Riven had no idea how long he’d been unconscious, but the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a ceiling. Not a rickety one full of cobwebs or cracks like those he was used to in makeshift shelters or rundown houses. No—this was a fine ceiling. Its surface was clean, intricately carved, and even had a small crystal lamp hanging in the center, radiating a soft, warm light.
He imdiately pushed himself halfway up, rubbing his pounding temples. His head throbbed—heavy, as if he’d been struck by a boulder. But the pain paled in comparison to the storm of questions that followed.
The last thing he rembered... he had fallen asleep in Anna’s embrace, surrounded by chaos as the beast horde sward. And then?
What happened after that?
Why did all those beasts suddenly panic and flee in the sa direction, as if sothing far more terrifying was chasing them?
Why didn’t they attack the three of them?
Who exactly was Anna?
Was she the one who wiped out all those creatures in an instant?
How powerful was she, really?
And... who was she?
The questions didn’t stop there.
Where am I now?
Where’s my sister? Where is she? Are they both safe?
Why am I still alive? And why am I in a room this comfortable?
Each question added weight to his mind. The pain, which was once a dull throb, turned into a sharp stab. He shut his eyes, trying to calm the whirlwind inside his head—but failed.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw sothing.
He turned his head slowly.
Beside the bed, Mira sat asleep, slumped forward with her head resting on the mattress. Her breathing was calm, her cheeks faintly flushed from the awkward sleeping posture. Her hair was ssy, her clothes disheveled, but she looked peaceful. In her arms was a blanket—one she must have used to keep Riven warm.
He stared at her for a long mont.
Slowly, a small smile crept onto his lips—a faint, quiet smile... but genuine.
She was alive.
His sister was safe.
And sohow, they were in a place of safety.
For now, all those questions could wait.
Riven leaned over and gently lifted her up, laying her down beside him. His movents were soft, careful, and despite being moved, Mira showed no signs of discomfort. Her breathing remained steady, her expression peaceful—as if the outside world had no permission to enter her dreams.
Riven looked at her for a mont longer, then let out a long sigh. His mind drifted back to when the forest was filled with the roars and footsteps of beasts. When the earth shook, the skies trembled... and Mira slept through it all as if it were nothing more than nightti rain.
He stared at her in disbelief, then pinched her cheek while muttering silently,
"How do you sleep so deeply? If the world ended, you probably still wouldn’t wake up, would you?"
A soft chuckle escaped him, though the unease in his heart hadn’t completely vanished.
After tucking the blanket around her properly, Riven began inspecting his own body. He rembered clearly—there had been a deep claw wound across his chest. A wound from the bear that had nearly killed him.
Hesitantly, he unbuttoned his shirt.
His eyes widened.
The wound... had dried completely. No blood, no pain. Only three claw marks remained—scars etched into his skin that sohow looked... cool.
"...Huh. Not bad," he murmured, gazing at the scars with a mix of awe and confusion.
He went on to check the rest of his body—his shoulder that had been slashed, his side that had been pierced, his bruised knee. But...
Everything had healed.
Completely. Nearly without a trace.
A cold sweat broke out on Riven’s skin. His confusion turned to creeping horror. Beads of sweat ford on his brow as he whispered, "This has to be a high-end hospital!"
His eyes scanned the room. It was too clean. Too comfortable. Too luxurious for soone like him.
"Oh no. If they send us the bill, I’m done for..."
The fear of an expensive dical bill suddenly outweighed every other question about beasts, forests, and Anna’s overwhelming power.
He made a snap decision: escape before they send the invoice.
He hadn’t wanted to wake Mira, but this ergency couldn’t wait.
Panicked yet still gentle, he tapped her shoulder. No response.
He shook her slightly. Still no reaction.
Finally, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a sitting position, shaking her more vigorously.
"Mira! Wake up! We have to escape before they bill us for the treatnt!"
Mira barely stirred, groaning like a cat rudely awoken from a nap.
Riven groaned in frustration, but didn’t give up. He shook her again, harder.
"This is life or death, you hear?! If that bill’s ten thousand gold coins, I’m going to pass out again!"
Mira seed to be half-awake now. Her eyes cracked open, her gaze dazed and foggy, like soone just pulled out of a deep sleep. She blinked slowly, trying to make sense of her surroundings, but didn’t seem fully conscious.
anwhile, Riven shifted his focus. His eyes darted around the room in panic, scanning for anything familiar. He checked under the bed, behind the small cabinet, behind the curtains...
And in the corner of the room, he saw Crysthalis.
The weapon stood propped against the wall, untouched, glimring faintly under the daylight streaming in through the window. Seeing it, Riven let out a breath of relief. It felt like finding a missing piece of himself.
"At least you’re still here..." he whispered, fingers gently brushing the hilt.
But the relief didn’t last.
He noticed sothing.
Everything else—all of their other belongings—was gone. No old leather bag filled with scavenged survival gear. No salvaged swords, daggers, armor scraps, or spearheads taken from the battlefield at great risk. Everything... gone.
Riven swallowed hard. His stomach turned hollow, like falling from a height.
He spun toward Mira, hoping she had so kind of answer. But she had already... fallen back asleep.
He leaned in, shaking her shoulder gently but firmly. "Mira, wake up. Co on. This is important."
Mira grumbled, rubbing her eyes without opening them fully, then rolled over and pulled the blanket closer to her chin. Her face looked tired, but her voice ca out—slow and groggy, like soone talking in their sleep.
"Why’re... you... waking up..."
Riven let out a long sigh, then asked directly, "Did you see our stuff? The weapons we loaded into the wagon?"
Mira was silent for a few monts. Her breathing was heavy, her eyes still shut. Then, in a faint, sluggish voice, she muttered:
"...left behind..."
One word. Quiet. Unclear.
But it pierced Riven’s heart like a spear.
He froze. His gaze went blank.
"...left behind...?"
Silence fell. A breeze ca in through the open window, rustling the curtains softly—gentle movent in contrast to the storm brewing inside Riven.
Slowly, his hand rose to cover his face.
"...all of it... everything... that I gathered..."
He let out a long, bitter breath.
"...left behind just like that..."
A heavy aura of despair hung around him. His head bowed. The world seed to stop spinning. Riven sat frozen at the edge of the bed, staring at the floor like a man who’d just lost a lifeti’s worth of treasure.
And of course, Mira had already returned to deep sleep.
Then, suddenly—the door creaked open.
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