Dazzling embers lit the sky, soaking the endless night in firelight.
Through the earth—splintered and scorched—scarlet rivers ran to crimson lakes. Corpses sprawled, mangled, and distorted. A far cry from the souls they once were.
At the center of this destruction stood a youth—no older than sixteen—his body, drenched in carnage, shook ever so slightly. His breath, heavy with weight, rose and fell with an eerie calm. His eyes, blank, like ash swept clean, remained fixed on his hands, caked in red.
Cries and screams played in his mind like a broken radio.
[Host…] A mechanical voice called out to him from within, silencing the voices.
[This path you're taking..]
The young man's gaze rose, staring off into the distance to where this all began. Columns of smoke reached to the sky, like cries for help, but he could no longer hear their cries.
'Crack'
His gaze turned toward the sound. A branch—smoldering and charred—lay beneath the cinders of the lone tree, beside her ashes.
[This won't be the last time.] The mechanical voice adds, sounding a bit sorrowful.
Heavy and drawn, a sigh escaped his lips as he looked up at the sky. His weary eyelids closed, shutting out the world.
Behind him, the flares of early morning shot through the dark, bringing upon a new dawn.
The dawn of the Bringer of Doom.
***Present Day***
The sun climbed, slow and silent, casting a pale gold across the morning dew that clung to the roadside grass.
The early morning air carried a chill that hadn't been present the week before—a subtle shift, the kind only early fall could whisper into the bones of the earth.
Leaves had just begun to bronze at their edges, and the sky wore a paler blue than usual, like it, too, was cooling down.
Squirrels scurried about–-burying seeds and preparing homes—while birds flew overhead, most beginning their journey south. A few dry leaves broke free from their branches, swirling down as a sudden wind stirred them from their perch. Then—
Vrrrm.
A sleek black limousine streaked across the road, breaking the serenity in a rush of motion. Leaves scattered in its wake, drawn into the blur as the vehicle vanished past the trees.
Inside the car, silence reigned. Riven leaned against the window, watching the season change through tinted glass.
Sighing softly, he turned away, leaning into the chair seat. One leg draped over the other at the knee.
A delicate hand settled softly on his thigh. "Riven, are you alright?" Sera asked, her emerald gaze shimmering, edged with worry.
He turned to face her, his ruby eyes meeting hers, a smile–short and small–danced on his lips before he spoke, "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"Well…" she trailed off, eyes looking for his.
"Sera," he spoke gently, warmth softening his gaze. He added no extra words, but his gaze said it all. She could talk about the darkest things in her heart, and he wouldn't judge her–not yet, at least.
"This last month, I've… kinda cemented that you weren't the girl's father." He dipped his head slowly, acknowledging her words.
"And now we're on the way to the school, where you will basically be playing the role of their step-father."
He nodded once more before saying, "While I'm grateful for the momentary title, I don't really get the reason you wanted this."
"I didn't want them to be teased for not having a dad…not by those stuck-up pricks."
"Ok, um. Sera, first, those are kids you're talking about, and second, it's a public school. Those quote-end-quote stuck-up pricks might not even bother them."
"Yes, but the extra insurance helps."
"Well, you do know you registered them under your last name, so the whole Damocles for extra insurance kinda falls through." Riven propped his elbow on his raised knee. Leaning forward, he let his head settle in his palm. A small smirk played on his lips.
"Well–um… I"
Riven huffed a small laugh. "Sera, I understand the power of my last name; it'll definitely keep them safe at school."
The steady hum of the road buzzed faintly beneath them, a soft rhythm beneath the stillness. Turning back to Sera, he remarked, "though it'd be a different story if my grandmother still owned the school."
Sera's eyes widened as she blurted out. "Riven! Oh my god, I'm so sorry I completely forgot what this school put you through."
"Sera it's fi–"
"No, it's not, and excuse my language, but your grandmother was a bitch for what she did to you. And all because what? You didn't want to follow the path she laid out for you."
Riven lips stretched into a thin line. He didn't respond; he just listened. "She could've at least tried to act like a reasonable adult, but no, she just had to pretend that she wasn't a part of the abuse you suffered at school."
For three of the four years of high school, Riven's life was hell–unimaginable at first until he learnt what true hell was during his time away–but he had already moved beyond it.
Why waste time fretting over something so insignificant towards the life he's lived? Did some blame sit with the events and his grandmother, yeah sure. Maybe if he hadn't gone through that, he would've never walked the path he did, and maybe all those who died would still be here.
But he was grateful for it all. Those times of being beaten to near death by his peers. Treated like trash. The isolation. The moment he nearly ended it himself. Made him into a person who could survive the darkness of the worlds beyond.
It made him appreciate every act of kindness—and hatred—and made every death of those he trusted seem special.
Even then, he also understood from the standpoint of people from Earth that it was something that shouldn't be let go of so easily, much less forgiven in a short amount of time.
Looking at Sera as she continued to ramble about the injustices he faced brought a smile to his face. But he thought it was about time he interrupted her.
"Hey, Sera. Let's not waste our time and feelings on those people; they're nothing more than footnotes in our lives. How 'bout we talk about something else?"
"Hm, alright." She nodded, her shoulders relaxing.
"I was thinking of taking Aria hiking this weekend. Is that fine with you?"
"Yeah, that's great. Can you also bring Nyra? If she's going to spend hours in front of a computer screen, I want to make sure she actually gets some physical activity in." Sera's whole demeanor changed instantly once the girls were brought up, almost as if the earlier conversation didn't happen.
