Seconds slowly became minutes.
Minutes became hours.
Hours became days.
Outside, the world continued moving.
They continued their lives often stopping by his The people of Thunderwood had no idea their hero had just suffered a significant loss that could make or break his legacy. house only to see a empty lot.
“Where did he go?” asked a child bringing Riven some bread.
Meanwhile inside Riven’s house…
Time felt frozen.
For five long days, Riven never opened his eyes.
He lay motionless beneath thick blankets while fresh bandages wrapped nearly every part of his body.
Crimson scars stretched across his chest and shoulder, the deepest of them carrying an unnatural reddish tint that refused to fade no matter how much Syanna healed them.
Every morning…
Every afternoon…
Every night…
Syanna sat beside his bed.
Her fingertips glowed with a gentle emerald light as her soul intertwined with his, carefully mending torn muscles, fractured bones, and damaged veins one careful thread at a time.
Sweat rolled down her forehead.
Her breathing became heavier with each session.
Healing another person’s soul demanded tremendous precision.
One mistake…
One moment of pushing herself too far…
And the damage could spread to her own soul instead.
Still…
She refused to stop.
Nearby, Vistara sat silently beside the window.
She rarely spoke.
Every few hours she would reach over and gently brush a loose strand of black hair away from Riven’s face before quietly looking away again.
Javon remained unusually quiet as well.
The jokes had disappeared.
He simply leaned against the wall with his arms folded, watching his friend breathe.
Waiting.
Hoping.
…
None of them knew…
That Riven was fighting a battle none of them could see.
Darkness.
Then—
A wooden sword slammed into his shoulder.
“Again!”
Riven stumbled backward with a yelp.
Pain shot through his tiny arms.
He looked down.
Small hands.
Short legs.
The worn clothes he had worn as a child.
He was young again.
Only eight years old.
Standing in the familiar clearing behind Soulmere where Oliver used to train him.
Except…
Oliver wasn’t there.
Raku stood instead.
The old knight towered over him with his arms folded.
His expression was hard.
Disappointed.
“Sire.”
Raku sighed heavily.
“If you continue swinging the sword like that…”
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“…you may as well step aside and let me fight every battle for you.”
Young Riven tightened his grip on the heavy wooden sword.
His arms already trembled from exhaustion.
“I’m trying…”
His breathing shook.
“…it’s harder than you make it look.”
Raku walked toward him.
“Again.”
Riven swung.
Too high.
“No.”
Again.
Too slow.
“No.”
Again.
His footing slipped.
“No.”
Again.
The wooden blade barely reached shoulder height before his exhausted arms gave out.
The sword struck the dirt.
Raku’s voice suddenly thundered.
“HARDER!”
Young Riven flinched.
“I…”
His eyes filled with tears.
“I can’t!”
He threw the sword onto the ground.
“I can’t do it!”
Silence.
Raku stared at him.
For a long time…
He said nothing.
Then…
His expression changed.
Not angry.
Empty.
“So.”
His voice became quiet.
“That’s your answer.”
Young Riven looked up.
Confused.
Raku slowly nodded to himself.
“I understand now.”
He turned away.
“You were never strong enough.”
Riven’s eyes widened.
“W-What?”
Raku continued walking.
“When Lucifer came…”
“You couldn’t protect anyone.”
His footsteps echoed unnaturally through the empty field.
“I had to save you.”
Another step.
“I had to fight for you.”
Another.
“I had to die…”
He finally looked back over his shoulder.
“…because you were too weak.”
The words struck harder than any sword ever had.
Young Riven’s breathing became uneven.
“N-No…”
His voice cracked.
“That’s not…”
He tried to stand.
His legs wouldn’t move.
Around him…
The peaceful training field began to rot.
The grass blackened.
The trees withered.
The bright sky turned crimson.
Soulmere burned.
His childhood home collapsed into flames.
Bodies lay scattered across the ground.
Then…
The scene shifted again.
Raku’s broken body lay against the shattered mountainside.
Spiritual blood covered the stone.
“…Run…”
His weak voice echoed endlessly.
Run…
Run…
Run…
Young Riven reached toward him.
“I’m sorry…”
His tiny hand stretched desperately forward.
“I’m sorry…”
The child began growing older.
His limbs lengthened.
His shoulders broadened.
The frightened little boy disappeared.
Standing in his place…
Was the Riven of today.
Broken.
Scarred.
His sword hung loosely in his hand.
“I failed…” he whispered.
Raku’s body slowly dissolved into glowing blue fragments.
One by one…
They drifted into the wind.
“I failed everyone…”
The last fragment disappeared.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Then…
A voice echoed from somewhere beyond the void. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Soft.
Familiar.
Gentle.
“…Did you?”
Riven’s eyes widened.
Someone…
Was there.
The voice echoed through the endless darkness.
Riven slowly turned toward the sound.
At first…
He saw only three faint silhouettes standing in the distance.
They didn’t move.
They simply waited.
