The inside of the Nocturne Mansion was quieter than Riven expected.
Not peaceful.
Controlled.
Every sound felt measured. Every movement carried intention. Even the servants walking across the polished black floors moved with silent precision, their footsteps almost impossible to hear beneath the soft crackle of silver lanterns lining the halls.
The moment the massive entrance doors closed behind the group, the outside world seemed to disappear entirely.
The wars. The pursuit. The bloodshed.
All of it suddenly felt distant.
But not gone.
Never gone.
Riven's eyes moved slowly across the interior as they walked deeper into the estate.
Dark marble pillars stretched upward into vaulted ceilings etched with glowing silver patterns. Massive chandeliers hung overhead, each crafted from what looked like crystallized moonstone, casting pale light across the halls.
Portraits lined the walls.
Not decorative portraits.
Historical ones.
Generations of Nocturnes stared down from gold-edged frames with expressions ranging from calm intelligence to terrifying indifference.
Warriors. Scholars. Assassins. Politicians.
Some wore noble garments. Others stood drenched in blood beside fallen beasts.
The deeper Riven looked…
The more he realized something.
House Nocturne had never survived through strength alone.
They survived because they understood power before everyone else did.
Beside him, Nyss walked quietly, her silver eyes taking in everything.
But Riven noticed the subtle tension in her shoulders.
She felt it too.
This place wasn't merely wealthy.
It was dangerous.
Not openly.
But structurally.
The kind of danger hidden beneath etiquette and silence.
Ahead, Eryx continued leading them through the mansion corridors while servants bowed their heads respectfully as he passed.
None of them questioned him.
None of them hesitated.
Riven glanced toward Astra walking slightly behind them.
Even she seemed unusually alert.
Interesting.
That alone told him enough.
If Astra was cautious here… then House Nocturne was far more influential than he imagined.
"You're staring too hard."
Nyss's quiet voice pulled him slightly from his thoughts.
Riven blinked.
"…What?"
"The portraits."
She glanced toward him briefly.
"You look like you're trying to fight them."
Riven snorted softly.
"Can you blame me?"
"No," she admitted.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
Then disappeared just as quickly.
Because the truth remained.
They were fugitives standing inside one of the most powerful noble estates in the Third Order.
Comfort wasn't an option yet.
As they rounded another corner, the atmosphere shifted again.
This corridor was different.
Longer.
Wider.
Older.
The silver runes embedded in the walls here glowed brighter than the others, illuminating a series of enormous paintings stretching down both sides of the hallway.
Family lineage.
Riven slowed slightly.
Something about this hall felt heavier.
More personal.
Eryx noticed immediately but said nothing.
One by one, Riven's eyes drifted across the paintings.
Ancient Nocturne heads. Military commanders. Council advisers.
Then
He stopped.
Completely.
His breath caught for half a second.
At the center of the hall hung a portrait larger than all the others.
A young girl stood beneath a silver moonlitsky, dark hair flowing behind her as silver-blue eyes stared outward with quiet intensity.
She wore black ceremonial armor lined with lunar markings.
One hand rested against the hilt of a blade.
The other held a silver wolf pup against her side.
Tyrella Nocturne.
The world around Riven suddenly felt distant.
Muted.
His heartbeat slowed unnaturally.
Because for the first time in his life…
He was looking at his mother.
Not through memory fragments. Not through stories. Not through dreams.Her before he was.
Riven stepped closer before realizing he had moved at all.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
The eyes. The expression. Even the way she stood.
A pressure tightened in his chest.
Not pain.
Something stranger.
Recognition.
Deep inside him, his Night Wolf core pulsed once.
Softly.
Almost… mournfully.
Nyss noticed immediately.
Her expression softened.
"…Riven."
But he barely heard her.
Beneath the portrait, engraved into silver metal, were the words:
Tyrella Nocturne The Moon's Hidden fang
Below that…
Another line.
Lost to the fourth
during the red war.
Riven's jaw tightened.
"mum?"
His voice came out lower than intended.
Eryx finally stopped walking.
For a moment, the usually composed lieutenant said nothing.
Then quietly:
"That's the official version."
Riven turned slowly toward him.
"What does that mean?"
Silence settled across the corridor.
Even the others stopped moving now.
Eryx stared at the portrait for several seconds before answering.
"It means your mother disappeared under circumstances the Third never fully explained."
Riven frowned.
"I was told she was lost."
"She was when we were young."
Eryx's eyes darkened slightly.
"we lost her to the fourth."
The hallway seemed colder after that.
Roran swore quietly under his breath.
Soren's expression hardened.
Nyss looked toward the portrait again with new understanding.
Riven's gaze remained fixed on Tyrella.
"…Why?"
Eryx exhaled slowly.
"That…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…is something the Queen herself should explain."
Riven immediately looked irritated.
"That's becoming everyone's favorite answer."
A faint smirk touched Eryx's face.
"Because some truths are dangerous before their time."
"That sounds incredibly annoying."
"It usually is."
A few faint chuckles broke the tension.
Even Riven let out a quiet breath through his nose.
But internally…
His thoughts were spiraling.
The First killed his mother.
Aurelion himself knew who he was.
The prophecy somehow involved him.
And now House Nocturne clearly carried secrets surrounding Tyrella's disappearance.
Nothing about his life had been random.
That realization alone was unsettling.
Very unsettling.
"Come."
Eryx finally continued walking again.
"The guest wing has already been prepared."
The group resumed moving.
But Riven looked back at the portrait one last time before leaving the corridor.
And for a brief second…
He could have sworn the painted eyes looked sad.
The guest wing of the mansion was larger than entire buildings Riven had once considered luxurious.
