The moment Riven stepped outside, even the wind stopped.
The world seemed to be holding its breath.
She lifted her head to the sky; the death of her sister still burned at the very center of her heart.
The darkness, which had started like a whisper, flowed into her wings…
And her jet-black wings spread wide in an instant.
Riven, as she ascended, was not moving away from the world—she was moving away from herself.
Suddenly, she shouted into the sky:
> "Why… why did this happen!?
AAAAAAH!
Enough! Enough!
All my loved ones are gone!"
Her aura spread across the entire sky.
The animals below, the insects, even the creatures underground—all died one by one.
From Riven's eyes flowed not tears, but deep red streaks.
With each breath, the symbol of the curse grew.
Even if Vel died, the curse did not stop—it only grew stronger.
Riven clenched her fists and screamed to the sky:
> "Divine beings!
I will kill you all!
I swear upon my sister's blood!"
Her eyes suddenly turned black.
The scream of the void seeped from within her.
> "Taiki… your turn will come.
I will… destroy you too."
But she took a deep breath and restrained herself.
> "First… knowledge.
The Azure Island.
The heirs of the gods… the blue-haired ones.
I will extract knowledge from you."
She darkened her wings even further.
And Riven flew, cutting through the night, toward the Azure Island.
---
Riven spread her dark wings, splitting the night as she flew.
When she saw the Azure Island, even the color of the sky seemed to change; the sea had turned black, and the island was engulfed in silence.
In a single motion, she landed in the center of the island.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the dark aura spread everywhere.
Even the blue energies of the Azure Island trembled in the face of Riven's darkness.
Riven exhaled, and her aura erupted.
Half the island fell to its knees…
But one person remained unaffected.
A blue-haired woman—Cory.
As if Riven's aura did not exist, she approached calmly.
Riven furrowed her brows.
This woman… could not sense her aura. How was that possible?
Riven:
> "Who are you?"
The woman bowed gracefully, a faint smile on her face.
Cory:
> "Greetings, my lord. I am Cory.
We've been expecting you."
Riven stared in astonishment.
Cory continued:
> "Riven… the God of Earth…
We know what you seek, my lord."
Without hesitation, she knelt.
Cory:
> "Your fight… is our fight."
One by one, the other blue-haired people also knelt, bowing their heads before Riven.
Riven's eyes widened slightly.
This was the first time it had happened.
They were not afraid of Riven.
They accepted her darkness.
A moment of silence fell over Riven…
But then the darkness rose again.
Riven:
> "Then speak.
Tell me everything you know.
About Vel… the gods… the one behind my sister's death… everything."
Cory did not lift her head.
Cory:
> "We will explain everything, my lord.
But first… you must be ready to hear the truth."
Riven's dark eyes gleamed.
> "I am ready."
---
THE GREAT TRUTH – RIVEN'S MOTHER
Riven narrowed her eyes.
Her jet-black pupils pierced through Cory.
Riven:
> "The only thing I want to know…
Who are the divine gods?
Who belongs to whom?"
Cory took a step back.
Her voice trembled, but she had to speak.
Cory:
> "My lord… first, I must begin with your story."
Riven furrowed her brows.
Cory took a deep breath.
Cory:
> "Your mother… Elira… actually… did not die."
At that moment, Riven's aura exploded wildly.
The ground cracked, and half of the Azure Island trembled.
Riven:
> "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
My mother died before my eyes!
How dare you lie to me?!"
Cory knelt on the ground, bowing her head, trembling in fear.
Cory:
> "Listen, my lord… yes, she died…
But a god… brought her back.
We call this the 'Divine Return.'"
Riven's breath caught. Her aura paused for a moment, then rose again.
Riven:
> "Continue."
Cory swallowed hard.
> "When your mother returned… she lost her memory.
She is no longer the Elira you knew.
She is… someone else now."
Riven's hands trembled.
Not with anger… but shock.
Cory continued, her voice even more fearful:
> "Your mother is now… one of the most powerful heirs of the gods.
And… she serves them."
Riven's mind froze.
For a moment, she felt nothing.
Then she whispered:
Riven:
> "My mother… became a god?"
Cory did not lift her head, answering softly:
Cory:
> "Yes, my lord…
But she no longer lives as your mother…
She exists as a weapon of the gods."
Riven's eyes darkened.
The void within her grew.
Then a single sentence slipped through the darkness:
Riven:
> "So… even my mother was taken from me…
Riven – The Name of the Gods and the Gift to Cory
Riven's face sank.
Her jet-black eyes turned to Cory.
No longer anger—now it was the tone of command.
Riven:
> "Tell me.
Which gods took my mother?"
Cory hesitated, her eyes trembling.
Cory:
> "M-my lord… we don't know exactly.
But the only name we've heard…
The Ascendance of the Pure Whites."
At that moment, Riven smiled unexpectedly.
A cold, sharp smile.
Riven tilted her head, as if scrutinizing Cory.
Riven:
> "Cory."
Cory instinctively bowed.
Riven:
> "Lift your head."
Cory lifted her head… Riven's eyes shone deep blue from within the black.
Riven:
> "If you are telling the truth… I will give you a gift."
Cory's breath caught.
Cory:
> "I am honored… my lord."
Riven took a step closer.
Her dark aura even made Cory's hair tremble.
Riven spoke in a low voice:
> "I heard… your father is dead."
Cory's eyes widened, her face frozen.
Riven continued:
> "I can… bring him back."
Cory sank to her knees.
She bowed, tears streaming down her face.
Cory:
> "Please… please, my lord…
Whatever you command… I will serve you forever…"
Riven placed her hand on Cory's trembling shoulder.
A cold touch… yet full of power.
Riven:
> "Your loyalty… is enough for me."
Cory bowed her head.
> "My loyalty is eternal… Lord Riven."
Riven slightly spread her dark wings.
Now she gave only one command:
> "Tell me about the Ascendance of the Pure Whites.
Where can I find them?"
---
Cory took a deep breath and continued:
> "My lord… we do not know much, but what we've heard is this…
There is a divine group called the 'Ascendance of the Pure Whites.' Their goal is to gather heirs with extraordinary potential on Earth."
Cory looked at Riven, her voice trembling further:
> "And… your situation is a little different, my lord.
You were born a cursed child. At that time, a god was about to take you… to make you their heir.
But your mother, Elira… did not give you up.
Because of you… she died… but when she died, a god took her with them."
Riven's eyes opened wide. Her fists clenched.
> "A woman who gave birth to a cursed child… could give birth to another,"
Cory whispered.
"This is what the god said…"
---
Riven's breath stopped.
Her knees trembled, but her anger kept her standing.
> "So…" she said, gritting her teeth.
"So… MY MOTHER will give birth to another child?
Another heir?!"
At that moment, Riven's aura exploded.
Trees instantly began to rot, the ground blackened, the air shook.
Even if Cory could not feel Riven's anger, she understood the immense power that had awakened from the destruction around her.
Riven:
> "The gods…" her voice was no longer human,
echoing with a shadow within.
"I will make them regret being gods."
---
Cory knelt, bowing her head.
But a single thought crossed her mind:
> "This power… will either create a god… or a demon."
She slowly lifted her head and looked into Riven's blackening eyes.
> "My lord…" she said, with a mix of fear and respect,
"The robe on you… burns both white and black.
This… is the sign of your choice."
She bowed her head.
> "You will either become a god like the Whites…
or the lord of darkness, the heir of Black."
---