Riven
I left Lior behind as I chased the crow. Not today. Whoever sent it to spy on me and Lior had gone too far. If this was what Father meant when he warned me my enemies were closing in, then spring cleaning was long overdue. I had to move fast, before they succeeded in getting what they wanted.
The crow darted through the night sky, wings slicing against the dark. If I kept chasing it like this, I'd fail. My jaw tightened. "Well… goodbye, crow."
I stopped in the forest, listening to its cries echo above. The woods were alive with nocturnal sounds—the chirping of crickets, the rustle of leaves—but I shut it all out, forcing myself to focus.
I whispered the ancient chant, voice low but commanding:
"Umbrae, ex nihilo venisti, in nihilum redibis. Consumere!"
("Shadows, from nothing you came, to nothing you shall return. Be consumed!")
The earth trembled faintly as shadows slithered upward, crawling around my arms like living smoke. I pressed my palm forward, fingers splayed wide, pushing darkness itself. The shadows condensed into a spear of jagged void, pulsing with hunger.
When the chant ended with "Consumere!", the spear launched skyward. It tore through the crow, piercing its body mid-flight. The creature shrieked once, then burst into black ash, dissolving into the void it came from.
"Well, that went well." I smirked, lowering my hand. "Now let's see if they can keep dancing to the tune they've played. Pity… I just changed the song."
---
Blood Bound Kingdom
Far away, in one of the council houses, a scream ripped through the night. It was not an ordinary scream—it was sharp, raw, the kind that slapped against stone walls and crawled under the skin.
The guards outside stiffened, but none moved. That was the order. No matter what they heard, they were not to disturb.
Glass shattered. Furniture toppled. The chaos inside raged on, but the guards stood rooted, eyes forward, as though deaf to the violence.
---
Lior
After that tense exchange with Riven and watching him take off, I knew he could handle the crow. I returned to the palace and summoned Jay to the library.
He arrived swiftly, bowing slightly. "Your Highness. You asked for me."
"Yes." I paced slowly before turning to him. "What did you find?"
Jay was one of my best. Unlike Mark, who remained confined to the palace as my eyes and ears here, Jay was free to move. A skilled spy—his speed unmatched, his nose sharp enough to track the faintest scent. A true hunter.
"I've been watching Gatred," Jay began, his voice steady. "The one demoted from warrior to kitchen staff. At first, his movements seemed normal—until I noticed his absences. By midnight, he disappears. Often."
I arched a brow, motioning for him to continue.
"At first, I thought he was hunting. But his boots…" Jay's expression darkened. "They were caked in red mud. The kind that only exists on the East Coast. And when I confronted him, he claimed he had only been near the forest."
My frown deepened. "So why lie?" I muttered.
Jay leaned forward slightly. "That's not all. While trailing him near the coast, I caught two other scents. One… a Blood Bound hunter. The other…" He hesitated. "…an Umbra Corvum."
I stilled, eyes narrowing. "I thought they were a myth."
"So did I," Jay admitted. "But their scent is undeniable. Books about them were burned. Their kind… slaughtered. Yet one survived."
The weight of his words settled between us.
"This fight is more dangerous than I thought," I murmured.
Jay's jaw tightened. "Be careful, Your Highness. That kind doesn't stop. It kills—or it dies. Nothing in between."
"Even so," I said firmly, "I won't stop either."
Jay bowed low, silent in his loyalty, then withdrew.
---
Riven
I reached my chambers, exhaustion pressing at me, when a voice stopped me mid-step.
"Sir Riven!"
I turned to see Cynthia, one of the palace maids, rushing toward me, her face pale with worry.
"What is it?" I asked, hearing the panic in my own voice.
"It's Lady Aisha. She… she has a problem," Cynthia stammered, grabbing my arm. "Come quickly!"
My heart lurched. I followed her, the corridors stretching endlessly until we reached the far end of the kingdom. Two guards stood rigid by a heavy door.
"I'll wait here," Cynthia said. "But hurry."
I hesitated, my pulse racing. "Cynthia… you know her father hates me. If he finds me here—"
"Sir Riven," she cut me off, eyes pleading.
I exhaled sharply. "Fine."
I knocked once, then pushed the door open.
The sight inside shattered every thought I had.
The dining room was wrecked—vases shattered, couches slashed, glass glittering like ice across the floor. And in the middle of it all… Aisha.
She was on the carpet, rocking back and forth, eyes vacant, trapped in some dark spiral of her mind.
"Aisha!" I dropped to my knees beside her, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
No response. Her gaze stayed fixed, distant.
"Aisha, come on, zoom out of this. Come back to me!" I pleaded, cupping her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, fresh and silent.
"I'm here, babe. Stop this. Do this for me!" My voice cracked, desperation clawing at my chest.
Her eyes flickered. I shook her lightly. "Aisha! Come on!"
Finally, she blinked, her body shuddering as she snapped back.
"Thank god," I whispered, pulling her close.
"Riven… what are you doing here?" she breathed, voice trembling.
"I came for you. You had zoomed out. You scared me."
Her gaze darted around the wrecked room. "Oh no… Father is going to kill me for this mess." Panic flooded her voice.
She stood, her black nightdress brushing the floor, her hair cascading wild and unkempt down her back. She paced frantically, eyes wide.
I rose and caught her in an embrace. "Aisha, calm down. What triggered this?"
"I… I don't know. Maybe… tiredness," she muttered against my chest.
"Then rest." I kissed the top of her head, ready to leave.
"Riven…" she called softly before I reached the door.
"Yes?" I turned.
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Where were you?"
The question caught me off guard. "In my room. Why?"
"Nothing." She smiled again, softer this time. "I was just worried. Thought maybe you were up to no good. God forbid you die out there in some forest."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Thanks for caring. Love you. Rest, okay?"
I slipped out, nodding at Cynthia on my way. But as I walked back to my chambers, unease gnawed at me.
"What was that… really?" I muttered under my breath.