Realm of Gods and Border of Demons
Riven closed his eyes.
When his third eye opened, two realms unfolded before him — one burning with divine light, the other breathing with demonic darkness.
The wind howled, the air split apart.
He took a step forward, standing between both worlds.
> "I can go there now," he murmured to himself. "Both above... and below."
A brief silence — then a cold voice echoed in his mind.
> "Vel is waiting for you."
Riven lifted his head, a faint gleam flashing in his eyes.
> "Then two days from now… we meet on the battlefield," he whispered.
---
Vel's Wrath
Vel rose from his throne. His small body trembled with light, his eyes blazing like a storm.
> "This time, I'll kill you myself, Riven!" he roared.
"I'll rebuild everything you destroyed! You'll pay for what you've done!"
Riven only laughed.
The dark echo rippled between the realms.
> "What are you even saying, huh?" he mocked. "If it weren't for those two men, you'd already be rotting underground.
You needed their help, Vel… is that what you call divinity?"
When his words ended, the shadows cracked — and Riven vanished.
Vel's scream shook the heavens.
Walls shattered. The sky trembled.
> "That brat is mocking me!" he bellowed.
"I'll tear him apart!"
---
The Beginning of the Plan
Riven returned to a silent cavern.
Beyaz Riven sat on a rock, a calm gleam in his eyes, waiting.
> "Are the preparations complete?" Riven asked.
Beyaz Riven lowered his head.
> "Yes. The binding spell is ready. But you must be careful during the battle. Darel, Corven, and Kael... one will act as bait, the others will open the path."
Riven's lips curved into a faint grin.
> "Exactly as I planned. Hold the binding spell as long as you can. When the moment comes, I'll strike."
Beyaz Riven took a deep breath.
> "Sometimes... I forget how heartless you are," he said quietly.
Riven turned his face to the darkness, sparks dancing in his eyes.
> "Little Riven played his role perfectly," he murmured. "Now it's my turn. This time, everyone dies."
---
Riven inhaled deeply.
The warmth of the third eye on his chest pulsed with faint energy.
Beside him, the white figure flickered like a dying flame.
> Riven (calmly): "Enter me — you'll emerge during the battle."
Beyaz Riven (coldly): "Very well."
For a brief moment, they shared the same breath; white light streamed through Riven's veins, spreading both peace and deadly resolve.
Then Riven raised his head.
> "Let's go to the village."
At the village gates, Elira greeted them. Her face carried surprise and a trace of relief.
> Elira: "Riven? Are you all right? It's been so long…"
Riven smiled faintly and hugged her — a mix of warmth and distance in that embrace.
> Riven: "Hello, sister. Go inside. Call Darel, Kael, and Corven. We're holding a meeting."
Elira hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."
Soon the three arrived — Darel, Kael, and Corven.
Riven seated them around the table, his gaze scanning every face.
> Riven (commanding): "Sit. We need to talk."
Darel frowned; he could sense something different in Riven's aura.
> Darel: "Your aura has changed. What is it you want to discuss, my lord?"
Riven paused, then spoke directly:
> Riven: "In two days, we fight Vel. Prepare yourselves."
Everyone spoke at once — disbelief, anger, and doubt filled the room.
> All: "What? How can you decide that without us?"
Riven silenced them with a look — cold, calm, and final.
> Riven: "Kael. Darel. Corven. Which one of you will be the bait?"
The room froze.
Some scoffed; others clenched their fists.
> Kael: "What the hell are you saying? Bait? You think we're expendable?"
Corven: "Pawns? We fight together — no one is disposable!"
Riven's gaze drifted to the flickering candle between them. His voice was like a blade drawn in silence.
> Riven: "My pawns already know their place. There are three of you — one dies, two might live by chance. So… who will it be? Or shall I choose?"
Elira suddenly stood up — fear and resolve burning in her eyes.
> Elira: "I'll do it."
Riven turned toward her, gently pushing her hand away.
> Riven (sternly): "No. Not you."
Then his eyes locked onto Darel.
> Riven: "It'll be you, Darel."
The blood rushed to Darel's face. He drew his sword and lunged, the blade grazing Riven's neck.
> Darel (furious): "Go to hell! I'll kill you!"
Riven didn't flinch. His calmness was suffocating.
> Riven: "You won't. You know you can't. Your sword trembles, Darel. If you don't pull it back, I'll snap your fingers myself. You have three seconds."
Darel froze — the blade quivered in his grip.
Riven didn't move an inch, eyes steady, voice even.
He began counting softly.
Before he reached "three," Darel pulled back.
The sword didn't strike, but the air between them shattered — something invisible broke that night.
The room fell silent.
Every breath was heavy, and in Riven's eyes lingered a promise — the plan had already begun.
---
Corven's Doubt
The meeting ended. Everyone dispersed, pretending to prepare — but Corven's heart refused to rest.
He leaned his sword against the wall and sat on the bed.
> "Would he really make me… the pawn?" he whispered to himself.
Riven's cold stare haunted him.
"One of you will be the bait."
No hesitation. No mercy.
Darkness coiled inside Corven's chest.
"Maybe... it'll be me," he muttered, clenching his fists.
A thought crept into his mind — dark, forbidden.
What if Riven wasn't Riven anymore?
What if the demon inside had already consumed him?
His breath trembled.
His hand reached for his sword.
> "What if I kill him first?" he thought, teeth grinding.
But then — Riven's eyes appeared in his mind again.
Those eyes that mocked death itself.
