The Awakening
I stood alone in the forest, the darkness within me still lingering. I could feel its presence, like a shadow at the edge of my consciousness.
As I walked back through the trees, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me. I knew that Riven was out there, waiting for his chance to strike.
But I was determined to resist him. I was determined to fight against the darkness within me.
As I walked, I noticed that the trees around me were changing. They were becoming more twisted, more gnarled. The branches seemed to be reaching out towards me, like skeletal fingers.
And then, I saw it. A figure standing before me, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I am the one who has been watching over you," it said. "The one who has been guiding you."
I felt a surge of confusion. Who was this? And what did they want from me?
But before I could ask any more questions, the figure reached out and touched my forehead.
And suddenly, everything became clear.
I saw the past, the present, and the future. I saw the world in all its complexity, and I saw my place within it.
And then, I saw Riven. He was standing in the distance, his eyes burning with a malevolent energy.
But this time, he was different. This time, he was afraid.
I knew that I had been awakened. I knew that I had been given a new purpose.
And with that purpose, I knew that I would never be able to go back to the way things were before.