Chapter 13 – The Cradle Awakens
Back within the Plane, Riven looked ahead.
Three gates remained: Earth. Air. Lightning.
He wiped blood from his mouth. His arms ached. His soul trembled from the strain.
But still—he smiled.
"This is just the start."
The silver flame from the Lightning gate still flickered in his core, but it was dormant now, resting. Each step he took toward the next gate felt heavier than the last, like walking through molasses.
He approached the gate of Earth. Towering slabs of stone rose before him, engraved with images of mountains, beasts, and a single tree with roots stretching into infinity.
As he neared, the gate rumbled. The stone trembled.
Trial of Endurance.
A deep voice echoed through the plane.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him shattered. Riven fell into darkness.
He landed hard in a chamber of stone and heat. Lava flowed in slow rivers around the edges, and in the center stood a monolithic beast: a golem, forged of obsidian and crystal, its eyes glowing amber.
"Prove your will," the golem growled.
Riven raised his arms. His lightning-imbued body crackled faintly. But this was not a test of power. He had to withstand. To endure.
The golem raised its arm and brought it down.
BOOM!
The shockwave slammed into him. He flew backward into the rock wall, bones groaning. He gritted his teeth and stood.
The golem charged.
For what felt like hours, Riven dodged, blocked, was crushed, and rose again. Each time, slower. Each time, stronger.
Then, as he stood bloodied but unbowed, the golem halted.
The chamber trembled.
From the ceiling above, a single stone dropped—pure brown crystal, like a seed.
It embedded itself into Riven's chest, dissolving into his body.
Second Level of Body Foundation: Earth Aspect.
His bones solidified. His stance grew grounded. His breath evened.
The golem knelt before fading into dust.
Riven rose again within the Cradle Plane. Two gates remained.
He turned toward Air, breathing in the wind that now surrounded him.
"Float or fall," a voice whispered.
The ground vanished beneath his feet.
He fell.