Riven sat through the last of the instructor's words with a blank face, refusing to give him the satisfaction of another reaction. By the time the dismissal came, he didn't even bother answering or arguing with the man and just rose from the chair, aching in every joint, and left without a backward glance causing the man to sigh at his behavior. His ribs burned from the beating he had taken earlier, and there was a dull throb lingering at the back of his skull where the floor had met it violently earlier.
It wasn't the first time he'd left that room like this, battered, bruised and exhausted, and it likely wouldn't be the last. At some point, you stopped questioning why it happened and simply got used to pain being part of the routine. 'Still', he thought bitterly as he pushed open the heavy door, blinking against the sharp sunlight, 'Ceyric probably enjoyed knocking whatever little sense I have out of me like it'd make me as dumb as the rest'.
The courtyard stretched out before him, it was already late afternoon when he got out. Dust scuffed beneath his boots as he crossed, shifting his bag onto one sore shoulder with a wince.
At the gate, Kevan was waiting for him, arms crossed, his expression a careful mix of concern and exasperation.
"There you are," Kevan said, straightening up as Riven approached. "I heard you got into trouble again. What the hell happened this time and who did that to your face?"
Riven didn't answer right away. He just moved past him until they were side by side. Then, a smirk tugged faintly at his lips. "You should've seen the other three."
Kevan let out a long sigh but couldn't stop a small smile from creeping in. "Why are you always like this? You must be crazy."
"Crazy's just a state of mind," Riven muttered, tapping his temple with two fingers then immediately wincing when the motion pulled at his ribs. His voice flattened as his eyes swept the ground. "Besides this is nothing new."
Kevan frowned then sighed before asking. "So, what's the penalty this time?"
Riven's lips curved, though it was nowhere near a smile. "Well I've be put on mining duty. For a whole week."
Kevan's eyes widened. "That's insane you won't even be able to prepare for the exam. How are you supposed to…"
"Prepare?" Riven cut in, laughing harshly. "Kev, come on let's be real here I'm a tier zero I'm literally useless. It's not like I'd pass that stupid exam anyway. Waste of everyone's time."
Before Kevan could respond, a voice called across the path.
"Riven! Kevan!"
They turned to the source of the sound and Kevan's face brightened immediately. "Lynn!"
She hurried toward them, blonde hair gleaming in the sun. She had a petite but striking figure and she carried herself with the quiet ease of someone awakened.
"Hey," Kevan greeted warmly.
"Hey, Lynn," Riven muttered, his tone flat.
Her gaze flicked between them, sharp and worried. "So, what's going on? I heard something happened…"
Kevan chuckled, throwing Riven under the wagon. "He got into trouble. Again."
Lynn tilted her head, stepping closer to study Riven. "What did you do this time?"
Riven gave a half-shrug. "If I told you I was defending some poor soul from a pack of brainless apes, would you believe me?"
A bead of sweat traced down Lynn's temple. "You've got to be more careful. One of these days, that head of yours is going to get seriously hurt."
Riven looked away, his expression unreadable. "Yeah, yeah. I know. Besides what can a Tier Zero do against a Tier One, right?"
"That's not what I meant," she said softly.
He sighed, forcing out a low apology. "Sorry."
"What's the punishment?" she asked.
"Mining duty. Week-long."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "The mines? Are they out of their minds? That's too much, Riven!"
She was outraged, her voice sharp with indignation, but Kevan stepped in, trying to calm her.
Then she noticed the bruises shadowing his face, the way he winced with every breath. Her voice softened. "Are you even okay?"
Kevan turned to look more closely too, his concern deepening.
"I'm fine," Riven said curtly, brushing it off, though his battered body said otherwise. Adjusting his bag, he started walking away. "I'll see you both in a week."
They watched his back retreat down the dusty path. Lynn bit her lip, worry clouding her eyes. "Isn't there anything we can do?"
Kevan's shoulders sagged as he exhaled helplessly. "Not a thing."
Together, they stood in silence, watching Riven's figure grow smaller.
______________
By the time Riven finally dragged himself back through the maze of the outer sector to his home, the day had already grown heavy and still. The small house that passed for a home stood waiting, empty as it always was. No warmth, no family and no sound.
'Like always'.
He caught his reflection in the jagged mirror nailed crookedly to the wall. One swollen cheek stared back at him, mottled with bruises like storm clouds. His ribs screamed every time he breathed too deep, and when he reached up to touch his face, he winced.
"Brilliant," he muttered to himself, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Could've just walked home. But no, Riven had to play hero. Smart move. Ten out of ten, only now I'm the one with the bruises and the punishment to serve while they get to go free."
He took off his shirt and filled a shallow basin with cold water, dunked a rag in, and slapped it against his cheek. The sting bit into his skin, forcing a hiss through clenched teeth. He pressed the damp cloth lower, against his ribs, and for a moment the pain nearly buckled him. There was no one to complain to, though. No one to hear it. Not that he would've complained anyway. Complaining didn't fix broken bones.
This wouldn't have been a problem if only he was an awakened but hey life's not fair is it.
When the exhaustion finally sank deep into his bones, he let himself collapse onto the narrow bed. The ceiling above was cracked like an old map, the plaster peeling off, and he stared at it until his eyes blurred. Somewhere, drifting between the throbbing of his ribs and the pull of sleep, his mind wandered toward the thought of Astralis Academy.
He let out a short, bitter laugh. "Yeah. Right. That'll happen."
And then sleep swallowed him whole.
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