Every power structure has its king.
But before the king comes the shadow that clears the path.
In Valkyrion Academy, that shadow had a name.
Silas Vireon.
Student Council Vice-President.
A strategist. A prodigy. And a man who never let chaos grow unchecked.
The day after Seria's breakdown, Riven received an invitation—sealed with silver wax and delivered by an enchanted crow.
He popped it open lazily while brushing his teeth.
"Mr. Riven Kael,
Your recent… behavior has attracted unnecessary attention. We'd prefer to understand your motives before taking disciplinary action.
Please meet me at the East Courtyard Garden after class. Alone.
— Silas Vireon, Vice-President, Valkyrion Academy Council"
Riven's eyebrow arched.
"Behavior," huh?
He tossed the letter into the sink, rinsed his mouth, and smiled at the mirror.
Time to meet the school's golden boy.
The garden was quiet.
Too quiet.
Riven stepped through marble arches into an open courtyard filled with blooming mana-touched flowers that shimmered under the afternoon sun. White benches surrounded a clear fountain at the center.
And there he was.
Silas.
Black uniform with a custom gold trim. Silver hair brushed back. Hands resting on a cane he didn't need. Tall, poised, and dangerous—like a blade pretending to be a gentleman.
"Mr. Kael," Silas greeted, rising from the bench with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Thank you for coming."
"Hard to say no when a bird threatens to peck my face off," Riven replied coolly.
Silas chuckled. "Yes, they tend to be persuasive."
They sat.
Two predators in fine clothes, circling without claws—yet.
"I'll be direct," Silas said. "You're disrupting the flow of the academy. You humiliated the Prefect. You toyed with Kaela Drayne. And now students are talking about 'the Prince who broke the rules and got away with it.' That narrative can't be allowed to grow."
"So you want me to behave?" Riven asked.
"I want you to understand your position."
"I do." Riven leaned back. "I'm a spark in a dry forest. The question is whether you want to put me out—or let the flames burn and enjoy the warmth."
Silas stared.
Then smiled.
"You're bold. I admire that."
He stood and tossed a thin silver coin onto the table between them.
"Take that. Show it at the Moonlight Wing tonight. Midnight."
"What's that?"
"A test," Silas said, walking away. "One that determines whether you're worth keeping… or removing."
System Notification:
Council Trial: Moonlight Wing Initiation
Location: Restricted Duel Arena
Time: Midnight
Conditions Unknown.
Warning: High Risk / High Reward
Reward Tease: New Title + Stat Boost
Midnight came fast.
Riven arrived at the Moonlight Wing—a secret underground chamber beneath the main campus, hidden behind the east library's statue. The silver coin he was given acted like a key, glowing and unlocking the hidden staircase.
The air was cold.
Damp.
Lit only by white crystal torches embedded in black stone walls.
He stepped through the final arch… and stopped.
Waiting for him in the center of the arena—
A girl.
Or rather… a woman.
Tall. Pale skin. Crimson eyes that shimmered in the dark.
She wore a tight sleeveless bodysuit with armored gloves. Her hair was short, jet black, and her expression was cold.
Profile Scan:
Name: Elira Nacht
Rank: A
Role: Council Enforcer
Specialty: Close-Quarters Submission Combat
Status: Emotionless / Orders Only
She didn't speak.
Didn't ask questions.
She lunged.
Riven barely rolled aside as her knee cut through the air like a blade. She was fast—faster than Kaela.
He parried a spinning elbow with his forearm, but the impact rattled his bones.
She struck again. And again. Every move meant to disable, control, submit.
He couldn't counter directly.
So he did what he did best—provoke.
"You're fast," he said through gritted teeth. "But you fight like a robot. No style. No soul."
A flicker. The tiniest twitch in her left eye.
Taunt (D) Activated
Target's emotions destabilizing…
She faltered for half a second.
That was all Riven needed.
He feinted left, ducked low, and swept her leg. She fell—but rolled, launching a kick from the ground that grazed his jaw.
They both landed on opposite ends of the arena, breathing hard.
"You're holding back," he said, blood trickling from his lip. "Don't. I want to see what it takes to make a Council dog lose control."
This time, her hands trembled.
Emotional spike detected.
And then she screamed—more sound than voice—and charged like a wild animal.
Riven smiled.
Finally.
The rest was a blur of pain and precision.
He didn't win.
But he didn't need to.
He stood his ground. He pushed her limits. He drew out her humanity.
And when Silas stepped into the arena at the end, clapping slowly, he knew he'd passed the test.
"Well done," Silas said, smirking. "You've earned your seat."
"What seat?"
