The rapid-fire clatter of mechanical keyboards and the frantic clicking of mice echoed through the upstairs room. Rantabi slumped back in her gaming chair, dragging a hand down her face as she stared at the glowing "DEFEAT" screen. She had been roped into playing a few rounds with Riven and Cerberus, and it was quickly turning into a massacre.
Rantabi loved gaming, but she was a casual player at best. She knew absolutely nothing about hardware specifications or optimal setups. The rig she was currently using, however, was a completely different beast. It was identical to Kasugano Sora's custom setup. The first time Rantabi had laid eyes on the intimidating tower of liquid cooling tubes and high-end graphics cards, she had immediately recognized the handiwork of a master. The buttery-smooth frame rates and crystal-clear resolution were so luxurious she had half a mind to beg whoever built it to take her on as an apprentice.
Blowing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, Rantabi let out an exasperated breath. "Riven! Your reaction times are completely unfair! You and Cerberus are just too outrageous!"
She hadn't won a single match since sitting down with them. Rantabi had decent game sense and mechanical skill, but it meant absolutely nothing against these two. Their tactical awareness was entirely out of the box, and their physical reflexes bordered on precognition.
She had already known about Cerberus's inhuman reaction speed; the demonic trio was the only entity that could consistently force Rantabi to concede defeat. But Riven had been a surprise. Rantabi had originally pegged the white-haired woman as a slightly dorky, earnest girl who wouldn't be much of a threat behind a monitor. Instead, Riven's reflexes were even more terrifying than the demons'.
Riven stared at the screen for a moment, her expression entirely serious, before letting out a soft sigh. "Rantabi, personally, I feel that you should undergo some serious training."
"What kind of training?" Rantabi asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity.
Riven tapped her chin, her brow furrowing in deep thought. "Locking you in a cage with wild beasts..."
"Ah?!" Rantabi nearly fell out of her chair. "No way! It's just a video game! Losing a match shouldn't be punishable by execution!"
Riven frowned, reconsidering her tactical approach. "Then... being hunted down through a hostile environment..."
Rantabi stared at her blankly, the color draining from her face. "H-hunted down?! There's absolutely no need for that! I just snatched two pieces of loot from you in the game! It shouldn't escalate to a blood hunt! That's way too terrifying!"
Riven looked at Rantabi with a gaze full of deep pity, as if looking at a hopelessly useless recruit. Rantabi sat there completely dumbfounded. Was this girl actually serious? Did she genuinely believe that improving at a video game required a life-or-death survival trial?
Before Rantabi could attempt to explain the concept of casual gaming, a plume of cigarette smoke drifted into the room. Zdrada leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms with a lazy smirk. "Playtime's over. It's time for your shift, hurry up and get downstairs."
"Oh!"
Cerberus immediately abandoned her station, the three bodies moving in perfect unison as they scrambled off to find Kasugano Sora. Riven stood up as well, stretching her shoulders before heading down to the main floor to see if the restaurant needed an extra pair of hands.
The dining area was relatively quiet. Finding no immediate tasks, she lingered near the counter.
Ren looked up from wiping down the polished wood, offering a warm smile. "You haven't rested yet, Riven? Didn't you already finish your workout for the day?"
"It's fine, I'm not very tired," Riven replied casually, leaning against the counter. "But Ren, Gina asked me to pass on a message. She wants to know when you'll be going back to the Glory Boxing Gym to spar with Kaolan."
"I'll drop by when I have some free time. Gina really is unexpectedly persistent."
Riven nodded slowly, her crimson eyes thoughtful. "She told me that boxing is her lifelong dream. Are the dreams in this world all such simple things?"
Ren paused, setting his cloth aside. "Not necessarily. It's just that Gina's dream is very straightforward. Many people have much grander ambitions."
"For example?"
"For example... traveling the entire globe, becoming a pioneering scientist, flying into space as an astronaut, or amassing enough wealth to become the richest person in the world. To put it bluntly, a dream is just a fantastical idea that someone holds onto. That's all it takes to call it a dream."
"Oh," Riven murmured, absorbing the information. "That's still pretty impressive. But Ren, what is your dream?"
