Those moments filled Riley with happiness.
Sometimes, lying beneath the stars with a cup of wine in his hand and the sound of his children playing in the distance, Riley would think that if fate allowed him, he would freeze time itself and live in this peace forever.
A life of love, prosperity, and family—it was something he had not known he craved so deeply.
But Riley was not a man who could forget. Beneath the joy, beneath the softness of family life, the flame of purpose never dimmed.
He remembered why he had come here.
He knew that the stakes were high but he was also confident that he was going to win it all and finally defend successfully against Sunny.
***
One day, the shift came.
It was subtle at first—the stillness in the air, the way the sky seemed sharper, more vivid, the faint stir of energy rippling across the land.
To others, it was nothing more than an odd feeling, a fleeting moment of unease.
But to Riley, it was undeniable. The waiting was over.
