Lanks didn't move.
Not immediately.
Riven's fist was still pressed against his side, the impact having already gone through—but the effect was… delayed.
Like the world itself hadn't caught up yet.
Then—
The air cracked.
A sharp distortion spread outward, bending the space around them for a split second.
Riven stepped back instantly.
Not out of fear.
Out of instinct.
Lanks' body twitched.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
He grabbed his own head.
Hard.
"…stop…" a voice slipped out.
But it wasn't the same.
Not that hollow, distant tone from before.
This one—
Was strained.
Behind Riven, someone spoke, almost unconsciously.
"…he's fighting it…"
Another voice followed, quieter.
"…is that really Lanks…?"
Riven didn't turn.
Didn't respond.
His eyes stayed locked.
Watching every movement.
Every break.
Every shift.
"Lanks," he said calmly, "don't lose it now."
For a second—
Everything froze again.
Then—
Lanks' fingers tightened.
"…you shouldn't… have done that…"
The voice snapped back.
Distorted.
Layered.
Like two things speaking at once.
The pressure returned.
But different this time.
Not controlled.
Not precise.
Wild.
Gravity slammed down—but unevenly.
The ground cracked in random patterns instead of controlled waves.
Fire ignited—but scattered, flickering without direction.
Riven narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…you're losing control," he muttered.
Lanks' head tilted slowly.
Too slowly.
"…control… was never mine…"
Then—
He vanished.
Riven's body moved instantly.
Not thinking.
Just reacting.
A force hit from the side.
He blocked—but barely.
The impact pushed him back several meters, his feet dragging across broken stone.
"…his speed increased—!" someone shouted.
No.
Riven knew.
It wasn't speed.
It was instability.
Lanks appeared again—above him this time.
No setup.
No pattern.
Just raw movement.
A downward strike came.
Heavy.
Unpredictable.
Riven didn't dodge.
He stepped in.
The attack crashed down—but missed its center.
Riven had already shifted inside its range.
Too close for full force.
He countered instantly.
A short strike.
Direct.
Lanks staggered—but didn't fall.
Instead—
He smiled.
It wasn't normal.
It wasn't even human.
"…good…" the voice whispered.
"…keep going…"
Riven felt it then.
Something was wrong.
Not just with Lanks.
With the fight itself.
The patterns—
Were breaking.
Before, everything Lanks did had logic.
Timing.
Structure.
Even under control, there were rules.
Now?
Nothing.
"...this isn't you," Riven said quietly.
Lanks' white eyes flickered again.
Just once.
"…then… hurry…"
The words were weak.
Barely audible.
And then—
The pressure exploded.
Everything hit at once.
Gravity. Fire. Force.
No sequence.
No delay.
No gap.
From the outside—
It looked like the end.
"…he can't dodge that…" someone whispered.
But Riven didn't move wildly.
Didn't panic.
Didn't try to escape everything.
He focused on one thing.
The center.
His eyes locked onto Lanks.
Through the chaos.
Through the distortion.
"…there," he murmured.
One step.
The ground shattered beneath him.
Second step.
Flames tore past his side.
Third—
He disappeared.
For a split second—
No one saw him.
Then—
He was there.
Right in front of Lanks.
Closer than ever before.
No hesitation.
No buildup.
Just one clean movement.
His hand rose—
Not to strike.
To grab.
He caught Lanks by the collar.
Pulled him in.
Their foreheads almost touched.
"Wake up."
No power.
No force.
Just a voice.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Lanks' eyes shook.
Violently.
White—
cracked.
And beneath it—
Something else flickered.
The real one.
The chapter ends. 🔥