The signature sound of a bell chime signified the end of class. Students rose from their seats and began to leave the hall in a unified manner–at least those who remained in the room.
Riven had ended his lecture early, giving students the option to remain in the room with him or to go and enjoy the rest of their free period. For the rest of the time, he continued to interact with the students, which was a wonderful opportunity to get to know those who might return for his next lecture.
Not only that, but it also served as a good way to understand the current market for the younger generation and identify students who could work as interns.
A soft sigh escaped his lips as he leaned back in his chair. A warm smile spread across his face, transforming his entire expression. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't help but be impressed; these students were going to change the world in a way he could never imagine.
"Hello, Mr. Riven," a voice called out, waking him from his thoughts.
"Hmm, Oh, hello Mina. How are you?"
"I'm good, thank you for asking. I enjoyed the lecture, but I have a few questions."
"Oh, okay," He straightened his back, his posture transforming as he sat upright. "Lay 'em on me."
"You mentioned Heavenly Expansion dragons, beings who could change reality just by their presence. Is it really not possible to meet one?"
"If you wish earnestly towards the heavens, and one wishes to respond, it'll appear before you in a form that doesn't burden your mind."
Mina's expression noticeably brightened. "Then, is there any place where I might have an easier time reaching them?"
"Mina, I don't know why you're so interested, but beings like this don't do things on a whim. Everything they would do would have been thought about hundreds of millions of times in just a nanosecond."
Mina's face fell, the light in her eyes flickering out like a candle in the wind. Seeing this, he could only sigh. "It's not that I'm trying to discourage you, but everything in life is constantly stuck in an endless cycle of entropy, and such beings keep that delicate balance stable."
'How hypocritical,' he thought. Wasn't he meant to help upkeep said balance, and yet here he was playing house because he couldn't let go of a life never meant for him. So what would be so hard about helping grant her wish? Hadn't he used his powers just a week ago? What was stopping him, the principal of it all, or some other sorry excuse?
But wait, why did he have to do it? Shouldn't she be around this area right now? He could call in a simple favor from one parent to another. He wouldn't have to use his powers to transform into a draconic state; all he would need is a large amount of space. Luckily, the ocean existed.
He would just need a week. Looking toward the disappointed girl, he smiled. "Mina."
She looked up at him. "How about this, every week for the rest of the month, look towards the east and concentrate on your deepest and most sincere wish, and I'm sure they will hear you."
"Really, thank you, Mr. Riven. I'll follow your instructions closely."
"No problem, just be careful. Also, while you're here, you didn't say during the lecture when I asked. So what do you want to do when you finish school?"
"I…Uh."
"Come on, Mina, stop talking to the old man, and let's go," Aria said, suddenly grabbing onto her arm, pulling her away.
"Oh, um, thank you for answering my questions, Mr. Damocles."
Riven shook his head, a weary smile on his lips, "I should really apologize," he muttered, cleaning up the desk before heading out.
Stepping out of the building, the warmth of his breath met the cold fall air, transformed effortlessly into a cloud of vapor. "It's cold out here for fall."
The sun cast its warm gaze upon him, illuminating every inch with golden light, while not a single cloud dared to obstruct its radiant view.
The sun would not rest its eyes for a few more hours, but there was nothing he could think to do in the remaining time, though his body did feel a bit restless. Guess it was time to hit the gym.
***
The rhythmic thudding of whump-whump reverberated out of the gym, echoing through the hall, reaching Riven's ears.
'Hmm. Someone's in the gym,' he thought as he neared the gym. As he peered inside, his gaze was immediately drawn to the striking platinum blonde hair, elegantly swept back into a polished ponytail.
Sweat glimmered on her rosy skin as she moved around the punching bag, striking it with various attacks. Watching her, he couldn't help but smile. 'She's still got it.'
Walking toward her, he began clapping his hands. "Amazing as always, Sera."
Sera paused mid-swing, her fist poised just inches from the punching bag, caught in a moment of focus. Slowly, she drew back, her eyes locking onto him with a fiery intensity. "You're back soon, I would've thought you would stay and wait for the girls."
"Well, I realized that ever since meeting them, I haven't quite acted myself. I shouldn't be so hard-pressed to involve myself in their lives. I've already done enough, let's let them be teenagers."
"Oh, you have self-awareness now."
"Yeah, it was time I stopped trying to be a father and act like one." He walked over to the towel rack, grabbed a towel, and returned to her, holding it out. "Plus, I was itching to move my body around."
Taking the towel, she nodded. "Thanks," as she began to wipe the sweat off her face. While she did, she could feel his gaze bore into her.
She couldn't help but tease him. "Enjoying the view?"
He nodded absentmindedly as he stared at her abdomen. The abs she once showed off with pride were gentler now. He liked it.
"Good, but if you want to keep looking…" Sera swung her fist forward, a blur of determination aimed directly at him. "You'll have to earn it!"
Riven crouches low, his body coiling like a spring. In one fluid motion, he sweeps his leg in a wide arc, aiming to trip her and send her crashing to the ground. Before she could touch the ground, Sera slammed her palms onto the ground, propelling herself back up to her feet.
Riven quickly followed with a high kick, aiming at her head. Sera met him head-on with a kick of her own. Their strikes collided midair.
THA-WHUMPH!
The gym floor trembled beneath the impact, the sound echoing through the steel beams overhead like a war drum. For a heartbeat, the clash seemed to swallow the entire room.
And then…
***
The door to the mansion creaked open as Aria and Nyra stepped in, the late evening chill spilling in behind them.
Aria exhaled, long and tired. "He could've at least waited for us," she complained.
Nyra stretched her arms high above her head. "Ehmm, not really. It's not like we said anything."
