The Gate was never quiet for long. Growls echoed in the mist. Shadows shifted. Blood stained the cracked stones.
But tonight, the danger didn't come from the monsters.
It came from the people.
Riven sat alone near the shattered archway, his back against a wall, his body still trembling faintly from the backlash of Devour. Every breath burned in his lungs. His veins still felt raw, like fire had been poured directly into them.
The hunger hadn't gone away. It never did.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself into stillness, every sense sharpened, listening.
The whispers came first. Faint, cautious, but there.
"…He's not normal."
"…Did you see what he did to Kael?"
"…If he keeps stealing powers, what's left for us?"
"…He's dangerous. If we don't end him now, he'll end us later."
Riven's lips curled into a cold, humorless smirk.
Of course.
Fear. Jealousy. It was inevitable.
The scrape of steel against stone. Footsteps circling. Four… no, five. Maybe six. They thought they were clever, waiting until he was weakened.
A shadow detached from the fog — a tall man with scarred arms, a crude spear in his grip. Behind him, others emerged, weapons glinting faintly in the crimson haze.
"Riven Kael." The leader's voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed the fear. "You're too dangerous to keep alive."
Riven opened his eyes slowly, icy calm. "Is that so?"
The man's jaw clenched. "We saw what you did. That… that Devour thing. You're a monster in the making. We can't risk it."
The others muttered in agreement, though none dared step closer. Their fear hung thick in the air.
Riven pushed himself to his feet, slow, deliberate. His knife gleamed faintly in his hand. His gaze swept over them one by one, cold, sharp, unblinking.
"You think I'm dangerous now…" His voice was low, steady, each word a blade. "…wait until you see me angry.
The leader flinched but forced himself forward. "Don't bluff! You're barely standing. You bleed like the rest of us. You—"
Riven moved.
A flicker of motion, faster than their eyes could follow. His knife slashed across the man's throat before the words finished leaving his mouth.
Blood sprayed the stones. The leader staggered, eyes wide, clutching at his neck before collapsing.
The others froze.
Riven stood over the body, his knife dripping crimson, his eyes cold and merciless.
"I don't bluff."
Panic rippled through the survivors. One man lunged in desperation, swinging his axe. Riven sidestepped, his hand snapping out to grab the man's wrist. Devour flared, pulling a fragment of strength into him. The man screamed, collapsing as his weapon clattered to the ground.
Another rushed him with a dagger. Riven spun, his stolen spark of fire erupting weakly from his palm. The dagger melted against a burst of heat, the man howling as flames seared across his arm.
The others broke. Fear overtook courage.
"Monster!" one shouted, retreating into the fog.
"He'll kill us all!" another cried, fleeing.
The ones who stayed died. Quickly. Efficiently.
When the mist stilled again, only Riven remained standing, blood dripping from his blade, his expression untouched by pity or hesitation.
"Well, well…"
The voice was smooth, sultry, dripping with amusement.
Seraphina stepped from the shadows, her crimson hair catching the Gate's faint glow, her emerald eyes locked on him with that dangerous, playful gleam. She leaned lazily against a broken pillar, arms folded beneath her curves, her lips curling into a smile.
"I wondered how you'd handle betrayal. You didn't disappoint."
Riven wiped his blade clean on a corpse's cloak, his eyes never leaving hers. "You watched."
"Of course I did." Her smile widened. "Why interfere when the show is this entertaining?"
He gave a faint, cold smirk. "You wanted to see if I'd break."
Seraphina's laugh was soft, rich, echoing in the fog. "Mmm, not break. I wanted to see if you'd hesitate."
Her eyes sharpened, emerald flames flickering in their depths. "You didn't."
Riven sheathed his knife, stepping over the corpses without a glance. "Anyone who raises a blade at me should be ready to die. It's that simple."
Seraphina's smile softened — not kinder, but deeper, as though something inside her stirred. She stepped closer, her boots clicking against stone, her curves swaying with every movement.
She stopped just in front of him, close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from her body. Her voice lowered, sultry and approving.
"Cold. Ruthless. Unyielding. I like that."
Riven's smirk was faint, his tone flat. "I don't care what you like."
For a moment, silence. Then she laughed again, tilting her head back, her crimson hair spilling like flame. "Oh, darling… you're going to make me enjoy this."
Her gaze burned into him, playful but sharp. "Keep surviving, Devourer. You'll find the world has far sharper knives than these."
The fog thickened again. The Gate pulsed. Something vast stirred deeper within, watching.
But for now, the only thing that mattered was the trail of bodies Riven left behind — and the emerald eyes of the woman who had seen every cut, every flame, every ruthless decision.
He was no one's pawn. No one's victim.
And anyone who thought otherwise would end the same way.