Riven moved through the forest with steady steps, eyes locked on the glowing arrow only he could see as it hovered faintly between the trees and pointed toward what was most likely the exit, the noise of the other students arguing somewhere behind him slowly fading into the background
Still… something felt off
A presence
Not attacking, not rushing, just following
He kept walking at the same pace, pretending not to notice
[System: Bloodlust detected]
Riven's steps slowed
"…Or maybe I was wrong"
He turned sharply, lightning already beginning to crackle around his knuckles as blue sparks danced across his skin
From behind a cluster of bushes stepped a blue-haired boy—Harkel Voss—calm posture, sharp eyes, hands raised immediately to show he wasn't attacking
"Whoa, relax, I'm just heading this way too" the boy said
Riven didn't lower his guard. "Who are you and why are you following me"
"I'm not following you, I'm going this direction too"
Crack
Both boys froze
Another snap echoed behind them, then another, bushes shifting in multiple directions at once
They locked eyes for half a second and moved back-to-back without another word
"We're surrounded" the blue-haired boy muttered
"I could've told you that" Riven replied
Low screeches filled the air
"Are you good in a fight" the boy asked, turning slightly
"Yeah"
"Do you have an ability"
"Yes"
A pair of red eyes flashed in the brush and Riven reacted instantly, lightning gathering in his palm before he thrust his hand forward and released it
The bolt tore through the bushes and a loud shriek followed
[System: -4 Mana]
[System: Rataclaw Beast slain – 100 XP gained]
[System: First kill of this beast type – 200 XP gained]
[System: First kill bonus – 900 XP gained]
[System: Level Up – Level 4]
[System: EXP 0 / 2000]
Riven blinked at the flood of notifications, surprised both by the rewards and by the fact that he had actually hit something, remembering how weeks ago he could barely aim his lightning properly while training for the academy
More shapes emerged from the trees
Twelve Rataclaw Beasts stepped into view, small hunched creatures with jagged front claws, patchy gray fur, glowing red eyes, and teeth too large for their narrow skulls as they circled slowly, low growls vibrating through the air
"They're pissed" Riven said, eyes constantly moving
"Academy territory, they can't risk killing students under their banner, these are probably Level 1, maybe Level 2 at most, nothing we can't handle" the blue-haired boy replied calmly
His shadow began to ripple
Riven's eyes widened as darkness peeled off the ground behind them and rose into a massive muscular figure formed entirely from shadow, claws curved and sharp, shoulders broad, no visible face, just a heavy suffocating presence
Ironshade
The shadow creature moved the moment the beasts lunged
The blue-haired boy dashed forward with a black blade flashing in one direction while Ironshade exploded the other way, tearing through fur and bone with terrifying force
Riven hesitated only for a heartbeat before wrapping lightning around his fists instead of firing another bolt, knowing his mana pool wasn't large enough to keep launching ranged attacks
A Rataclaw leaped at him and he ducked, driving his lightning-coated fist into its skull, the impact cracking loudly as smoke rose from burnt fur
"Okay," he breathed, "they're not that strong"
Another rushed him and he twisted, slamming his elbow into it mid-air, sparks bursting on contact
To his left a clean black arc sliced through the air
One smooth motion
The Rataclaw's head fell before its body even hit the ground
The blue-haired boy moved with terrifying efficiency, no wasted motion, every swing of his blade ending something
"And I thought I was tough" Riven muttered
Two more beasts suddenly dropped at his feet with their skulls crushed inward like something massive had punched through them
Ironshade stood behind him for a moment before sinking back into its master's shadow as if it had never existed
The forest grew quiet except for heavy breathing
"You good" the blue-haired boy asked, scanning the area
"Yeah… what was that" Riven asked, glancing at the shadow
"My ability"
The boy crouched beside a corpse and pressed his hand against its chest, feeling carefully before nodding
"There you are"
He drove his blade into the beast's ribcage and cut it open
Riven immediately looked away, stomach tightening
"What are you doing"
"Extracting its beast gemstone, we'll need them later"
"We" Riven questioned
The blue-haired boy stood and gave him a slight smile
"You didn't show crazy power but you've got courage, and you stayed cautious even when I said I wasn't attacking, that's good instincts, that's someone I want on my team"
Riven paused, too many questions forming and none of them worth asking right now
"…Whatever"
He walked back to the first Rataclaw he had killed, the body scorched and stiff from lightning
He searched for something sharp but found nothing, staring at the corpse as his stomach tightened again
"I can't do it" he muttered, stepping back
Before he could walk away, a notification appeared
[System Notification]
Would you like to convert this beast's gemstone into Mana or XP]
Riven stared at it, heart beating faster
More XP would push him closer to Level 5
But mana meant more lightning
He selected Mana
The corpse shimmered and dissolved into particles of light that flowed into him like warm air
[System: +2 Mana]
He immediately added his free stat point into Mana as well
Riven Harlow – Level 4
EXP: 0 / 2000
Strength: 11
Speed: 11
Defense: 11
Health: 21 / 21
Energy: 21 / 21
Mana: 14 / 14
The forest felt heavier on the way back.
