The darkness of night hung heavy across the moonless sky. Only the faint glow of starlight slipping through drifting clouds offered the slightest illumination over the cliff crowned with tall grass.
Riven crouched low, his body tense, his breath ragged from the long, grueling journey. His heartbeat pounded erratically, like war drums struck without pause.
At his side, Melly clung tightly to his arm, her small face pressed against her brother's shoulder. Her shoulders quivered as she struggled to hold back sobs threatening to break free. The fear shining in the little girl's eyes pierced Riven's heart deeper than any blade ever could.
Before them stood ten strangers with sharp, unyielding gazes. Their leader—a man with tangled white hair and a worn black cloak that still looked tidier than those of his followers—stared at Riven with no clear expression, only cold calculation, as if weighing whether the siblings' lives deserved to be spared or erased that very moment.
Riven's mind raced, searching for an opening. A reckless idea crossed his thoughts: to appear even more pitiful than he already was, then seize a chance to ambush one of them and take him hostage. Perhaps then, they might release him and Melly. But cold logic crushed the fleeting hope.
If he failed, it would not only mean his death. Melly would be slaughtered alongside him. And deep down, Riven sensed that even the faintest hint of trickery or ill intent would be discovered immediately. And against so many, he would stand no chance. No matter how desperately he fought, he would only end up as another corpse.
Grinding his teeth until his jaw ached, Riven abandoned the thought. Only one option remained, one he despised more than anything else—pleading for mercy. Entrusting their lives to those who clearly had no reason to show kindness.
Riven's voice trembled when he finally spoke. "Please… let my sister go. Don't hurt her… let her live." The words fell in broken whispers of despair. This time, Riven begged with genuine, unguarded desperation.
The white-haired man exhaled faintly, his face unmoved. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he asked in a low, threatening drawl. "Who are you? Who are you and this child?"
Riven quickly shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes. "We… we are nobody. I'm just a scavenger of weapons. I do it to survive… to keep my sister fed. I have no other choice." His words cracked with the sobs he struggled to restrain, his voice turning hoarse. "Please… just let us go."
At last, the tears pooled at the corners of his eyes spilled over, streaking down his dirt-stained face. They were not feigned tears, but the raw despair of a man with nothing left.
One of the men beside the white-haired leader stepped forward. His face was harsh, his eyes burning with contempt. With a cold tone he spoke, "My Lord… we cannot allow even the smallest flaw in our plan. They must die. If anyone learns of our presence, everything will collapse."
The words struck Riven's chest like an iron hammer. His heart sank into frozen depths. He felt Melly's body trembling harder, her tiny fingers clutching his arm in frantic terror.
The white-haired man cast his follower a brief glance, then turned back to Riven. His lips curved into a faint line—not a smile, but a cruel twist. "You hear him? We cannot allow you to live."
Riven nearly collapsed where he stood. Tears streamed faster down his face as he pleaded once more. "Then… kill me instead! But let her go. She's only a little girl, she knows nothing. Please, at least let her live…"
The ten pairs of eyes watching them remained unyielding, devoid of pity. Riven could feel their coldness sink into his bones.
In his arms, Melly trembled violently. The little girl, who until now had only sobbed quietly, suddenly loosened her embrace and lifted her tear-streaked face. Her voice cracked as she, too, began to plead. "Don't kill my brother… please… I beg you, don't kill my brother…" Her cries broke apart, repeating the same desperate plea again and again, as if her words alone could shield her world.
The sight made the white-haired leader rub his face roughly, like a man exasperated by something he refused to hear. His breath was long and heavy. A few of the others shifted their eyes briefly, though only for an instant, as the girl's genuine, tearful voice clawed at their composure.
Riven saw the opening. He knew this was the only chance. With a raw, hoarse voice, he spoke again. "We won't say anything… we'll never speak of you. Even if I tried, no one would believe a filthy scavenger like me. If you still don't trust us…" His voice faltered, but he forced the words out, "Cut out my tongue. Sever my hands. Leave me crippled so I can never speak of you, as long as my sister is spared."
Melly stared at her brother in horror. Her tears poured unchecked, her small body shaking violently. "Don't say that… please… don't…" she sobbed harder, her voice breaking.
The ten men's faces remained impassive, yet Riven caught a flicker of shock in their eyes. None of them expected such brutal words from a ragged young man. Beneath their cold masks, Riven sensed something had shifted.
The white-haired leader's expression hardened. He stepped forward, raising his long sword, and pressed its cold tip against Riven's cheek. His gaze drilled deep. "Are you serious?" he asked softly, almost a whisper.
Riven's body shook violently, but he nodded. "Yes…"
The man's jaw clenched as he exhaled sharply. Then he lifted the blade high. For a fleeting second, Riven truly believed his end had come. Despair crushed his chest, stealing his breath.
But the blade never pierced his flesh. Instead, the blunt side of the sword crashed against his head. The clash of steel against bone rang out, and Riven's vision went black. His body collapsed, unconscious.
"Brother!" Melly's scream split the night. She shook his limp body, tears spilling endlessly, her lips trembling as she cried his name again and again.
"Silence." The white-haired man's voice cut through like ice. His gaze was sharp as he looked down at her. "He is not dead."
Melly froze, her cries softening though her sobs still quivered. She clung to Riven's body tightly, as if her embrace alone could shield him from the cruelty of the world.
The man leaned closer, his voice now a blade of threat. "Listen carefully, little girl. Pretend this meeting never happened. Do not speak of us, do not seek to learn who we are. If you open your mouth…" His eyes pierced her like daggers. "I will come for you and your brother. And I will make you both wish for death."
With that, he turned away, his cloak billowing faintly as he walked off. One by one, the other nine followed, their footsteps fading into the darkness.
Melly remained on the ground, clutching her unconscious brother. She kept her eyes fixed on their retreating backs until those shadows vanished into the night, leaving her alone in the piercing silence.