Silence.
An unbearable...
Absolute...
Silence.
The words of the Moonstone Guardian lingered within the ancient chamber.
"...THE KING..."
No one understood.
Not Nyss.
Not Zoldick.
Not Marlis.
Not even Riven himself.
The gigantic Guardian remained motionless.
Its silver eyes, which had remained unchanged for countless centuries, stared directly into Riven as though searching beyond flesh... beyond spirit... beyond time itself.
The chamber suddenly trembled.
Not from power.
From uncertainty.
...
Then...
Something impossible happened.
The Moonstone Guardian slowly lowered its head.
The massive construct took one heavy step backward.
THOOOM!
Ancient dust drifted from the ceiling.
Another step.
THOOOM!
Every competitor instinctively backed away.
The Guardian's enormous body slowly descended.
Its right knee touched the ancient floor.
BOOOOOOM!!
The entire chamber shook violently.
Silver flames exploded from every wall.
The runes covering the floor blazed brighter than ever before.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody moved.
The impossible...
Had just happened.
...
Nyss's silver eyes widened.
"...It..."
"It knelt..."
Lyra's notebook slipped from her trembling fingers.
Zoldick stared blankly.
"No..."
"That's impossible..."
Even Marlis, who rarely displayed emotion, stood frozen.
"A Guardian..."
"...kneeling?"
Roran scratched his head in complete confusion.
"I don't think..."
"...that's supposed to happen."
The remaining challengers looked at one another with pale faces.
None of them had ever heard of such a thing.
Not in history.
Not in legends.
Not even in bedtime stories.
...
Outside the chamber...
Above the enormous arena...
The floating projection suddenly erupted with silver light.
The rulers immediately looked upward.
Queen Nyxara frowned.
"What happened?"
Selene's calm composure cracked for the first time.
"...Impossible."
Caelum slowly rose to his feet.
"The Guardian..."
The Elder's ancient eyes narrowed.
He said nothing.
Yet...
His fingers tightened around his staff.
He had watched countless generations attempt the Lunar Trials.
Never...
Not once...
Had he witnessed this.
The projection clearly showed the impossible.
The Guardian...
Kneeling before a challenger.
...
Within the chamber...
Riven himself remained frozen.
His heart pounded violently.
He hadn't moved.
He hadn't attacked.
He hadn't spoken.
"...Why..."
He whispered.
The Guardian's glowing eyes trembled.
For the first time...
Its ancient voice faltered.
"...Impossible..."
Its gaze remained fixed upon Riven.
"...Not..."
A long pause followed.
Silver flames danced wildly.
"...Not Him..."
The chamber fell completely silent.
Another pause.
Longer this time.
The Guardian slowly lifted its head.
Its eyes seemed to regain clarity.
"...Not..."
"...Yet."
The last word echoed softly.
Then...
The gigantic construct slowly stood once more.
Its movements were calm.
Measured.
Almost...
Ashamed.
As though it had committed an error.
The silver flames gradually settled.
The violent trembling ceased.
Everything became still again.
...
The Guardian stared at Riven for several long moments.
Then...
Its voice regained its ancient authority.
"YOUNG ONE..."
A pause.
"TELL ME..."
Another pause.
"...WHAT..."
"...IS..."
"...STRENGTH?"
The question echoed through every corner of the chamber.
Nobody interrupted.
Nobody dared.
Every eye turned toward Riven.
...
Riven stood quietly.
He didn't answer.
Not immediately.
Instead...
He slowly closed his eyes.
A deep breath entered his lungs.
The chamber disappeared.
The Guardian disappeared.
Everything disappeared.
Only memories remained.
...
Threxa.
Warm sunlight.
Children running through dusty streets.
His father laughing while repairing a broken fence.
His mother smiling gently.
Home.
...
Then...
Darkness.
Flames.
Blood.
Screams.
The sky burning red.
People running.
People dying.
The smell of smoke.
His own desperate cries.
"Mother!"
Tyrella Nocturne standing before him.
Protecting him.
Fighting alone.
Her final smile.
Her final words.
Then...
Silence.
...
Pain.
Unimaginable pain.
