Patient.
Like a predator approaching wounded prey.
“I expected more.”
He sighed.
“What a disappointment.”
Suddenly—
The air split apart.
A streak of silver shot between them.
Lucifer’s eyes widened.
SHHK!
Blood sprayed across the clearing.
A deep slash tore across Lucifer’s chest.
His smile disappeared.
He looked like he was let down.
Raku stood between Lucifer and Riven.
His spectral body flickered violently.
Cracks spread across his armor like shattered glass.
His breathing was ragged.
Impossible.
He had forced himself back through a severed Soulbinder connection.
He slowly lowered his sword.
“I…”
He breathed heavily.
“…told you…”
His legs trembled.
“…you…”
He looked back at Riven.
“…would never…”
His voice nearly failed him.
“…fight alone.”
Lucifer stared at the blood dripping from his chest.
Then… he laughed.
Not amused.
Delighted.
“…Marvelous.”
He touched the wound.
“You actually cut me.”
The crimson blood stained his fingertips.
His eyes slowly lifted toward Raku.
“I haven’t bled in centuries.”
His smile returned.
Only this time… there was no warmth in it.
“You’ve earned a reward.”
Lucifer disappeared.
Riven’s eyes widened.
“RAKU!”
By the time Raku turned…
Lucifer’s hand was already against his chest.
There was no swing.
No explosion.
Just a single touch.
The world went silent.
A shockwave erupted across the valley.
The ground caved inward.
Raku’s eyes went wide.
The ancient knight coughed up glowing spiritual blood before being launched across the clearing like a broken arrow.
His spectral body slammed into the mountainside with enough force to shatter stone.
For a moment… nothing moved.
Then Raku’s sword slipped from his fingers.
His body flickered weakly.
Once.
Twice.
Before going completely still.
“RAKU!”
Riven’s scream echoed across the valley.
Lucifer looked toward the unconscious spirit.
“…Now,” he said calmly, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve.
“Shall we continue our duel?”
Riven’s knees struck the ground with a dull thud.
He couldn’t hear the wind anymore.
Couldn’t hear the birds.
Couldn’t even hear his own breathing.
His eyes remained fixed on the mountainside where Raku’s broken body lay motionless among the shattered stone.
No…
His mind refused to accept what it was seeing.
The old knight who had stood beside him through every battle…
Who had trained him until sunrise…
Who had scolded him whenever his stance was even slightly wrong…
The man who had called him Sire with unwavering pride…
Was fading.
“…Raku…”
The word barely escaped his lips.
His fingers trembled around the hilt of his sword.
His chest tightened until it hurt to breathe.
Not again.
The thought echoed through his mind.
Not again.
He had already watched Soulmere burn.
He had already buried his parents.
He had only just learned the truth about who he was.
He had only just found a place where he belonged.
He had only just found another family.
…And now fate was taking them away again.
“No…”
His voice cracked.
“No…”
His body shook violently.
Then…
A scream erupted from deep within him.
“RAAAAAAAAAAKUUUUUU!!”
The cry exploded across the valley.
The earth trembled beneath his feet.
Birds scattered from the forest in terrified flocks.
Leaves were ripped from the trees as the force of his voice rolled across Thunderwood like thunder.
In the city below, windows rattled.
Dust drifted from rooftops.
Citizens stopped in the streets, looking toward the mountain in confusion.
“What was that?”
Inside the hidden house, everyone froze.
Vistara’s heart sank.
Syanna covered her mouth.
Javon’s confident expression disappeared completely.
They all watched through the enchanted barrier as Raku’s spiritual body flickered weaker and weaker.
The brilliant blue glow that had always surrounded him had begun to dim.
Tiny fragments of light drifted away from his body like fireflies disappearing into the morning sky.
“No…”
Vistara whispered.
“Please…”
On the battlefield…
Raku struggled to lift his head.
Even that simple movement seemed impossible.
Glowing spiritual blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
Every breath was weaker than the last.
His eyes searched until they found Riven.
“…Sire…”
The word was barely audible.
He coughed violently.
More spiritual blood stained the ground beneath him.
“…Run…”
His hand twitched, trying to reach for the sword that had slipped from his grasp.
But his fingers wouldn’t move.
His strength was gone.
Riven stared at him.
Completely frozen.
His vision blurred.
His ears rang.
Everything around him seemed distant.
Then…
Something inside him broke.