His feet carried him forward almost on their own.
Step.
After step.
The darkness beneath him slowly transformed into soft golden grass that swayed gently beneath an invisible breeze.
Warm sunlight pushed away the endless blackness.
As he drew closer…
The faces finally became clear.
His breath caught in his throat.
“…Mom…”
Maelina smiled exactly as she always had.
The same gentle smile that made every worry disappear.
Beside her stood Oliver, his broad shoulders straight as ever, his weathered face carrying the quiet pride of a father.
Standing beside them…
Clad in battered black armor streaked with cracks from the battle…
Was Raku.
The old knight stood with perfect posture despite the damage covering his spectral body.
The moment Riven approached, Raku placed a closed fist over his heart and bowed deeply.
“Sire.”
His voice was as calm and respectful as ever.
“It is good to see you again.”
Riven couldn’t answer.
His eyes remained locked on the cracks spreading across Raku’s armor.
The memory returned instantly.
Lucifer’s hand.
The shockwave.
The mountain collapsing.
His mentor lying motionless.
His breathing became uneven.
Oliver noticed immediately.
“Come here, son.”
Before Riven realized what he was doing…
He had already closed the distance.
Oliver wrapped him in a hug.
Strong.
Steady.
The kind only a father could give.
For a moment…
Riven didn’t fight it.
He simply stood there.
Maelina gently rested a hand against the back of his head.
Just like she had done when he was little.
“You’ve been carrying a heavy burden…” she whispered.
Riven’s shoulders trembled.
“I…”
His voice caught.
“I failed.”
Silence.
He slowly pulled away from them.
His golden eyes drifted toward Raku.
The old knight still stood quietly with his hands folded behind his back.
“…Sire.”
Raku tilted his head slightly.
“What is this I hear…”
“…about you failing us?”
The question shattered whatever strength Riven had left.
His knees hit the ground.
“I let you die.”
The words came out barely above a whisper.
His hands clenched into fists.
“I wasn’t strong enough.”
“I couldn’t protect you.”
“I couldn’t protect anyone.”
His breathing became ragged.
“I watched Soulmere burn…”
His voice cracked.
“I lost my parents.”
He looked toward Oliver and Maelina.
“I finally found you again…”
Fresh tears rolled down his face.
“…and then I lost you.”
His eyes shifted back toward Raku.
“I found another family…”
“…and then Lucifer took you too.”
His head lowered until it nearly touched the ground.
“I always fail.”
“I failed Soulmere.”
“I failed my parents.”
“I failed my kingdom.”
“I failed my mentor.”
His voice broke completely.
“I failed my family.”
The field fell silent.
Only the wind answered him.
Then…
Footsteps.
Slow.
Steady.
Raku walked until he stood directly before his kneeling master.
For several seconds…
Neither spoke.
Then…
To Riven’s surprise…
Raku slowly knelt before him.
The proud knight who had served kings…
Lowered himself onto one knee.
Not out of duty.
Out of respect.
He placed one gauntleted hand firmly on Riven’s shoulder.
“Sire.”
His voice was softer than Riven had ever heard it.
“When I trained you…”
“I taught you how to swing a sword.”
“I taught you how to read an opponent.”
“I taught you discipline.”
A faint smile appeared beneath his battered helmet.
“But…”
“I fear I forgot to teach you one lesson.”
Riven slowly looked up.
Raku met his eyes.
“A leader…”
“…cannot blame himself for every tragedy.”
He gestured toward the cracks running through his own armor.
“I chose to protect you.”
“No one forced me.”
“I drew my sword…”
“…because that is what I wanted.”
A quiet laugh escaped him.
“And besides…”
“When have I ever listened to your orders?”
Even Oliver chuckled.
“You certainly haven’t.”
Raku smiled.
“I would make the same choice again.”
“One hundred times.”
“One thousand.”
“As many times as necessary.”
His expression became serious again.
“If protecting my king costs me my life…”
“Then I have lived exactly as I wished.”
Riven stared at him.
Speechless.
Oliver stepped forward.
“And what about us?”
He crossed his arms.
“Do you think your mother and I regret raising you?”
Riven immediately shook his head.
“No.”
“Exactly.”
Maelina gently cupped Riven’s face.
“We chose you.”
“Every single day.”
“You didn’t steal our lives.”
“You gave them meaning.”
She smiled through tears.
“And Raku chose you too.”
Oliver nodded toward the old knight.
“He stands beside you because he believes you’re worth following.”
Raku gave a firm nod.
“Always.”
A long silence settled over the field.
Riven feels something inside him.
“Do you feel that sire? That means you are one step closer to reaching the Chaya stage. One step closer to understanding your own soul.”
Riven stares back at him smiling slightly.
Raku reaches over and touches his chest.
“Now you just have to beat him.”
“Him?”
Riven’s chest surges with immense pain.
As he screams at the top of his lungs.
Back in the real world..
Riven is screaming in pain.
The scar glows a bright red.
