Riven awoke to sunlight filtering weakly through the narrow dormitory window. The faint warmth touched his skin, but it did little to chase away the heaviness that had settled deep into his muscles and bones.
He had returned just before dawn from the training grounds, slipping silently back into the dorm while the world still slept. Now, hours later, the academy had begun stirring, and with it came the dull reminder of his own limitations.
His body ached with every subtle movement. Not sharp pain — nothing that demanded a shout — but the pervasive exhaustion that comes after testing limits long forgotten. Muscles felt stiff, nerves tingling faintly, and a low hum of residual Aura thrummed beneath his skin.
Riven flexed his fingers, watching the pale light slide over them. He could feel the pressure of reinforcement still lingering, subtle but undeniable.
Reinforcement output was stable… he thought.
Recovery rate is slower than expected… but manageable.
He exhaled slowly, listening to the quiet rhythm of the room. Rin's steady breathing drifted across the dormitory. The boy had remained curled in his blanket, unaware that the new roommate who had moved in yesterday had already begun pushing the boundaries of what this body could do.
Riven swung his legs over the edge of the bed, letting his bare feet touch the cool floor. Every step carried the memory of the night's movements — the way his body had remembered every motion, every pivot, every controlled strike — even though it no longer had the same strength it once did.
He rose fully, standing near the window, the soft light revealing the contours of his slim, chiseled frame. His silver-white hair caught the sunlight, glinting faintly, and his silver eyes, normally quiet and unreadable, scanned the room with a focus that no sixteen-year-old should possess.
I survived last night… he thought quietly. That's a start.
The dormitory was waking. Footsteps echoed softly along the corridors. A faint hum of distant voices began to drift in. Rin stirred, blinking sleep from his eyes.
"Uh… morning," Rin mumbled, voice small and cautious, eyes darting nervously toward Riven. "You… slept okay?"
Riven didn't answer immediately. He studied the boy - timid, fragile, unaware of how little strength mattered in this world if it could not protect the ones you love.
"…I'm fine," Riven said finally, his voice even, flat, carrying none of the warmth Rin might have hoped for.
Rin flinched slightly but nodded, unsure whether to speak further. He returned to his desk, picking up a notebook almost as if the act of keeping busy could prevent him from noticing the quiet, predatory aura that seemed to radiate from Riven even in repose.
Riven allowed himself one long breath.
He could feel it again — the faint pulse of his Aura, still echoing the movements from last night. Weak, yes. Slower than before. But alive. And in this fragile, half-awakened body, that knowledge was enough to let him take the first steps into a new day