Morning arrived with far less enthusiasm than usual.
Riven sat at the dining table staring at his breakfast.
His mission file rested beside his plate.
The photographs of the mist-covered village seemed even stranger in daylight.
An entire village gone.
No survivors.
No explanation.
Just a wall of gray mist swallowing everything inside.
"You've been staring at that paper for ten minutes."
Riven looked up.
His mother stood nearby with folded arms.
"I've been thinking."
"Dangerous hobby."
"..."
Riven sighed.
His mother smiled faintly before placing another piece of toast onto his plate.
"Whatever it is, don't skip meals."
Somehow that made him feel worse.
"Thanks."
School was unusually boring.
Not because of the lessons.
Because Riven couldn't stop thinking about the mission.
When lunch arrived, he immediately found Ivan.
Or rather—
Ivan found him.
"You look distracted."
Riven glanced up.
"You always say that."
"Because you're always distracted."
"...Fair."
Ivan sat down opposite him.
After a moment, Riven pulled out the mission file.
"The President wants me on some investigation team."
Ivan raised an eyebrow.
"That's actually a good sign."
"How?"
"The Association doesn't waste resources."
Riven frowned.
"That's reassuring."
"It wasn't meant to be."
Ivan took a bite of his sandwich.
"If they're sending you somewhere, it means they think you're useful."
"Or expendable."
"That too."
Riven stared.
Ivan continued eating.
Completely serious.
"...You're a terrible friend."
Classes ended shortly afterward.
Instead of heading home, Riven activated the talisman and entered the Association domain.
The transition still felt strange.
One moment he stood in an ordinary alley.
The next—
An entire hidden city stretched before him.
Massive towers.
Floating structures.
Ascendants everywhere.
For a brief moment he wondered how ordinary people survived without knowing any of this existed.
This time he wasn't sent to the President.
Instead, an employee guided him toward a briefing room.
The moment he entered—
He noticed someone familiar.
Ivan sat near the back.
Of course.
Riven dropped into the chair beside him.
"You couldn't stay away, could you?"
Ivan looked up from a book.
"You sound disappointed."
"I was hoping for less emotional support."
"You wound me."
"You'll survive."
More people slowly entered.
Several Association Ascendants.
A middle-aged man with scars across both hands.
A woman carrying enough weapons to start a small war.
And a few others.
Then—
The door opened again.
The room grew quieter.
Not silent.
Just quieter.
A girl entered.
Long dark hair.
Calm expression.
Violet eyes.
Nothing about her was particularly intimidating.
And yet—
People noticed her immediately.
Not because she was beautiful.
Though she was.
Not because she looked powerful.
Though she clearly was.
There was simply something unusual about her presence.
Like she belonged somewhere important.
Even when nobody knew why.
She quietly took a seat near the window.
Alone.
Riven noticed nobody approached her.
Strange.
A few moments later the team leader entered.
A tall man in his forties.
His expression alone suggested he hadn't smiled in years.
"Good."
His gaze swept across the room.
"Everyone is here."
A large map appeared behind him.
The village.
The mist.
The mission.
Immediately the atmosphere changed.
"We'll begin introductions."
His gaze landed on Ivan.
"Ivan Kaelthorn."
Several people visibly reacted.
Of course they did.
The Kaelthorn name carried weight.
Ivan didn't even look up.
"Present."
The leader nodded.
Then his eyes moved elsewhere.
"Lyra Veyn."
The girl near the window raised a hand.
"Present."
Nothing happened.
No reactions.
No whispers.
No recognition.
The contrast was oddly noticeable.
Even Riven frowned.
A four-star Ascendant their age should have been famous.
Yet nobody seemed to know anything about her.
Strange.
The briefing continued.
"The village disappeared one month ago."
Images appeared behind the leader.
Gray mist swallowed every street.
Every building.
Every path.
"The Association has already conducted investigations."
Riven frowned.
"How many?"
The leader looked at him.
"Three."
The room became silent.
Three teams?
That was more than expected.
"What happened?"
For a moment—
Nobody answered.
Then the leader spoke.
"They returned."
A few people relaxed.
Then he continued.
"Without their memories."
The room froze.
Riven's expression changed immediately.
"What?"
"The teams completed their investigation."
The leader's voice remained calm.
"They returned alive."
"None of them remember entering the village."
Silence.
Even Ivan closed his book.
"They don't remember anything?"
"Nothing."
The leader pointed toward the map.
"The moment they crossed the mist."
"Everything disappears."
No memories.
No records.
No explanation.
Nothing.
For the first time—
Riven felt genuinely uneasy.
The briefing ended an hour later.
People slowly left the room.
Some discussed preparations.
Others reviewed mission details.
Eventually only a few remained.
Ivan left to handle something related to his family.
The leader disappeared.
The room gradually emptied.
Riven gathered his papers.
Then noticed someone still standing near the map.
Lyra Veyn.
She studied the village in silence.
For some reason—
He walked over.
"You worried?"
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Lyra turned.
Violet eyes met his.
A long pause followed.
Then—
"No."
Her voice was calm.
Almost gentle.
Another pause.
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"You are."
Riven blinked.
"...What?"
"You're hiding it."
He frowned.
"Hiding what?"
"Worry."
Silence.
For some reason her answer irritated him.
"Aren't you worried?"
"No."
"Why not?"
She looked back toward the map.
"The mission hasn't happened yet."
"...That's your reason?"
"Yes."
Riven stared.
Then laughed softly.
"That's surprisingly normal."
For the first time—
A faint hint of confusion appeared on her face.
"What did you expect?"
Good question.
He honestly didn't know.
After a few moments she gathered her files.
Then turned toward the exit.
Halfway through the doorway—
She stopped.
Without looking back she asked:
"Riven Ashford."
His eyebrows rose.
"Yeah?"
Another brief silence.
Then—
"Have we met before?"
Riven frowned.
"No."
"..."
"Neither do I."
And then she left.
Leaving Riven standing there.
More confused than before.
Far away.
In a quiet apartment overlooking the city—
Lyra sat alone.
A mission file rested on her desk.
One name was circled.
Riven Ashford.
For some reason—
The moment she saw him today—
Her bloodline had stirred.
Only slightly.
But enough to notice.
That had never happened before.
And she had no idea why.
End.