Riven looked, eyes cold:
"Old woman, I want you. You will come to my village. Nox will come with me too."
Nox hesitated:
"But… my brother, what will happen to him?"
Riven took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering:
"Do you want to go to your brother? I am the one taking you. Agreed?"
Nox lowered her head. "Okay," she said in a small voice.
Her brother shouted angrily:
"I won't let you! Nox—that devil!"
Riven smirked, raising his hand slowly:
"Will you give me your other arm too? We are now allies; you wanted your sister, there's time and one condition."
Her brother bellowed:
"Condition? What is it?"
Riven's voice was icy:
"I will fight with a demon, against the gods. You will help us."
Her brother looked shocked:
"What fight? With gods? Have you lost your mind?"
The night's silence surrounded their conversation. Riven shrugged:
"Tonight we stay here. Give us a place."
Her brother grumbled but eventually gave in:
"Damn it… fine, come in."
Darel watched silently; he sensed something strange—was this really about a war, or some other plan?
They entered with Nox.
"You'll sleep here," said her brother. "Nox will stay with me, no problem."
Riven glanced at Darel. Darel replied, "Yes, no problem," though his voice was tense.
Riven fell asleep—but not completely. His third, divine eye quietly opened, glowing within.
"Oh," Riven muttered, "so this is the realm of the gods."
A shadowy, divine yet sarcastic voice echoed:
"God, have you come, you piece of filth?"
Riven smiled.
"It's been a long time, fake god. Has your place always been the same, or have we changed?"
The voice laughed:
"Never changed."
Riven took a seat at the table, facing the god. Tension thickened between them.
"Elya is your daughter, isn't she?" Riven whispered, sharp as a blade. "If you betray me, I will take her life."
The god narrowed his eyes, growling:
"How do you know? Is she really my daughter?"
Riven's smile was cold:
"I have my methods."
He moved straight to the point:
"I have one condition. You will come to my village—we'll make her stronger. In return… you will watch over your daughter."
The god thought, nodding slowly. Riven continued sternly:
"The plan is simple. You will hold the 'vel'—the binding spell. Bind it within two minutes. I will step out and kill him. That's how it's done."
A hush fell; everyone pondered Riven's words. His third eye still glowed; the next move of the game was already calculated.
---
Riven lifted his head in the darkness.
"The war begins in ten days," he said coldly.
"There are things I must do first. After that… we will defeat them easily."
The god silently bowed.
"Very well. Your time has come."
Riven smirked lightly. "Ah, until we meet again," he said mockingly.
Suddenly, his eyes opened—he awoke.
A thin trail of blood ran from his lips.
"Damn it…" he muttered.
"Controlling this divine eye… is harder than I thought. I need to be stronger."
From afar, a voice echoed—the fake god's:
"Look at you, my perfect pawn!"
Riven gritted his teeth, a blood-tinged smile forming on his face:
"You think you're using me? The turn is mine."
Darel looked at Riven:
"What is he smiling about now?" he murmured. His eyes fell on the blood at Riven's mouth.
"This kid isn't left alone for a second…"
Riven lifted his head:
"Corven!" he called.
Corven immediately answered:
"Yes, my lord? Is there a problem?"
Riven's eyes darkened as he spoke:
"Corven… I will enter your domain. Show me Elya."
Corven bowed:
"As you command."
Riven closed his eyes, mentally entering Corven's domain.
Moments later, he sat on a black throne.
"Show me," he said firmly.
Corven raised his hand:
"Here you go, my lord."
A vision appeared.
Elya was crying, her eyes swollen and red.
Riven studied her silently.
"Hmm… her eyes are bloodshot."
He asked coldly:
"Corven, can you take her into your domain?"
Corven nodded:
"Of course."
Elya opened her eyes—everything around her was pitch black.
She looked around in fear.
"Where… am I?" she whispered.
Then she saw a figure:
Cross-legged, in the darkness, eyes glowing as he watched her—Riven.
Elya whispered:
"These eyes… like crows. Are you really… a demon?"
Riven straightened with a mocking grin:
"Hey, long time no see. How have you been?" he said, laughing.
---
Elya trembled, crying:
"Riven… I'm really sorry. Please forgive me, I beg you…"
Riven looked at her with disgust:
"Lex… you know where he is, right? Tell me, and I'll take him back."
Corven tried to intervene:
"My lord, but—"
Riven cut him off sharply:
"Silence, Corven."
Corven muttered:
"I'm sorry, my lord."
Elya, fearful, looked at Riven. Her lips quivered:
"L‑E‑X… that night… at the Spike Guild. He tried to kill our teachers… everyone you cared about."
Riven's eyes narrowed briefly in surprise. Then, in a cold, calculated voice:
"Elya!" he shouted. "Look at me."
Elya raised her head, trembling. Riven approached and gently touched her face, his voice unexpectedly soft:
"I'm giving you one more chance. You claim to love me—don't waste it. If you do… you will truly die."
Elya froze:
"What?—Do you really love me, Riven?" she whispered, shocked and desperate.
Riven nodded. Then he kissed her.
Elya internally gasped, "What's happening?" Her face flushed, but her fear lessened slightly.
Riven stood, a dark smile spreading across his face. As he exited Corven's domain, he muttered:
"You can never betray me. I stole your heart—ah, what beautiful pawns… damn it, seeing them all die will be glorious. Kissing… disgusting, makes me sick."
A short pause, then he announced his next move:
"Anyway. Now, let's head to the Spike Guild. I have business there."
---
Riven walked toward the Spike Guild. Corven quietly glanced at Darel:
"My lord," he whispered, "Riven's behavior… it's different this time. He seems to be hiding something."
Darel furrowed his brows, nodding silently:
"I know. When his third eye opens… he's not just after power. He has a plan, but it's hard to tell what."
Corven bit his lip, trembling slightly:
"Doing this in front of Elya… it's not normal. So open and ruthless… as if… as if he's using her."
Darel turned, silently observing Riven's back:
"Exactly. He's playing with the girl's safety. But worse… he's doing it for his own gain. Something will happen… and we'll be pulled in before we even realize it."
Corven held his breath, eyes fixed on Riven's dark figure.
"So… what do we do? Can we stop him?"
Darel replied calmly:
"For now, we watch. Rushing in will only play into Riven's trap. But one thing is certain: this time, the game won't be in our control."
They fell silent as footsteps echoed down the dark corridors of the guild, heightening the tension.
Riven walked with hands in his pockets, a faint smirk on his face. The only thing Corven and Darel missed was the slight gleam in his eyes—both a threat and an opportunity.
Darel thought:
"This boy… he will use Elya. But even he may not fully know the outcome of his plan. We are merely spectators."
Corven pressed his lips together:
"By the gods… this time it's serious. Really serious."
---