Arden swallowed hard and lowered his gaze to the ground.
"N-nothing, sir…" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Darel turned his eyes toward Riven, his expression serious, unreadable.
Riven walked away silently, each step echoing with quiet determination.
Arden followed suit and left the area, his earlier confidence now replaced with unease.
Darel shifted his gaze to Elian.
"What happened here?" he asked, his tone calm but edged with concern.
Elian seemed frozen, struggling to form coherent words.
"M-master… Riven… that boy… what?" His voice trembled.
"I looked into his eyes… and it was like staring at death itself. In that moment… it pierced through my soul. I… I was shaking. Truly… it was terrifying."
Darel said nothing. A long, heavy silence filled the air, punctuated only by the faint rustle of leaves and distant bird calls.
---
Riven returned to his room, the quiet of the space welcoming yet unsettling. He let himself fall onto the bed, staring at the ceiling above.
"I need to rest…" he whispered, his voice hoarse, almost lost to the emptiness of the room.
"Today… was too much."
Slowly, his eyes closed.
---
Was it a dream?
He felt as though he was sinking into darkness, diving into the bottom of a deep, silent ocean. Everything was still, heavy, and oddly serene. He floated in a weightless void, letting the quiet calm wash over him.
Then… the voice came, shattering the peace.
The Devil:
"You're asleep, aren't you, Levin?" The voice was sinister, echoing from unseen depths.
"Yet I… am your darkness. I write even your dreams."
The words slithered through him, coiling like smoke, leaving a chill that settled deep in his bones. The void around him seemed to shift, turning from calm to oppressive, a reminder that even in sleep, he was never truly alone.
---