"Among the wildcards. The Council's unofficial list of... problems we'd rather keep close than destroy."
Trial Complete
Moonlight Wing Initiation – Passed
New Title Gained: Chaos Trigger
All actions now ripple faster in world events.
Stat Boost: +3 Endurance / +2 Perception
New Side Quest Unlocked: "Tame the Enforcer"
As Riven exited into the cold night air, his lip still bleeding, he felt something shift deep within him.
He wasn't just surviving anymore.
He was rising.
And the academy?
It was starting to bend around him.
Rules are supposed to protect people.
But what happens when the person enforcing them starts to break inside?
Seria Vale couldn't sleep.
She tossed. She turned. She kicked the blankets off and pulled them back over her again. Her room—usually cold and silent like her thoughts—now felt suffocating.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face.
Riven Kael.
The kiss.
The heat.
The humiliation.
He kissed me.
And I… let him.
No. That wasn't right.
She should've stopped him.
She should've slapped him harder.
She should've reported him.
But she didn't.
Because deep inside… a piece of her had wanted that moment.
And that was the part she couldn't forgive.
The dream hit her like a tidal wave.
She was standing in a courtroom. Alone.
Chains wrapped her arms. Her badge was gone. Her voice was gone.
And Riven Kael stood across from her.
No cuffs.
No restraints.
Just confidence. And a smirk.
"You're not here to judge anymore," he said, voice echoing.
"You're here to choose."
"Choose what?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"Whether to kneel… or to fall."
Then the courtroom cracked like glass—
—and she was falling.
Falling into black water.
Drowning in her own breath.
Seria woke up gasping, her nightgown clinging to her skin. Sweat soaked her pillow.
The system monitor on her desk blinked red.
Emotional Stability: [Critical]
Suggestion: Cooldown Exercise or Report to Mind Ward
She stared at the blinking alert.
Then shut the screen off with a trembling hand.
"No," she whispered. "I'm fine."
But she wasn't.
Because in the dream, when Riven asked her to choose—
She hesitated.
Elsewhere.
Riven Kael sat cross-legged on his dorm floor, eyes closed.
Meditation wasn't his thing.
But the system required it tonight.
Dream Link Incoming…
External Mind Contact Detected
Origin: Unknown
Protection Buff: Mental Armor (D) activated.
Suddenly, everything around him shifted.
The dorm vanished.
And he stood in a void—dark, endless, rippling like water.
A soft voice whispered: "You don't belong here."
Riven spun. "Who's there?"
A figure emerged from the dark mist.
She wore black robes and had silver eyes like moons. Her face was hidden beneath a veil. Her presence felt ancient… and dangerous.
"You are the blade that should've stayed buried," she said. "Your awakening disturbs the balance."
"Then you know who I am," Riven replied.
"I know what you're becoming."
She raised a hand. A thousand broken faces floated behind her—some screaming, some silent.
"All those who played with fate before you were crushed beneath it."
"You think I'm scared of fate?"
"I think you're its favorite mistake."
Then everything shattered.
Riven snapped awake, drenched in sweat.
The system flashed urgently.
Dream Fragment Acquired
Name: Warden of the Veil
Type: World Threat Entity
Status: Aware of Your Presence
Warning: This world is starting to notice the distortion caused by your existence.
He rubbed his face.
"Great," he muttered. "Now I'm getting hate mail from dream gods."
The next morning, Seria marched into the Council Hall.
Silas was there, seated by the window, sipping dark tea and reading a report.
He didn't look up.
"I assume this is about your… emotional instability."
"Why haven't you taken action against him?" Seria snapped. "He kissed me without permission. He provoked Kaela. He fought Elira."
"He passed the test," Silas said calmly. "The council sees value in him."
"He's dangerous."
"So are you, Seria."
She clenched her fists. "He's changing things."
Silas finally looked at her.
"And maybe it's time we let things change."
That night, Riven stood on the A-tower balcony again, watching the lights of the academy.
The sky above shimmered unnaturally.
The dream still echoed in his skull.
But what stuck with him more than any warning… was the image of Seria's eyes just before she pulled away.
Fear.
Not of him.
But of herself.
And fear, Riven knew, was just another form of control waiting to be unlocked.
New Quest Triggered:
"Break the Prefect"
Objective: Reach Intimacy Level 1 with Seria Vale
Reward: Dominance Surge (C) – Amplifies system skill effects during dialogue.
Optional Path Unlocked: Emotional Path (Slow Burn) / Control Path (Rapid Shift)
Riven smirked.
The dominos were still falling.
And now?
It was Seria's turn to fall next.