The familiar shimmer of light, brief and intense, filled the newly constructed room within the village. With a silent command, Riku brought Think Nirvalen out of Braham's Ring.
She materialized before him, blinking, her emerald eyes adjusting to the dim lamplight, her silver hair shimmering faintly. Before a single word of fury or question could escape her lips, Riku held a finger to his own, a silent, urgent gesture for quiet.
"Don't say anything loudly," he murmured, his voice low and firm. "People outside will hear you."
Think's eyes, sharp and intelligent, immediately scanned their surroundings. The room was spartan but clearly new: rough-hewn wooden walls, a simple cot, a small table with maps, and a single flickering lantern. It was undeniably a human dwelling. A faint frown touched her lips as she registered their location – they were no longer in her mansion. Days, perhaps, had passed since she was trapped. Time within the ring was… ambiguous.
Then, her gaze fixed on Riku's face. A subtle, purplish bruise marred his cheekbone, a stark contrast to his otherwise flawless complexion.
"There's a mark on your face," Think observed, her voice quiet, a curious edge replacing her earlier anger. "It wasn't there before."
Riku instinctively touched the bruise, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. He couldn't tell her it was from Levi. Couldn't explain that the terrifyingly efficient Captain, ever vigilant for the safety of the village, had delivered a swift, brutal kick when Riku had been caught making a solo, unsanctioned foray beyond the perimeter.
Levi's dedication was absolute, his methods… direct.
"It's nothing," Riku dismissed, turning slightly.
"It's clearly not 'nothing'," Think countered, a detached, almost clinical concern entering her tone. "It's a contusion. I can heal it." She extended a slender, elegant hand towards him, a faint glow beginning to emanate from her palm.
Riku's eyes narrowed. "I doubt that. You only have about one percent of your magic power right now."
Think's hand froze, her eyes widening in genuine shock. She tried to call upon her internal wellspring, to feel the vast, boundless ocean of magical energy that was her birthright, her very essence. But it was barely a trickle, a pathetic stream where a roaring river should have been. Her octa-cast abilities, her legendary power, reduced to less than a whisper.
"What have you done?!" she hissed, her voice low but laced with profound disbelief and a dawning horror.
Her gaze, still sharp, fixed on Riku, trying to pierce the calm mask he wore. "Do the other... humans know about me? About what you've done?"
Riku's expression remained impassive, his eyes betraying no hint of his true thoughts. He shook his head slowly. "They don't know about you. In their perspective, I returned alone."
Think's brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion mingling with her fear. "Then... what is your intention? Why bring me here if my existence is a secret?"
"You're not going to be an 'elf' here, Think," Riku explained, his voice low and deliberate. "You're going to be a human. A refugee from another village, just like the rest of them. And I," he added, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes, "will be the one who found you, who brought you to safety."
Think's jaw tightened, a silent protest against the humiliation. "You expect me to simply... pretend to be one of your kind? To live among those... savages?" The disdain in her voice was thinly veiled.
"You have no choice, Think," Riku stated, his voice devoid of sympathy. "Your magic is gone. Your power is gone. You are, as you correctly assessed, little more than prey in this state. If you wish to survive, you will adapt. And you will follow my instructions." His gaze hardened. "Your life, and your temporary freedom, depend entirely on your cooperation."
He moved to a small, rough wooden chest and pulled out a simple, hooded cloak woven from dark, coarse fabric. He held it out to her. "Wear this. Keep your head down. Keep your ears hidden."
Think hesitated, her eyes flickering from the cloak to Riku's unyielding face, then to her now-powerless hands. The proud, ancient elf was forced to swallow her immense pride. Slowly, reluctantly, she took the cloak. The rough fabric felt alien against her skin, so unlike the fine silks and elven weaves she was accustomed to. She pulled the hood over her hair, obscuring her pointed ears, the defining features of her race.
As the heavy fabric settled around her, cloaking her form, a mischievous glint, surprisingly, entered her emerald eyes. A subtle, almost imperceptible tilt of her head, a playful arch of a perfect eyebrow, transformed her expression. She looked up at Riku, a ghost of her former regal defiance returning, laced with a surprising, almost charming impudence. She gave him a slow, deliberate wink.
"So," Think purred, her voice low and husky, a playful challenge in its tone, "how do I look now, my dear 'savior'?"
Riku's face remained utterly impassive. He simply stared at her for a long, silent moment. Then, without a second's word, he focused his will.
The familiar shimmer of light, brief and intense, filled the room. Think's playful expression froze, replaced by a flash of surprise as she was once again enveloped. In an instant, she was gone, re-absorbed into the golden confines of Braham's Ring.
Riku sighed, a faint whisper of relief escaping his lips. Her mischievousness, her audacity, was both a tool and a liability.
He slipped the ring back onto his finger and exited the room. He slipped through a passage and started going outside the village.
"Where are you going, general?" One of the scouts, who was guarding the gate, asked.
"I'm going to meet a guest." Riku said nonchalantly.
The scout got confused, but still let him go.
Once a safe distance from the village, he brought Think out of the ring once more.
She materialized with a gasp, her expression a mix of bewilderment and renewed frustration. Before she could voice her anger, Riku swiftly pulled her along, half-dragging her back towards the village.
"We need to make this look convincing," Riku murmured, his voice urgent, leaving no room for questions or protests. "You're supposed to have just been 'found'."
Think, despite her fury, couldn't deny the logic. She stumbled alongside him, the heavy cloak a strange burden, her mind racing. This human was terrifying. He was meticulous, ruthless, and utterly unpredictable. And somehow, he had utterly disarmed her.