A heavy silence settled over the dungeon's entrance. The once-confident nobles—proud sons of aristocratic houses—stood frozen as he emerged.
Riven.
But he was not the same man who had entered.
His presence alone was suffocating, like a blade pressed against their throats. His crimson eyes gleamed in the dim torchlight, sharp and unreadable. His jet-black hair, now slightly longer, fell over his forehead in a way that made him look even sharper—more inhumanly perfect.
His aura was different.
Darker.
More refined.
As if he had shed his humanity and become something greater.
A being that shouldn't exist.
---
The Fear in Their Eyes
Julius Alden, the golden boy of House Alden, clenched his fists. He had mocked Riven before. Had looked down on him.
Now, he couldn't even speak.
His instincts screamed at him. Run.
But his pride kept him rooted in place.
The other nobles weren't as composed.
One of them, a high-ranking heir, took a step back—then another. His face had gone pale, beads of sweat rolling down his temple.
"W-What… happened to him?" someone muttered.
No one answered.
Because none of them knew.
Riven simply walked past them, his steps controlled, predatory.
His silence spoke louder than any words.
---
The Duke's Academy – Midnight Arrival
The night sky was painted in deep shades of crimson and violet, the moon hanging high like an omen.
As Riven stepped into the Academy grounds, his shadow stretched unnaturally beneath him. Every student still awake turned to stare. Conversations halted. Laughter died.
A single glance at him, and their bodies tensed.
They didn't know why.
But something deep in their bones told them—
He was dangerous.
He ignored their stares. They didn't matter.
Right now, there was only one thing he needed to confirm.
---
The Awakening
Inside his private chamber, Riven sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers resting lightly against his palm.
He could feel it.
The power that now coursed through his veins—cold, overwhelming, absolute.
He lifted a hand, and dark energy coiled around his fingers like living shadows. It was more than just mana. It was something far deeper, far deadlier.
The remnants of a Forgotten Monarch.
He exhaled slowly, his breath steady. His reflection stared back at him from the mirror.
His features were sharper now—his once-boyish handsomeness refined into something lethal. His crimson pupils gleamed with a depth that hadn't been there before.
This was no longer the body of a struggling noble.
This was the body of a King.
A smirk ghosted across his lips.
"Not bad."
The moment he spoke, the entire room trembled.
His power was still stabilizing. He would need to test its limits soon.
But one thing was certain.
The world had just gained a new predator.
And soon, they would all realize it.
---
A Storm on the Horizon
Meanwhile, in the highest tower of the Academy, a lone figure stood at the window, gazing down at the courtyard.
It was the Academy's Headmaster.
He had felt it—the shift.
Something had awakened.
And for the first time in decades, a slow smile spread across his lips.
"This year…" he murmured, eyes gleaming.
"…will be interesting."