Riven slowed as he stepped into the small clearing where the blue-haired boy stood. One of the beasts lay on its side, its skull half-caved in but still alive. Its breathing was hard and ragged, chest twitching with every painful inhale. Blood soaked into the dirt beneath it, dark and thick.
Harkel stood over it with both hands clasped together, eyes closed.
For a second, Riven thought he was just catching his breath.
Then he realized the boy was praying.
The beast let out a low, broken whimper.
Riven gripped his black sword, ready to end it quickly. But before he could move, the creature released one final shriek—lower than the others they'd heard earlier, deep and drawn out, like something meant to travel far.
Harkel's eyes snapped open.
Without hesitation, he drove his blade straight through its chest.
The body jerked once… then went still.
Harkel crouched immediately, slicing cleanly into the corpse. With practiced hands, he pulled out a glowing gemstone from deep inside the beast's body and slipped it into his bag without a second glance.
"We need to go. Now," Harkel said, already turning.
He didn't wait.
He ran.
Riven wasn't stupid. If someone like that was running, there was a reason. Nine times out of ten, you didn't question it—you moved.
He pushed off the ground and chased after him.
"What's going on?" Riven called out, breath already picking up.
Harkel didn't slow.
"Rataclaw beasts aren't strong. Usually level one or two. But they move in packs. Twenty at least. Sometimes fifty," he said quickly. "What we fought was probably a hunting unit. That last scream? It wasn't random. It told the others."
Riven's stomach tightened.
"They know?" he asked.
"They know," Harkel confirmed. "And I don't feel like testing whether we can kill fifty before we run out of mana and energy."
Riven clenched his jaw. The direction they were running was pulling them further and further from where the System arrow pointed toward the forest exit. The quest marker hovered faintly in his vision, stubborn and distant.
But living came before clearing quests.
They ran for nearly ten minutes straight.
Branches whipped past them. Leaves cracked under their feet. The forest began to darken as the sun dipped lower, shadows stretching long between the trees.
By the time Harkel finally slowed, Riven felt like his lungs were on fire.
Harkel stopped beside a tall tree with thick branches that twisted high into the canopy.
"We'll camp here for tonight," he said, patting the trunk once.
Riven let out a heavy sigh and dropped to the ground, back hitting the base of the tree. He tilted his head back against the bark.
"No," Harkel said simply.
Before Riven could even respond, Harkel jumped, catching a branch with ease. He pulled himself up smoothly, hopping from branch to branch like he'd done it a hundred times before until he was nearly at the top.
Riven stared up at him.
Jeez. How physically fit is this guy?
"You can't stay down there," Harkel called down. "If the pack tracks us, ground level is the first place they'll check."
Riven groaned but pushed himself up. His legs felt like jelly.
"You could've led with that," he muttered.
Harkel gave a small smirk from above. "Would you have listened?"
"…Probably not."
"Exactly."
Riven grabbed onto the bark and began climbing. It wasn't pretty. He slipped once, caught himself, nearly cursed out loud, then forced himself higher. By the time he reached a stable branch a few levels below Harkel, his arms were shaking.
He sat down carefully, back against the trunk, chest rising and falling hard.
The forest below them grew quieter.
Too quiet.
Riven glanced toward where the System arrow still floated faintly in the distance.
Even from up here, he could feel a sense of danger coming from that direction. It wasn't loud. It wasn't immediate. But it was there—like something waiting patiently.
It made him shudder.
"Fine. We rest," Riven said, looking up at the branches above. "Great."
He grabbed onto the bark and started climbing. It wasn't smooth. His arms were already sore from fighting and running, and twice his foot slipped before he caught himself. Ten long minutes later, breathing harder than he'd like to admit, he finally pulled himself onto the thick branch near the top.
Harkel was already there, lying comfortably with one leg tied securely to the branch.
"Here."
