Riven woke up.
Slowly.
His eyes opened to the same ceiling, the same faint crack running across it.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then—
It returned.
The crack in space.
The surge.
That feeling.
Riven sat up.
His breath stayed steady, but something underneath it wasn't.
He looked at his hands, turning them, clenching his fingers.
Everything felt normal.
Too normal.
"…so it wasn't a dream."
"Riven! If you're awake, come eat!"
His mother's voice pulled him back.
Just like that.
"…coming."
The dining table was already set.
His father sat with a newspaper, flipping a page without looking up. His mother moved between the kitchen and table, placing dishes down.
And—
"Wow."
Riven didn't need to turn.
"So the legend finally wakes up," his sister said, leaning back in her chair, a smirk already waiting. "We were about to file a missing report."
Riven pulled out his chair.
"You've been awake for five minutes."
"Exactly," she shot back. "You almost missed your own record."
His mother placed a plate in front of him.
"Sit and eat before she starts charging you for breathing."
"I should," his sister nodded. "At least I'd earn something."
A quiet chuckle came from behind the newspaper.
Riven picked up his food, giving her a flat look.
"Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Yeah," she said instantly. "Watching you struggle in life."
"…very helpful."
"I try."
A brief silence.
Then—
His father lowered the newspaper slightly.
"You look better."
Riven paused mid-bite.
"…better?"
"You were out of it yesterday," he said simply. "Thought you'd skip today."
"He's fine," his sister cut in. "Too stubborn to stay down."
Riven smirked faintly.
"See? Someone understands me."
"Don't get used to it," she replied. "I just don't want mom worrying all day."
His mother frowned.
"I do not worry all day."
"You checked on him three times."
"That was different."
Riven kept eating quietly.
The voices overlapped.
Familiar.
Warm.
Safe.
For a moment—
Nothing felt wrong.
Riven stepped outside.
The door closed softly behind him.
He paused.
Just for a second.
His eyes lifted.
The sun spread across Eryndal, bathing the streets in gold.
Everything looked the same.
Unchanged.
But he wasn't.
Riven exhaled slowly.
His gaze hardened just a little.
"…I won't let anything happen."
Not to them.
Not this time.
Then he started walking.
The classroom buzzed with noise.
Voices clashed. Chairs scraped. Laughter echoed from the back.
Riven stepped in—
"Finally decided to show up."
Riven glanced over.
Ivaan.
Leaning back in his chair near the window, watching him.
"You sound disappointed," Riven said, walking over.
"I am," Ivaan replied. "I had to suffer alone yesterday."
Riven dropped into the seat beside him.
"Tragic."
"Truly."
A beat passed.
Then—
Something lingered.
Ivaan's gaze stayed on him a second longer than it should have.
Not joking.
Not casual.
Riven noticed.
"…what?"
Ivaan blinked once.
Then leaned back again.
"Nothing."
Too quick.
Too smooth.
Riven frowned slightly.
Before he could push—
The teacher walked in.
The class settled.
Reluctantly.
The teacher adjusted his glasses, scanning the room.
"If you're all done wasting energy," he said dryly, "let's talk about something useful."
A few students straightened.
"Your future."
That got their attention.
"You're reaching a point where your choices matter," he continued. "Paths. Careers. Responsibility."
His gaze moved across the room.
"Not everything will be decided for you anymore."
Silence followed.
"You need to think."
A pause.
"What do you want to become?"
The question hung.
Riven leaned back slightly.
What do you want to become?
His mind searched—
But nothing came.
Classes ended.
Students poured out, filling the halls with noise again.
Riven and Ivaan walked side by side under the fading light.
For a while—
Neither spoke.
Then Riven glanced sideways.
"You've been acting weird since morning."
No response.
"Ivaan."
They stopped.
Ivaan stood a step ahead.
Still.
Then—
Slowly—
He turned.
Something was wrong.
Not obvious.
But wrong.
His eyes didn't feel the same.
"…yeah," Ivaan said quietly.
And in that same instant—
The world shifted.
Space bent.
Not cracking—
Forming.
A surface unfolded in mid-air.
Like a broken plate.
Jagged edges.
Fragments of ruined buildings scattered across it.
Floating.
Disconnected.
Riven's eyes widened.
"What is—"
A sharp sound cut him off.
Like thunder compressed into a single instant.
Ivaan's leg ignited—
Lightning wrapped around it violently.
And then—
He moved.
Too fast.
A blur.
A strike.
Impact.
Riven's body lifted off the ground—
And slammed into a distant building.
The wall shattered on impact.
Dust burst outward.
Riven collapsed forward, coughing, his chest burning.
"What—"
A presence.
Right in front of him.
Ivaan stood there.
Silent.
Lightning flickering faintly around him.
Riven looked up—
Shock. Confusion. Anger.
"…Ivaan…?"
No response.
Only those eyes.
Cold.
Searching.
Unfamiliar.
Then—
Ivaan spoke.
Flat.
Controlled.
"You are not Riven."
Riven froze.
For a second—
Even the pain faded.
"…what?"
Ivaan stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
His gaze didn't waver.
"Tell me…"
A pause.
His voice dropped slightly—
"…where is my friend?"
END