He arches his back and screams at the top of his lungs.
Javon tries hold him down so he doesn’t hurt himself.
Riven’s eyes shoot open.
“Raku!”
Riven sits up breathing heavily.
The first thing Riven heard was hurried footsteps racing down the hallway.
Then—
“Riven!”
The bedroom door burst open.
Before he could even turn his head, Vistara threw herself toward him.
She wrapped both arms tightly around his chest, burying her face against his shoulder as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“You idiot…” she whispered between shaky breaths.
“You… you scared me…”
The sudden pressure sent a sharp pain through his battered body.
“Ah…”
Riven instinctively winced.
Vistara immediately pulled away as though she had touched a hot stove.
“I’m sorry!” she cried, frantically wiping the tears from her face.
“I forgot—you… you’re still hurt.”
She loosened her grip but refused to step away completely.
Instead, she gently held his hand, almost afraid that if she let go, he would disappear again.
For several long seconds…
Neither of them spoke.
Riven simply looked at her.
Her normally bright eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion.
Dark circles rested beneath them.
Her hair was messy, as though she hadn’t cared enough to brush it in days.
“…Have you been crying?” he asked quietly.
Vistara laughed weakly through her tears.
“For five days.”
She looked away, embarrassed.
“I thought…”
Her voice broke.
“I thought you weren’t going to wake up.”
Riven lowered his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
The room fell silent again.
Javon leaned casually against the doorway with his arms folded, though the relief on his face was impossible to hide.
“You had us worried there for a minute.”
He paused before scratching the back of his head.
“…Well…”
“A really long minute.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Riven’s mouth.
“You don’t look like you’ve slept either.”
Javon let out a tired laugh.
“Hard to sleep when your friend decides fighting ancient monsters is a good hobby.”
Even Syanna couldn’t help smiling.
The tension that had filled the room for days eased, if only for a moment.
Then…
Aelwyn stepped forward.
Unlike the others, the old mage wore no smile.
His expression remained unusually heavy.
“Riven.”
His voice immediately changed the atmosphere inside the room.
“There are… two matters we must discuss.”
Riven straightened despite the pain still coursing through his body.
“What is it?”
Aelwyn took a slow breath.
“The first concerns Raku.”
The room became quiet.
“He survived.”
Relief immediately flooded across Riven’s face.
But it lasted only a second.
“However…”
“The damage Lucifer inflicted upon his soul was unlike anything I have witnessed.”
Aelwyn lowered his gaze.
“He has retreated into the Soul Container.”
“There, he has entered a deep spiritual seclusion in order to rebuild what was shattered.”
“No one—not even I—can say how long it will take.”
“It could be weeks.”
“It could be months.”
“…Perhaps even longer.”
Silence.
Riven stared at the floor.
His fingers slowly curled into a fist.
Because of me…
The thought surfaced before he could stop it.
If I had been stronger…
If I had landed even one more strike…
Raku wouldn’t have—
His heart tightened.
Then…
Another memory surfaced.
“If protecting my king costs me my life…”
“Then I have lived exactly as I wished.”
Riven slowly closed his eyes.
He took one slow breath.
Then another.
When he finally looked back up…
The guilt was still there.
But it no longer controlled him.
“I’ll bring him back.”
His voice was quiet.
“But next time…”
“I’ll be strong enough to protect him.”
Aelwyn gave the smallest nod.
“I believe you will.”
The old mage hesitated.
“The second matter…”
His expression became even more serious.
“…concerns you.”
Riven frowned.
“Me?”
Aelwyn slowly pulled back the blanket covering Riven’s shoulder.
The room collectively held its breath.
A jagged crimson scar stretched diagonally across Riven’s chest.
Unlike an ordinary scar…
This one shimmered faintly beneath the skin.
Its glow pulsed almost like a heartbeat.
Thin crimson veins branched away from it before disappearing beneath the bandages wrapped around his torso.
“It wasn’t there before the battle,” Aelwyn said quietly.
“We discovered it while treating your injuries.”
“It continues across your back.”
His voice grew heavier.
“It is almost as though…”
Aelwyn struggled to find the proper words.
“…Lucifer split you in two…”
“…and then stitched your soul back together.”
The room fell completely silent.
Riven slowly reached toward the scar.
His fingertips brushed against it.
The instant he touched it—
A faint warmth spread through his body.
Not painful.
Not comforting.
Simply…
Wrong.
It didn’t feel like his own soul.
Almost as though something else now existed inside him.
His golden eyes narrowed.
“…Lucifer…”
He whispered the name almost to himself.
Then he looked back toward Aelwyn.
“Who is he?”
His voice remained calm.
But everyone could hear the uncertainty hidden beneath it.
“What does someone like that…”
“…want with me?”
The room fell silent once more.
Even Aelwyn…
Didn’t have an answer.
Only one certainty remained.
Lucifer had not spared Riven out of mercy.
He had spared him…
For a reason.
And whatever that reason was…
It had only just begun.