A small shadow bubble formed beside him. From it, a tiny worm-like creature wriggled out, holding a thin rope in its mouth. Harkel calmly took it, patted the worm's head, and it melted back into his shadow.
He handed the rope to Riven.
Riven took it and tied his leg to the branch. He understood immediately—if they rolled in their sleep, the rope would keep them from falling.
When he finished, he leaned back, ready to just stare at the stars—
—and nearly fell off the branch.
Harkel was suddenly right in front of him.
Riven jolted in shock, slipping.
Harkel grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
"This is what you call a tie?" Harkel complained, staring at the loose excuse of a knot.
"I tried my best," Riven shot back defensively.
Harkel rolled his eyes, crouched down, and retied it in seconds. Firm. Clean. Secure.
"There." He hopped back to his side and retied his own rope around his leg.
The forest below them was quieter now. Too quiet.
"Why?" Riven asked, looking at him.
"Why what?"
"You went a bit above and beyond just now. You didn't have to."
Harkel leaned back on his hands, looking up at the darkening sky. "I mean… isn't that how people are supposed to help each other?"
Riven didn't answer.
"I never got the enjoyment people feel when they flex their family name," Harkel continued. "Power's power. We're all human. Why act higher than someone just because you were born into something that already had influence?"
He shrugged.
"Think about it. Someone out here tonight could be building their legacy from scratch. One day they'll have kids. Then grandkids. And suddenly their family's powerful too. So what's the difference? Timing?"
Riven listened quietly.
"Basically," Harkel said with a faint smirk, "I never found a reason to be a nepo baby like most of my family."
"You're a Voss, right?" Riven asked.
Harkel nodded. There wasn't much point denying it. The blue hair alone gave it away, not to mention the shadow beasts. Even showing Ironshade earlier had probably confirmed it.
"My friend Joey talked about your clan's hereditary ability," Riven said. "The Shadowmark. Now that I think about it… I don't even know your first name. We kind of rushed that introduction."
Harkel chuckled. "Yeah. We did."
Riven straightened slightly and held out his hand.
"Let's start over. My name's Riven Harlow. Wallborn. Dawn Faction."
Harkel paused at that.
A wallborn.
Most wallborn weren't strong. That was just reality. But looking at Riven, Harkel didn't see weakness. He saw someone growing. Someone stubborn enough to survive.
He reached out and shook his hand firmly.
"Harkel Voss."
Their hands separated, and the two boys leaned back against the tree trunk, staring up at the same sky.
⸻
Elsewhere in the Forest
Inside a dim cave littered with bodies, two boys sat across from each other, both holding their noses.
"Has anyone ever told you that you smell like a wet dog?" Luka said, squinting at Leo.
Leo scoffed. "Has anyone ever told you that you smell like spoiled blood?"
The cave floor was covered in Rataclaw corpses. Some had deep claw marks. Others had clean, thin slices through skull and chest. The battle had not been gentle.
They had pushed hard.
They had earned this rest.
"You think the others are alright?" Luka asked quietly, glancing toward the cave entrance where the stars were barely visible through the opening.
Leo leaned back against the wall. "They're not weak."
Luka smirked faintly. "That wasn't my question."
Leo exhaled slowly.
"…They'll be fine."
Neither of them sounded fully convinced.
⸻
Deeper in the Forest
A golden-haired boy walked carefully through the trees, a glowing yellow orb hovering above his palm.
Joey kept the light dim, just enough to see the path ahead.
Behind him walked Jordan and Nico.
"I can barely see," Nico complained for what felt like the sixth time.
Jordan sighed heavily. "You've said that six times."
"It would be better if I used my flame. It burns brighter."
"Joey's light can shine brighter too," Jordan replied calmly. "That's not the point. We'd be broadcasting our location to every beast nearby. And lighting a forest on fire isn't exactly smart."
Nico opened her mouth to argue, then shut it. She didn't admit he had a point—but she didn't fight it either.
They continued walking.
"Do you guys even know what direction you're going?" she asked after a moment.
"Joey," Jordan said, clearly tired of explaining, "go ahead."
Joey nodded. "I can see light trails from people. It's faint, like lines in the air. Kind of like a game marker pointing toward someone."
Nico folded her arms. "Okay… so who are we following?"
"If I'm around someone long enough, their trail feels familiar," Joey explained. "I know Luka's is nearby. And Riven's."
Jordan's lips curved into a confident smirk.
"And," Joey added, "Riven's with someone else."
Jordan didn't seem worried.
"Alright," he said. "We find somewhere safe to sleep. We move at sunrise."