It amazed him to the point he couldn't help but think. Was this the Legendary mom mode spoken of in myth? Regardless, he agreed, "Yeah, sure, no problem. I guess you're going to spend more time planning."
"Yep"
"How's that going so far?" He leaned forward, reaching into the small fridge beside his seat, and pulled out a chilled can.
Psssh
The quiet fizz filled the cabin as he cracked it open, the soft sound almost grounding compared to the weight of their earlier conversation.
"I'm stuck between a tranquil cafe, a high-end fashion or design studio, or a Performance arts studio," Sera answered. Grabbing a drink of her own, she leaned back with a quiet sigh, taking a small sip of her tea.
"Wow, those are some interesting choices. Can you give me a rundown on your plans so far for each one?"
"Okay." Pulling out her phone, she opened a folder titled 'ideas', leaning in closer, she began showing him her plans. "First, the Tea shop would be called Amberleaf."
"That was the name of the tree back at our favorite hangout spot," he said, remembering the tree that always had amber colored leaves during fall, giving it its name.
"Yeah, which makes it a perfect name for a calm little place where people can sit, breathe, and talk. Just shelves of books, warm tea, and soft music."
"Okay, what about the fashion studio?" Glancing out the window and noticing the growing traffic, Riven signaled for Sylvia to take a different route–with a wave of his finger.
"Well, as you know, I've always had an interest in fashion and design. It was also my major in college, along with Performing Arts." Sera began setting her drink to the side.
"So, I would name the Fashion studio Thread & Truth. It wouldn't be just about beauty but identity. I want people to own who they are."
"That's very much like you. And I'm guessing the Performance art studio is so people can express themselves in ways they can't in real life."
"Of course, and that's why it would be called Mirrortide. A reflection of one's inner truth."
"That's great, I can't wait to see what you do once you choose one."
Their conversation continued–lighthearted and nostalgic–while in a similar car not too far from them, Aria and Nyra were immersed in their own conversation.
"Nyra, you don't feel weird about Mr Riven playing the role of our father all of a sudden?"
Nyra shook her head instantly. "No. Should I?"
"I mean, doesn't it feel out of place?" Aria questioned her voice, dropping low.
"No, but it would be even better if he were our actual father instead of playing a role."
"I agree it would be better if he officially became our father. It just feels wrong. Like we're pretending… and that's unfair to both of them." Aria nodded in agreement, though her words painted a different story.
"Hmm," Nyra tilted her head thoughtfully, her brow furrowing as she mulled over Aria's words. "Not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?"
"I don't care about who our father is, not anymore. Mr. Riven, in my mind, would work best as our real father." Nyra replied
"Isn't that what I just said?"
"No."
"Alright, then, tell me why you think so highly of him."
"He's paving the way forward for us to chase our dreams–my streaming career, and your athletic career. And I genuinely believe that he cares about what 'We' want." She explained, an undeniable truth filling her words.
"Yes, he might be paving the way for us now, but he said it himself, we could've started our career without his help, it just would've taken longer," Aria argued, her words just as true as her sister's.
"And time is the most expensive currency in the world." Nyra retorted.
"Which we have plenty of, still being young and all."
Nyra shifted her gaze, locking eyes with Aria."I don't get it—how can you be such a daddy's girl despite never meeting him?"
"Wha–!"
"I mean, every time the idea of Mr. Riven being in some kind of father position to us comes up, you complain. What has he done to us that wasn't father-like for you to be this way? It's not like he looks at us as the opposite sex, just as kids to nurture."
"How do you know that? It's only been one month since we met him." Aria countered.
"Then let's ask Liz."
"Okay then, Liz, what do you think Mr. Riven's intentions are for me and Nyra?"
Lazaria steals a quick look at the twins in the back seat through the rear-view mirror, before she finally responds. "Most likely two things. The first is to nurture you two so that you can stand on your own two feet."
She paused, as if contemplating something before continuing. "My lord did the same for me. As I told you, Lady Aria, my lord took me under his care when I was nine and helped me become the person I am today."
"Why didn't you leave him once you were able to stand on your own feet?"
Lazaria's expression brightened if only for a moment as she answered. "I felt like I had found a family. To me, it was inconceivable to be anywhere else." Her expression faltered, as she mumbled, "I guess that's why it hurt him so much when I…"
"When you what?" Aria's curious question hung in the air, only to be abruptly silenced by a sharp elbow from her sister, "Ouch, what was that for?"
A small but shallow chuckle escaped Lazaria's lips at their antics. "It's alright, we've already moved past it, maybe I'll tell you girls some other time. But for now, why don't we talk about something else? We're kinda stuck in traffic."
"Huh, traffic. Why is there so much?" Aria questioned, seeing the rows of cars in front of them, but the limo Riven and Sera were in wasn't present.
"That's the effect this school and the Damocles have. It'll be even worse in two years when young Miss April joins the school, not to mention you two being under the Damocles name–in a way."
"But how come I can't see the car Mom and Mr. Riven are in?" Nyra questioned, her eyes scanning the cars around them.
"They probably took a different route before things got bad. We just had bad luck and got stuck. We'll get there a bit later, so just sit tight for now." Lazaria said, lightly tapping the steering wheel.
Aria fell silent, her eyes drifting to the passing trees outside. "Still… he does make things feel easier. Like we're not alone."
She murmured softly to herself, the words barely escaping her lips like a secret meant only for her ears.
----
Sorry for the late chapter, got a bit busy while working on this chapter. I'll try and get the next chapter out before the weekend starts. (for countries around the Atlantic at least)
One more thing, which of the Business choices do you want for Sera? I'm most undecided between those three options.