The Alpha's bite.
Bones breaking.
Blood boiling.
The agony of becoming something he had never wanted to become.
The fear of losing himself.
The loneliness that followed.
Being neither fully human...
Nor fully wolf.
...
He remembered Eryx.
His first lessons.
His first failures.
His first victory.
Kael.
Rigor.
The countless battles.
Every scar.
Every defeat.
Every person who had reached out a hand instead of abandoning him.
The truth about Tyrella.
The burden she had carried.
The expectations now resting upon his own shoulders.
...
Slowly...
Riven opened his eyes.
There was no fear within them.
No hesitation.
Only honesty.
"My name..."
He began quietly.
"...is Riven Thorn."
His voice echoed naturally through the chamber.
"Son of Tyrella Nocturne..."
"...and Balthar Thorn."
Several Nocturne youths instinctively straightened.
Riven continued.
"I was born..."
"...a human."
"...And forced..."
"...to become a wolf."
Silence.
"I don't know..."
"...what true strength is."
"I've never claimed to."
The Guardian remained perfectly still.
"I only know..."
"...pain."
"I've lost my home."
"My family."
"My old life."
"I've watched people I cared about die."
"I've questioned whether I should keep living."
His voice remained calm.
Not emotional.
Not dramatic.
Simply truthful.
"I've suffered enough..."
"...that many people would've wished for death."
Several competitors quietly lowered their heads.
Even Zoldick's playful expression disappeared.
Riven slowly clenched his fist.
"But..."
"I didn't die."
"I stood up."
"I kept walking."
"I kept fighting."
"I kept getting stronger."
Not because I wanted revenge."
"Not because I wanted power."
He looked directly into the Guardian's glowing eyes.
"But because..."
"...I still have something no one has managed to take from me."
"My will."
"My will..."
"...to stand again."
"My will..."
"...to protect those beside me."
"My will..."
"...to keep moving forward."
"No matter how many times I fall."
He slowly raised his clenched fist.
"If tomorrow defeats me..."
"I'll rise the next day."
"If the next battle breaks me..."
"I'll stand again."
"If the whole world tells me..."
"...that I cannot move forward..."
"I'll take one more step anyway."
His voice gradually grew firmer.
"I don't know whether that's strength."
"I don't know whether that's courage."
"I only know..."
"...that if I'm ever going to fulfill what lies before me..."
"...then I must continue pushing beyond my limits."
His eyes burned with quiet determination.
"My will..."
"...is my strength."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The chamber itself seemed to hold its breath.
...
The Guardian stared at him.
One second.
Five.
Ten.
Its enormous silver eyes searched Riven's face.
Not for lies.
Not for power.
For truth.
Then...
The silver runes covering the Guardian's stone body slowly began glowing.
Softly.
Gently.
Unlike before.
This light carried warmth.
Recognition.
The Guardian slowly nodded.
A single movement.
Barely noticeable.
Yet every challenger saw it.
Its ancient voice echoed through the chamber.
"...WILL..."
"...IS..."
"...THE ROOT..."
"...FROM WHICH..."
"...ALL TRUE STRENGTH..."
"...IS BORN."
The silver flames surrounding the chamber suddenly calmed.
The violent pressure disappeared entirely.
The Guardian slowly stepped aside.
An ancient doorway behind it illuminated with brilliant silver light.
The Guardian extended one enormous arm toward it.
Its voice echoed one final time.
"...PROCEED."
The word reverberated throughout the chamber.
Not merely an instruction.
An acknowledgement.
Riven had passed.
Not because he was the strongest.
But because his heart had answered.
Behind him...
Nyss smiled softly.
"I knew you would."
Zoldick let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"...Remind me..."
"...never to give speeches after you."
Roran laughed loudly.
"I almost cried."
"You always almost cry."
Lyra replied, smiling through misty eyes.
Even Marlis gave a small nod.
"...A worthy answer."
The Guardian's glowing eyes swept across the remaining challengers.
"THE TRIAL..."
"...CONTINUES."
Immediately...
The silver doorway expanded.
The floor beneath every challenger began glowing.
The true Trial of Strength...
Was only just beginning.