**Chapter 6: Nyx's Awakening**
The ruins of the city stretched out before Riven like an open wound, scorched earth where once stood a place of life. His eyes traced the shattered skyline, the jagged remains of structures that had once been grand and proud. The air was still, too still for Riven's liking, as if the land itself was mourning what had been lost. He stood at the edge of the devastation, the weight of the revelations pressing down on him.
The story of Nyx's betrayal, of his fight against Riven's grandfather, and the destruction that followed, had taken root in Riven's mind. The man who had once been his mentor, the man he had looked up to, had caused irreparable damage. But now, as Riven pieced together the fragments of the past, he couldn't help but feel the tug of a deeper understanding. Nyx had never been just a pawn in his grandfather's game—he had been a victim, too. A victim of power, manipulation, and the twisted chains of a pact that had nearly destroyed him.
As Riven turned to face Nyx, his companion stood at the far side of the ruined city, his posture stiff, his head low. The wind tugged at his dark cloak, but Nyx made no move to acknowledge it. He was lost in his thoughts, trapped in a battle within himself that Riven could only begin to comprehend.
"Nyx," Riven called softly, his voice breaking the silence that had settled between them.
Nyx didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared at the ground as if the earth itself held the answers to his questions. Riven had long known that Nyx carried the weight of his past with him, but today, it seemed heavier than ever. The destruction of the city, the chaos he had unwittingly helped create, had shattered something in Nyx. It wasn't just the physical scars that lingered on his body, it was the emotional ones—those invisible wounds that Riven could see but could not touch.
"Is it truly over, Nyx?" Riven asked again, stepping closer. "Are you... are you free of him now?"
The question hung in the air, both simple and devastating. Nyx's silence answered for him more than words ever could.
---
Years had passed since the destruction. For Nyx, they had felt like an eternity. The flames that had razed the city still burned in his memory, a constant reminder of the day he had finally defied his tormentor. But freedom, as Nyx had discovered, was not without its price.
After the battle with Riven's grandfather, Nyx had wandered alone. The chaos he had contributed to weighed heavily on his heart, and the path he walked was nothing short of a search for redemption. But redemption is a long and winding road, one that stretches out in ways that are difficult to predict.
He had spent years traversing the lands, crossing into distant territories where even the name of Riven's grandfather had no weight. In the mountains, across deserts, through war-torn villages—Nyx had searched for a way to atone, to make amends for his past. But each place he went, each person he met, only reminded him of how much he had lost.
The bond with Riven's grandfather had left a permanent scar on his soul. Nyx had once believed that by following the old man's orders, he could find purpose. But as the years wore on, he realized that the very thing he had sought—power, control—had been a lie. A false promise that led to nothing but destruction and pain.
It was a wound that refused to heal. And no matter how far he ran, no matter how many lands he crossed, it would always follow him.
---
Riven continued to watch Nyx, his eyes narrowing as the distance between them grew smaller. He had seen the signs of inner turmoil in his companion, but he still didn't fully understand the depth of it. Nyx had always been silent, always kept his thoughts locked away behind a wall of reserve. But now, as Riven looked at him, he could see the cracks beginning to show.
"Nyx," Riven said once more, his voice steady. "What happened after the destruction? Where did you go?"
Nyx finally turned to face him, his eyes weary, haunted by a past that he could never outrun. "I ran," he said simply, his voice barely a whisper. "I ran from everything. From myself. From what I had become."
Riven took a step forward, but Nyx raised a hand, signaling him to stop. "I thought that by leaving, by burying myself in places where no one knew me, I could forget. But the truth is, I never could. The past... it clings to you, no matter how far you go."
Riven's heart ached as he saw the raw vulnerability in Nyx's eyes. This was not the man who had fought so fiercely by his side. This was not the stoic, calculating warrior Riven had come to know. This was a broken soul, trying desperately to find a way to reconcile with the ghost of a past he could never outrun.
"I hurt people, Riven," Nyx continued, his voice breaking as the weight of his confession crashed over him. "I thought I was doing the right thing, following orders. But in the end, all I did was destroy. My grandfather... he manipulated me. He used me as a tool for his own ambitions, and I let him. I let him control me, and I let him destroy everything around me."
Riven's mind raced, trying to process everything Nyx had just said. He had always known that Nyx's past was dark, but he hadn't understood just how deeply the roots of that darkness ran.
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Riven asked, his voice tinged with frustration, but also with something else—pity, perhaps, or something even more complicated. "Why keep it all buried?"
Nyx's lips twisted into a wry smile, one that lacked any humor. "Because I didn't want you to see me for what I truly am. I didn't want you to see the broken man who could do nothing but follow orders. I thought you would look at me the same way you looked at your grandfather—like I was nothing but a tool, a weapon. I couldn't bear that. Not from you."
Riven was silent for a moment, his mind processing the depth of Nyx's words. He could see the pain in Nyx's eyes, the self-loathing that gnawed at him like a cancer. But even through the layers of darkness, Riven saw something else—something flickering, fragile but there nonetheless. Hope.
"You're not him, Nyx," Riven said softly. "You're not a tool. And you're not a weapon. You're my friend. And you've helped me in ways I can never repay. No matter what you did in the past, that's what matters now."
Nyx looked at him, his expression unreadable. "I don't know if I can forgive myself, Riven. I don't know if I can ever make up for the things I've done. The destruction, the pain..."
"You don't have to forgive yourself all at once," Riven interrupted, stepping closer. "But you can try. And you can start by facing your past, by accepting what happened and learning from it. I can't change it for you. But I'll be here. As long as you need me."
Nyx's eyes softened, just a little. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Riven to see that perhaps, just perhaps, Nyx was beginning to believe it.
The two men stood in silence for a moment, the weight of the past still hanging over them, but somehow lighter now. Riven could feel the shift in the air—the first flicker of something new, something healing.
Nyx wasn't free of his past yet, but maybe, just maybe, he was starting to find the strength to face it. And that, for Riven, was enough for now.
"Thank you," Nyx murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "For not giving up on me."
Riven smiled, though his heart remained heavy. "I never will, Nyx. I never will."
And as the wind blew through the ruins, the two of them stood together, no longer as a master and a servant, but as something more—a bond forged in the fire of their shared struggles, tempered by the weight of the past, but ready to face whatever future awaited them.