Each room connected to open moonlit balconies overlooking the estate grounds below. Black-and-silver curtains swayed softly from the evening breeze while silver lanterns illuminated the halls with gentle light.
Servants moved efficiently, bringing food, fresh clothing, medical supplies, and warm water for bathing.
The sheer hospitality unsettled Riven more than hostility would have.
This level of treatment felt dangerous.
Because it created comfort.
And comfort created attachment.
He stood alone near the balcony of his assigned room, staring out over the distant sparring arenas below where late-night training still continued under glowing barrier lights.
The Third Order truly never stopped moving.
A knock came at the door.
Riven turned slightly.
"…Come in."
The door opened softly.
Nyss stepped inside.
Freshly bathed. Silver hair still slightly damp. Wearing loose black clothing provided by the estate.
Riven blinked once.
Then immediately looked away.
Nyss noticed.
"…Seriously?"
"What?"
"You still do that?"
Riven crossed his arms defensively.
"You walked into my room."
Nyss raised an eyebrow.
"You've literally fought armies."
"Different kind of danger."
That earned a small laugh from her.
A real one.
Rare lately.
She walked toward the balcony beside him, resting her arms lightly against the railing.
For a while…
Neither spoke.
The silence wasn't awkward.
Just heavy.
Eventually Nyss exhaled softly.
"This place scares me."
Riven looked at her.
She wasn't joking.
That surprised him.
"The Fourth is powerful," she continued quietly.
"But this…"
Her eyes moved across the estate below.
"This feels older."
Riven understood exactly what she meant.
The Fourth Order ruled through authority and prophecy.
The Third felt different.
Like hidden knives beneath velvet.
"They're watching us," Nyss murmured.
Riven glanced downward.
Several nobles were visible walking across lower courtyards.
Some occasionally looked upward toward the guest wing.
Observing.
Calculating.
"…Yeah," he admitted.
Nyss looked at him carefully.
"But they're mostly watching you."
That landed differently.
Riven didn't respond immediately.
Because she was right.
The moment Eryx announced him as Tyrella's son…
Everything changed.
Not just politically.
Personally.
The Nocturnes weren't looking at him like an outsider.
They were looking at him like unfinished history.
And that frightened him more than battle ever had.
A second knock interrupted the moment.
Riven frowned slightly.
"…Come in."
The door opened again.
This time it was Diana.
The atmosphere shifted immediately.
Not aggressively.
But noticeably.
Diana carried herself with the kind of calm confidence that didn't need to announce itself.
Her silver-gray eyes moved first to Nyss.
Then Riven.
Then softly toward the balcony beyond them.
"You're settling in well, I hope."
Nyss straightened slightly.
"We are. Thank you."
Diana smiled politely.
But her gaze lingered on Nyss just a second longer than normal.
Assessing.
Understanding.
It was subtle.
But intelligent.
Very intelligent.
Then her attention returned fully to Riven.
"There's something I wanted to discuss with you."
Riven immediately noticed the shift in tone.
Nyss did too.
"I can leave," Nyss offered quietly.
Diana shook her head gently.
"No."
A pause.
"You should hear this as well."
That instantly raised tension.
Riven's expression sharpened slightly.
Diana stepped further into the room before speaking again.
"When Tyrella disappeared…"
Her voice remained calm.
"…the Third publicly declared her lost during the red war."
Riven folded his arms tighter.
"Eryx told me."
Diana nodded once.
"But that was not the entire truth."
The room became very still.
Even the air seemed heavier now.
Diana continued carefully.
"The nocturne family discovered something before she vanished."
Riven's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
For the first time since entering the room…
Diana hesitated.
Not from fear.
From caution.
Then quietly:
"They discovered the prophecy had been altered."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Nyss froze.
Riven stared at her.
"…What?"
Diana's expression hardened slightly.
"The version taught across the Orders is incomplete."
A pulse of tension moved through the room instantly.
"The prophecy the Alphas spread…"
Diana's gaze sharpened.
"…is not the original prophecy."
Riven felt his core pulse once.
Instinctively.
Dangerously.
"Who changed it?" he asked quietly.
Diana's eyes darkened slightly.
"We don't know for sure."
That answer frustrated him immediately.
"You expect me to believe nobody knows who manipulated something powerful enough to shape the entire continent?"
"We know who benefits from it," Diana corrected.
"That is different from knowing who created it."
Nyss slowly stepped forward now.
"…My mother."
Diana looked toward her.
"Yes."
Nyss's face tightened.
"She knew."
Diana gave a small nod.
"Selene Astrae was among the first to support the altered prophecy."
Riven's jaw clenched.
A heavy silence followed.
Then Diana spoke again.
"Your mother was caught in it by sheer fate."
Riven looked up sharply.
"The real prophecy stated that one day the strong willed will give rise to a new alpha, the Alphas of Alphas, king's of kings, the one who will rule all."
Another pulse from his core.
Stronger this time.
"She was 12 when she tried to investigate it," Diana continued.
"But before she could…"
A pause.
The Orders deduced the strong willed who will give rise to that alpha will come from the third.
The Fourth Order moved, Then the second and then the First followed
Selene.
Caelum
Aurelion.
The name alone felt poisonous now.
Riven stared at the floor quietly.
Thoughts colliding violently inside him.
His mother wasn't killed randomly.
She wasn't merely hunted.
She died because she discovered something dangerous enough for the strongest Order to silence her.
Which meant
Riven slowly looked up.
"…They've been hunting me long before I was born."
Diana didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
Because the silence confirmed everything.
Far away somewhere outside the mansion, thunder rolled softly across the night sky.
And for the first time since arriving at House Nocturne…
Riven truly understood something terrifying.
He was not simply part of the prophecy.
He was at the center of it.
And somewhere beyond the safety of the Third Order…
The other Alphas were already moving.