"Yeah, I know, even so, isn't a parent supposed to wait for their kids?" Aria said, kicking off her shoes, then kneeling to remove her socks.
"Of course, as long as you actually consider him our father, which you fail to do," Nyra replied, doing the same.
"A simple DNA test, I will."
"Mom will never go for that."
"Yeah, well, she won't always be around to stop me," Aria said, only to be met with silence. Frowning, turned to Nyra. "What, no witty comeback?"
"Where's Mom?" Nyra asked, her head scanning the room, but not seeing their mother anywhere.
***
Riven's fist darted forward like a lightning bolt, slicing through the air. Sera's hands lunged forward with the precision of a striking snake, seizing his arm in a fierce grip. With a graceful spin, she effortlessly swept him off his feet, sending him soaring over her back.
Riven's back slammed into the ground with a heavy thud that sent tremors through his body. Sera lifted her foot, stomping down heavily where his head was. His eyes shot open wide as he swiftly rolled to the side, springing into the air. His body whirled sideways in the air, corkscrewing before landing.
"Always with the theatrics," Sera let out a soft sigh as she rolled her neck, loosening the tension for snapper reaction.
Riven smiled. It seemed they both needed an opportunity to truly move their bodies.
"You know me, I always gotta bring a little bit of." Dashing forward, he broke into a series of flips. He finished the last flip with a twirl as he arrived in front of her, swinging his leg back in a wide arc. "Flair!"
Sera's arm rose, blocking his kick. An enormous smile—he hadn't seen from her in years—spread across her face. "Then let's ramp this up a bit."
***
"They're not in the kitchen. Did you check the study wing?" Aria questioned, shutting the door of a nearby room.
"Yeah, they weren't in there either." Nyra shook her head. "Where are they?"
Aria shrugged, "Do we really need to look for them? They're adults and can handle themselves."
"You're right, but I still want to make sure they're ok."
"Fine, then let's check the gym. Chances are they're there," she said, leading the way toward the gym.
"Ehm," Nyra nodded.
***
With reflexes like lightning, Riven's arm shot up, thwarting Sera's punch with a swift block. He then
With quick, graceful movements launched a kick straight to her shins.
Sera threw herself backward almost instantly, kicking her legs up in a scissor-like motion. Riven tilted his head, allowing her foot to just barely glide past his chin.
Landing on one knee, Sera ducked under his leg. Pressing her fists together, her shoulders coiling tight. A heartbeat later, her arms exploded outward, driving into Riven's abdomen with a thunderous crack.
"Ack," he gasped out in surprise, stumbling back two steps. He gazed down at his hand, tightly wrapped around his abdomen, confusion marring his face. 'That… hurt me?'
"Don't tell me that's all it took to defeat you," she teased, dropping her hands to her side.
"Please, that couldn't even scratch a chicken," he said, waving. With a burst of adrenaline, he surged ahead, leaping into the air and launching a powerful kick toward her.
Taking a step to the side, Sera watched him fly past her. "Why don't you give the theatrics a rest already?"
"Trust me, you don't want that."
"Try me," Sera said, beckoning him forward with her hand.
Without a moment of hesitation, Riven launches forward, his fist shooting out with deadly intent. Titling her head out of the way, a violent hiss split the air by her ear, the fist close enough to make her hair stir.
Not deterred, Sera instantly stuck out, her fist flying toward his chest. With a fluid motion, Riven's palm met her fist, effortlessly guiding it aside like a stream flowing around a rock. With a swift motion, his leg arced gracefully, aiming for the vulnerable spot just behind her knee.
Sera met him head-on, blocking him with a raise of her leg. Seizing the moment, Riven swung his fist one more time, determined to make his mark.
Realizing her blunder, Sera planted her foot firmly on the ground, adjusting her stance with determination. As she shifted her weight, she braced herself, letting his fist connect with her shoulder, a calculated risk in the heat of the moment.
Taking advantage of her new positioning, Sera lunges forward, driving her shoulder into him with a fierce determination, intent on sending him sprawling off balance.
Riven plants his feet firmly on the ground, bracing himself as he extends his arms wide, halting her furious charge. With a swift motion, he thrusts her aside, his leg arcing powerfully toward her center.
With a determined glint in her eye, Sera crossed her arms tightly and sank her weight down, just in time to deflect his fierce kick. The impact sent her sliding back a bit before she jumped back into the fray.
As the two fought, their movements began to speed up to where any stray thoughts left their minds. No flashy moves, just simple punches and kicks. Normally, this would've been fine, but soon a problem arose.
The faster they moved, the quicker their bodies responded, or at least tried to before realizing it lacked a stable footing and well…
"Ehee!" Sera's sharp cry rang out as her balance gave way. In an instant, they crashed to the ground, their momentum carrying them down in a tangle of limbs.
Sera landed on top, palms braced against his chest, knees locked tight to his sides. Their faces hovered inches apart, her ragged breaths mingling with his, sweat beading on both of their skin. For one taut second, it looked less like combat and more like the pause before a kiss.
Just then, the gym door creaked open.
"...Mom?" Aria's voice cracked.
Nyra's jaw went slack. "Oh, wow."
Sera's head whipped toward the door, mortified, which only dragged her nose closer to Riven's. His lips twitched into the ghost of a grin.
"Timing's brutal," he muttered under his breath.
Aria pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing with the weight of worlds. "This… is exactly why I didn't want to come looking for you two."
----
I tried something new in this chapter. I think it came out alright, but I need to improve my writing when making action scenes.
Also, I lied, the next chapter took me too long to write, it releases tomorrow still. But I will be one chapter short of what I said.