Riven didn't leave the tavern immediately.
That alone was a mistake.
He stood there for several seconds after Vireya Caelmont walked away, fingers still resting on the mug, body locked in that dangerous calm that came right before things went wrong.
People thought self-control was strength.
They were idiots.
Self-control was just delayed damage.
He finally exhaled and turned toward the door.
That's when it hit him.
Not pain.
Distance.
A hollow pull, sudden and sharp, like a rope yanked too far, too fast.
Riven stumbled half a step.
"—Shit."
He didn't need the system to tell him.
Maelis.
She wasn't nearby, but she wasn't ignorant either.
Emotion traveled faster than footsteps.
[Affinity Ledger — Reaction Detected]
[Bond: Survival / Dependency — Strain Increasing]
[Cause: External Bond Potential]
[Note: Jealousy Escalation Likely]
Riven rubbed his face.
"So you do narrate when things get bad," he muttered.
Great. Late commentary.
He pushed out into the street, air colder than before. The city noise felt louder now, sharper, like everything had edges.
He walked fast.
Not toward the inn.
Toward her.
Because here was the truth he'd been dodging since Chapter One:
Running didn't reduce damage.
It just redistributed it.
Maelis was on the roof.
Because of course she was.
Riven spotted her silhouette against the dim sky, legs dangling over the edge, dagger resting across her knees like an accusation she hadn't spoken yet.
She didn't turn when he climbed up.
Didn't acknowledge him.
That silence weighed more than shouting ever could.
He stopped a few steps away.
"You're going to fall if you keep sitting like that," he said lightly.
"Good," she replied. "Saves time."
There it was.
Riven leaned back against the low wall, careful not to crowd her.
"You felt it," he said.
She laughed once. Dry. "Try the word choked."
Silence again.
He chose honesty. It hurt more, but less later.
"I didn't touch her."
Maelis finally looked at him.
Her eyes weren't angry.
They were calculating.
"That's worse," she said.
Riven winced. "Yeah. I figured."
She stood, stepping closer, close enough that he could see the faint tremor in her hand.
"You didn't choose it," she said. "Your… thing did."
"Yes."
"And I still felt it."
"Yes."
Her jaw tightened. "Then don't stand there pretending this is equal."
That landed.
Hard.
"You think I'm enjoying this?" he snapped before he could stop himself. "You think I want someone else's presence tearing through my chest like—"
"Like I don't matter?" she cut in.
He froze.
That was the blind spot.
The one he kept circling.
He exhaled slowly. "Like you matter too much."
That stopped her.
She stared at him, then scoffed. "That's a nice sentence."
"It's also true."
She turned away, gripping the ledge.
"You're not the only one paying," she said quietly. "You know that, right?"
"I do now."
"That noble woman—" Maelis continued, "—she didn't look at you like a person."
Riven's lips twitched. "She never does."
"She looked at you like leverage."
"Also fair."
Maelis shook her head. "You attract dangerous women."
He raised an eyebrow. "Says the woman with three hidden blades."
"Four," she corrected automatically.
He smiled despite himself.
There it was.
Human.
Fragile.
Still alive.
The system stirred.
[Affinity Ledger — Bond Stabilization Attempt]
[Condition: Mutual Acknowledgment Required]
Riven frowned. "That sounds ominous."
Maelis narrowed her eyes. "What?"
He hesitated.
Then sighed. "The system wants us to… acknowledge what this is."
She stared at him. "Out loud?"
"Preferably without stabbing."
She thought for a long moment.
Then, reluctantly, she said, "You're not mine."
The pressure shifted.
"…But," she continued, voice tight, "if you drag me into your mess, you don't get to pretend I'm disposable."
Something settled.
Not eased.
Anchored.
[Bond Status: Survival / Dependency — Stabilized (Temporary)]
[Cost Deferred — Interest Accruing]
Riven swallowed.
"That's fair," he said.
She glanced at him. "You're terrible at fair."
"Working on it."
He didn't see Vireya again that night.
Which didn't mean she was gone.
It meant she was patient.
And patience, in this world, was just delayed violence.
Riven lay awake later, staring at the ceiling, Maelis asleep on the other side of the room, back turned to him but presence undeniable.
The system spoke once more.
[Affinity Ledger]
[Upcoming Event Detected]
[Arc Initiation: Power Entanglement]
[Warning: First Scar Cannot Be Avoided]
Riven closed his eyes.
So that's it.
No escape.
No clean paths.
Only choices that cut differently.
He laughed softly, the sound more tired than amused.
"Guess I'll find out what kind of man I am," he whispered.
And somewhere between ambition and attachment, the ledger waited to collect.