He slowly stood.
Not a word escaped his mouth.
He wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hand.
Then…
He picked up his sword.
His grip was so tight his knuckles turned white.
Golden Vyr erupted around his body.
Not with the calm brilliance it once carried…
But like an uncontrolled wildfire.
The ground beneath him cracked.
His breathing became ragged.
Every emotion he’d buried since childhood surged to the surface at once.
Loss.
Grief.
Fear.
Rage.
Without warning—
He disappeared.
The earth exploded where he had been standing.
His sword came crashing toward Lucifer with enough force to split a boulder in half.
Lucifer caught it effortlessly.
Steel screamed against steel.
Riven attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Every strike carried enough power to leave craters across the battlefield.
His movements were faster.
Far stronger.
But they lacked something.
Control.
Lucifer blocked every attack with almost insulting ease.
He sidestepped a horizontal slash.
Parried an overhead strike.
Leaned around a thrust by mere inches.
His smile never disappeared. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“There…”
Clang.
“…we…”
Clang.
“…go.”
Clang.
Lucifer’s crimson eyes gleamed with excitement.
“Hate me.”
Another clash shook the valley.
“Attack me.”
He pushed Riven backward with a single swing.
“That’s what grief does.”
Riven roared and charged again.
His attacks became even wilder.
Every strike carried enough strength to kill an ordinary warrior instantly.
But every strike became easier to read.
Lucifer laughed.
Not because he found it amusing…
Because this was exactly what he wanted.
“Your rage is magnificent.”
He effortlessly dodged another slash.
“But your mentor…”
He stepped inside Riven’s guard.
“…trained you better than this.”
His fist slammed into Riven’s ribs.
The impact sent him tumbling across the ground.
Lucifer slowly walked forward.
“If Raku could see you now…”
His grin widened.
“…he’d be disappointed.”
Riven stood there breathing heavily filled with anger and thoughts of losing his family all over again.
The air is heavy with grief, uncertainty and pain.
“Why are you here?! Why are you doing this to us?”
“Why? Because it’s fun!”
Lucifer lets out a terrifying laugh echoing through the lands into the city.
The people in the city start to feel uneasy.
Something wasn’t right.
Vistara’s eyes never left the battlefield.
She had watched Riven fight before.
She had seen him battle Varnis, watched him push his body beyond its limits, watched him stand when everyone else had fallen.
But this…
This felt different.
“Something isn’t right,” she whispered.
Beside her, Syanna gripped the windowsill until her knuckles turned white.
Outside, Riven slowly lifted his head.
The grief was still there.
The rage.
The heartbreak.
Yet…
Something had changed.
His breathing slowed.
Once.
Twice.
Three steady breaths.
The trembling in his hands disappeared.
His heartbeat became calm.
Almost impossibly calm.
The tears still stained his face, but his expression had become completely empty.
Not emotionless.
Focused.
He slowly lowered his body into his stance.
His sword settled in front of him.
The point barely hovered above the ground.
Lucifer tilted his head.
“Oh?”
Riven’s eyes slowly opened.
The gold in them seemed brighter.
Almost radiant.
Golden Vyr no longer burst wildly around him.
Instead… it flowed.
Like a quiet river surrounding his body.
Every strand of spiritual energy moved with perfect rhythm.
Perfect harmony.
Perfect balance.
Javon’s eyes widened.
“…No way.”
His voice was barely a whisper.
“No…”
He stepped closer to the barrier.
“It can’t be…”
Syanna looked toward him.
“What?”
Javon couldn’t take his eyes off Riven.
“When I was a child…”
“My grandfather used to tell me stories.”
“Stories about warriors who became so synchronized with their souls that their mind, body, and spirit became one.”
He swallowed.
“They called it…”
“…Kundalini Awakening.”
Silence filled the room.
“It was only supposed to be a myth.”
“A state where fear disappears.”
“Anger disappears.”
“Even thought itself disappears.”
“The soul simply…”
“…acts.”
Vistara looked back toward Riven.
“So that’s…”
Javon nodded slowly.
“I think…”
“I think we’re witnessing it.”
Outside…
Lucifer smiled.
Not his mocking smile.
Not his playful smile.
A genuine smile.
“Now…”
“There you are.”
Riven disappeared.
The ground beneath him exploded.
Lucifer barely raised his sword in time.
CLANG!
The impact rang through the mountains.