Corven exhaled shakily, letting go of the blade.
Yet the whisper inside him did not fade.
> "One day… you'll kill me, won't you, Riven?"
---
Beyaz Riven's Warning
Beyaz Riven sat in silence.
He closed his eyes — and heard it.
A faint echo, then a whisper:
> "What if I kill him first?"
He recognized the voice immediately. Corven.
A sigh escaped his lips.
Gray light seeped from under his eyelids as he reached through the link between their minds.
> Beyaz Riven: "Riven… Corven doubts you. I heard his thoughts. He might even be thinking of killing you."
Riven (smirking): "He can't even act on it."
Beyaz Riven: "Still, be careful. His heart walks close to the dark — not as deep as yours, but close."
Riven (laughing): "Let him. Darkness makes men strong."
Beyaz Riven: "It also leaves them alone."
Riven fell silent.
The smirk faded, but only for a breath. Then his eyes gleamed again.
> Riven: "Loneliness is my weapon."
He pulled up his hood and started walking toward the edge of the village.
> Riven: "If Corven is going to betray me… I'll decide when."
Beyaz Riven sighed.
> "This path will destroy you, Riven…" he whispered.
But Riven was already gone.
—
Kael was biting his nails; the nail beds had turned into thin black lines of pain. Panic had condensed into a single thought echoing endlessly in his skull: What if it's me? What if he's lying? Why did I come here?
His mind was a storm. For a brief moment, Elira's face appeared — that gentle, protective face. Then another image followed: Riven's cold stare, that silent command. "If necessary…" Kael whispered to himself, and a spark of madness flickered in his eyes.
"Yes," he muttered, licking his dry lips. "I'll kill her. Elira… not because Riven said so — but because I choose to. Kill. Kill. Kill."
The sword in his hand felt cold. The room was swallowed by darkness, only a single candle trembling on the table. Kael steadied his breath, opened the door — and stepped inside. His steps were silent; his heartbeat felt almost nonexistent.
At that very moment, Riven felt it. His third eye — the void within — caught the disturbance like a scream in the dark. His chest tightened, and without thinking, he sprinted toward the room.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Riven burst in — his voice struck like a hammer. Kael turned around; his eyes wild, his movements erratic. Then, without warning, he slashed his own arm — whether intentional or not was unclear. The sting of metal sparked across his face. From the wound seeped a black vapor — an aura of cold, sharp, murderous intent.
"Ahhh—my arms!" Kael screamed, gasping for breath. But his gaze… it was still dancing on the edge of madness. "Damn it! I don't want to die!"
Riven stepped closer, placed a hand on Kael's shoulder, and looked straight into his eyes. That look carried something deep — both soft and absolute.
Kael suddenly collapsed — a sound escaped his mouth, halfway between laughter and agony. "What's happening? Am I dead?" he shouted, his voice trembling with both fear and disbelief.
Then, the White Riven appeared — first as a whisper, then as solid reality.
"Ah, such a devil you are…" he murmured, his tone laced with disgust and a hint of mockery. "Shhh… I'm here. To be honest, I don't like staining my hands with blood — I'm not like him." His voice was calm, yet cutting.
Then the White Riven's eyes shifted — something uncoiled within him, spreading like light through glass. The aura that Riven expected to be protective now shimmered differently: from the floor's shadows rose wolf-like figures, ghostly silhouettes of white and shadow intertwined — huge, ethereal, their threat undeniable though their teeth were unseen.
"I'm unleashing my wolves," said the White Riven, his voice echoing like a divine decree. "Stop him. Kill him."
The command was cold — no mercy, no hesitation.
The wolves circled Kael. They moved so fast they were nothing but shifting blurs at first; then claws tore through fabric, steel, flesh. Kael struggled, gasping, a strangled sob escaping his mouth. A wolf's strike threw him off balance; his sword clattered to the floor with a metallic cry.
Riven turned to the White Riven — his eyes demanded an answer: Why?
A moment of inner conflict flashed across the White Riven's face, but he hardened again. "If I don't stop him," he said quietly, "he'll stop you."
Elira rushed forward, but the wolves ignored her; she was untouched, as if protected by an unseen shield. The white beasts encircled Kael tighter, their movements brutal yet blurred — screams followed, then silence. Kael's aura broke apart, dissolving into nothing.
Riven knelt beside him, resting a hand on Kael's forehead. His face showed both concern and calculation. Kael's eyes flickered open now and then, showing flashes of guilt and terror. After a few fading breaths, his voice came weakly: "Why… why did you do this?"
Riven drew in a slow, cold breath. "Your reason doesn't matter anymore," he said in a low tone. "You were part of the game." Then he turned to the White Riven. "White… was that too much?" His voice wasn't as calm as he wished — there was a spark of anger in it.
The White Riven didn't answer at first. He stared into the distance, eyes caught between fragile regret and quiet relief. "It was necessary," he said finally — though beneath his voice, another thought hid: defense, or perhaps a plan of his own.
Elira fell to her knees beside Kael, trembling hands trying to cover his wounds. Her tearful eyes met Riven's, filled with fear. "Riven… what's happening?" she whispered.
Riven took a few heavy breaths; a dark, cold smile stretched across his lips. "The game has begun," he said, quiet yet final. "Two days remain."
Outside, the wind grew harsher; the village lights flickered.
Inside, one man lay broken — and two others stood unchanged, yet no longer the same.
The White Riven's shadow stretched long — a herald of something yet to come.
—