Ren chuckled, leaning against the counter. "Suddenly I feel like I'm on one of those talent shows where the judges dramatically ask the contestants about their deepest desires."
Lucifer, who had been sipping a glass of red wine nearby, smiled over the rim of her glass. "I'm curious too. What exactly is your dream, darling? Say it out loud. Auntie might just be able to help you realize it. And if one Auntie isn't enough, you still have Auntie Pandemonica."
Pandemonica's cheeks flushed a faint pink. She quickly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, though she didn't deny her own curiosity.
Ren looked out the window for a moment, the ambient light of the restaurant reflecting in his eyes. "A dream... My dream is to be able to hear more stories from across the world. To stop the tragedies that shouldn't happen, and to ensure that the laughter that deserves to exist can continue."
Riven blinked, then slowly began to clap her hands in quiet, earnest awe. It was a remarkably deep answer. Sitting at a corner table, Kazami Yuuka looked up from her tea, her crimson eyes resting on Ren with a flicker of genuine surprise, as if she were seeing him clearly for the very first time. Even Pandemonica sat in stunned silence.
Lucifer swirled the wine in her glass, a soft, genuine smile gracing her lips. "I couldn't tell that you harbored such an extraordinary ambition. But then again, you've already accomplished quite a bit of that, haven't you?"
Riven pointed a thumb at her own chest. "I suppose I count as one of those stopped tragedies, right? And Yumiko... and Ace. I heard Nami say that if Ace hadn't found his way here, it might not have just been him who died on that battlefield."
Lucifer nodded in agreement.
Ren simply smiled, shaking his head slightly. "I'm just a restaurant manager. What I can do is limited. It's just that some people always had the option to walk a different path from the very beginning, but they couldn't see it through the fog—just like you, Riven."
Riven let out a long, quiet breath, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Yes... just like how Noxus can never become a place like this world. As expected, I should just stay here and chop vegetables."
Ren's gaze softened. "Riven, you do know that you are an incredibly strong warrior, right?"
"Hmm?"
"So, don't limit yourself to just thinking about chopping vegetables..."
"But..."
"With enough practice, sooner or later, you'll be trusted to chop the meat."
Riven blinked, processing the statement with absolute seriousness before giving a firm, determined nod.
Lucifer and Pandemonica both had to turn their heads away, the corners of their mouths twitching violently as they fought back laughter. She actually believed him. She truly was just that simple and beautifully dorky.
Riven possessed razor-sharp instincts on a battlefield, but within these walls, surrounded by people who harbored zero malice toward her, her guard had completely vanished. This place had given her the concept of a "home" for the very first time in her life. Because of that, she trusted every word spoken to her here with absolute faith, often resulting in these endearingly gullible moments.
Just as the quiet amusement settled over the room, the front doors burst open.
Boa Hancock sprinted inside, her dark hair flowing behind her as she launched herself forward with practiced precision. Ren caught her smoothly, sighing as he pinched her soft cheek. "You're an Empress, you know. Try to act a bit more like one."
"This concubine has long since stopped caring about being some damn Empress!" Hancock declared loudly, her eyes shining as she looked up at him. "This concubine only wants to stay right here by Mr. Ren's side forever!"
Ren sighed, gently prying her off. "Go find a seat and sit down first. What do you want to eat?"
"Whatever Mr. Ren makes, this concubine will love it!"
"Then go sit down."
"Mm!" Hancock nodded obediently, her terrifyingly haughty demeanor entirely replaced by a saccharine sweetness.
Watching the Pirate Empress act like a lovestruck maiden made Pandemonica instinctively want to throw out a sarcastic jab, but Hancock caught the look in the demon's eye.
"Pandemonica! Don't you start!" Hancock snapped, her regal arrogance flaring back to life in an instant. "It takes so long for this concubine to finally get a chance to see Mr. Ren! Show some basic decency and stay out of my way!"
"Hmph..." Pandemonica adjusted her glasses, deciding it wasn't worth the headache to argue.
Hancock beamed, having successfully defended her precious time. But before she could even begin to celebrate her victory, the restaurant door chimed again.
A brilliant, almost blinding light seemed to spill through the entryway, followed immediately by a highly theatrical gasp.
"Oh! This radiance! This is impossible! This... This is... a miracle!"
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