MUSA AND RIVEN
The air between them was thick with tension.
The campfire crackled softly, filling the silence that stretched between Musa and Riven. The anger from earlier still lingered like smoke.
Riven's jaw was tight. He was still furious — not just because Musa had risked their lives at the waterfall, but mostly because she'd called him a selfish, inconsiderate jerk.
That had stung. He'd only been trying to protect her, to protect them. How was that selfish?
It was unfair for her to say that when all he ever tried to do was care for her —
He clenched his fists, realizing what this was really about-his feelings for her.
Musa, on the other hand, was quietly cooking by the fire, lost in her thoughts. She pretended to still be angry, but beneath that was a deep fear.
She knew, with a frightening certainty, that she was developing feelings for Riven again — the moment at the waterfall had proved it. The one right before the Noxshade attacked,that is.
Somehow, she'd started to believe he was changing, that he was trying. So maybe… maybe they could've been together again.
But today had proved her wrong, hadn't it? The way he snapped, the way he acted — it reminded her of the same stubborn, guarded, impossible guy she swore she'd never fall for again.
And now Musa was terrified that maybe she was repeating the same mistake — falling into the same toxic cycle.
They barely spoke. Even the almost-kiss at the fountain felt like it belonged to another lifetime.
When dinner was over, they cleaned up in silence and decided to rest. They had to be up early — before the sun made travel unbearable.
"I'll take first watch," Riven said, his voice flat. Though he had no intention of waking Musa later.
Musa nodded, too tired to argue. "Goodnight, Riven."
She crawled into their small tent, lying on her side as her mind spun. Sleep didn't come easily. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the waterfall — the chaos, the fear, Riven's furious expression.
He had been right. The Noxshade had nearly killed them. She had risked everything, and for what? A principle? A belief?
If they'd died, who would've saved Magix then?
Still, killing the creature had felt wrong. She couldn't have done it — not when the forest's balance depended on it. That was who she was. And she wished Riven could just understand that.
But she also hadn't been fair to him. He'd only wanted to keep her safe.
With a tired sigh, Musa drifted between sleep and wakefulness, forcing herself to stay half-alert. She knew Riven — he wouldn't wake her for her turn.
It was up to her to wake herself.
*****
A cool breeze swept through the trees when Musa finally pushed herself out of the tent. The sky was still dark, painted with deep indigo and faint stars. She guessed it was one or two hours past midnight. She rubbed her eyes, her limbs heavy with exhaustion.
The campfire had burned low, its embers faintly glowing. Riven sat slouched against a log, his eyes half-closed, the faintest trace of fatigue softening his usually sharp expression.
She knew better than to sneak up on him.
Musa hesitated before speaking quietly. "Riven."
His eyes snapped open immediately, alert, scanning the shadows before landing on her. The tension in his shoulders eased.
"Musa? It's not morning yet… is it?" he asked, looking around. Then he rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing up?"
"It's my turn to keep watch," she said softly. "You should get some rest."
"That's not necessary," he muttered, trying to stifle a yawn.
Musa raised an eyebrow and walked over, sitting beside him on the log. The night air was cool, brushing gently against her skin.
"You never planned to wake me, did you?" she asked, her tone sharp but not cold.
Riven gave a tired smirk. "Now, does that sound like something a selfish, inconsiderate jerk would do?"
Musa grimaced. "Okay… I deserved that."
He glanced at her, surprised when she didn't snap back.
"About that," Musa began softly, fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. "I'm sorry. For what I said earlier. It wasn't fair. You're not selfish or thoughtless, Riven. All this time we've been here,you always tried to put me first — to protect me — and I'm really grateful… and really sorry for what I said..."
Her voice faltered, and she looked down, clearly not knowing what else to say.
Riven watched her quietly, his anger melting away. "I appreciate you saying that," he said after a moment. "And I forgive you, Musa."
Her eyes flicked up in surprise. "Really?"
He shrugged lightly, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah. I mean, what else can I do for someone who's let me off for being a jerk a dozen times?"
"So you admit you're kind of a jerk?" Musa teased softly.
"Wasn't this supposed to be an apology?" Riven asked, feigning offense.
That earned a quiet laugh from her — but it ended in a sob.
Musa quickly covered her face with her hands, shoulders trembling.
"Hey—hey, what's wrong?" Riven asked, panic lacing his voice as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you hurt?"
Musa shook her head, tears slipping through her fingers. "No… nothing like that. It's actually nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
The reason for her tears was that she was here, with him — because she cared, maybe too much. Because falling for Riven felt like standing on the edge of a cliff again, not knowing if he'd catch her or let her fall.
Still, she only managed to whisper, "It's just that the last few days… they've been a lot. I'm just tired, that's all. I'm sorry."
Riven's expression softened. "You don't have to apologize for being sad."
He reached up and gently brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. Their eyes met, and the world seemed to go still. Slowly, he leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
"I'm here for you," he murmured.
"I know," Musa whispered. And that's the problem, she thought.
A fresh wave of tears welled in her eyes. Seeing them, Riven wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she buried her face in his chest. Her sobs came quietly, each one breaking his heart a little more.
After a moment, she pulled back. Their eyes met again — and something unspoken passed between them. The air was thick, trembling with emotion.
Musa's gaze flicked to his lips. And before she could stop herself, she leaned in.
Their lips met — soft at first, then deeper, desperate, like two people trying to forget every wall they'd ever built. Riven's hand found the small of her back, pulling her closer, while Musa cupped his face with both hands, her fingers trembling.
The fire crackled softly beside them, and for a moment, everything disappeared — everything except each other.