Lucifer slid backward.
Only one step.
But…
It was the first time he’d been forced to move.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
“Oh?”
Riven attacked again.
Every strike flowed seamlessly into the next.
There was no wasted movement.
No hesitation.
No unnecessary strength.
Each swing landed exactly where it needed to.
Not a millimeter off.
Not a fraction of a degree.
Lucifer blocked.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Sparks erupted with every collision.
The earth split beneath their feet.
The sky echoed with ringing steel.
“This…”
Lucifer laughed softly while parrying another flawless strike.
“…is beautiful.”
Riven never answered.
His body moved before thought itself could form.
Slash.
Thrust.
Spin.
Reverse grip.
Every attack flowed like water.
Lucifer was no longer smiling because he found it amusing.
He was smiling because…
He was finally having fun.
Minutes passed.
Neither warrior landed a decisive blow.
The forest around them had become unrecognizable.
Trees lay scattered across the valley.
Massive craters scarred the earth.
The nearby cliff had collapsed from the shockwaves alone.
Inside the hidden house…
No one spoke.
They couldn’t.
Their eyes struggled just to follow the flashes of gold and crimson.
Javon exhaled slowly.
“…He’s actually…”
“…keeping up.”
Then…
Lucifer smiled.
“Amazing.”
He stepped backward for the first time.
“You’ve forced me to use…”
His crimson aura slowly spread across the battlefield.
“…a little effort.”
The air instantly became heavier.
Riven’s knees bent.
Not willingly.
The pressure alone forced him lower.
His breathing became labored.
The golden aura around him flickered.
Lucifer hadn’t attacked.
He had merely…
Released his soul.
The valley trembled.
Mountains groaned.
Clouds above split apart.
Everyone inside the house suddenly dropped to one knee.
Even through the barrier… they could feel it.
Syanna gasped.
“I…”
“I can’t breathe…”
Vistara’s hands shook uncontrollably.
“What…”
“…is he?”
Lucifer slowly walked forward.
His footsteps echoed unnaturally.
“Your awakening is remarkable.”
“I haven’t seen one in…”
He paused thoughtfully.
“…perhaps five hundred years.”
He looked almost nostalgic.
“But.”
He raised his sword.
“You’re still just a child.”
Riven roared and attacked once more.
Lucifer finally swung seriously.
The collision shattered Riven’s sword stance.
A second strike.
His shoulder split open.
A third.
His ribs cracked audibly.
A fourth.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield.
Still…
Riven refused to fall.
He continued advancing.
One step.
Then another.
Lucifer watched him with genuine admiration.
“You’ve surpassed every expectation.”
Riven swung one final time.
Lucifer sidestepped effortlessly.
His hand rested gently against Riven’s chest.
Almost like a friend.
Then—
A pulse of crimson Vyr erupted.
The world exploded.
The shockwave carved a trench hundreds of feet long through the valley.
Riven’s body flew across the clearing before crashing into the mountainside beside Raku.
The cliff collapsed around him.
Dust filled the air.
Silence.
Slowly…
The dust settled.
Riven tried to move.
His fingers twitched.
His vision blurred.
His body refused every command.
The golden aura disappeared.
Kundalini Awakening faded.
Lucifer slowly approached.
He looked down at the broken young warrior lying among the rubble.
“…Excellent.”
He smiled warmly.
“I haven’t enjoyed myself like this…”
“…in centuries.”
Riven glared at him through blood-filled eyes.
Lucifer crouched beside him.
“I could kill you.”
His voice remained gentle.
“So very easily.”
Riven tightened his grip on the broken remains of his sword.
Lucifer chuckled.
“But if I do…”
“…who will become strong enough to entertain me?”
He stood.
“You’ve only just awakened.”
“I’d like to see what you become.”
He looked toward Raku’s unconscious body.
“And besides…”
“I don’t think losing another member of your family today would help you grow.”
Those words cut deeper than any blade.
Lucifer turned his back without another glance.
His companions silently fell in behind him.
After only a few steps… they disappeared into the morning mist.
Leaving behind nothing but destruction.
And a battlefield covered in blood.
Riven lay motionless beneath the broken mountain.
His eyes slowly closed.
Not because he chose to.
But because his body had finally reached its limit.
The last thing he saw…
Was the sunlight breaking over the horizon.
And the last thing he heard…
Was Vistara screaming his name as the barrier around the house finally faded.