Riven sat in front of his laptop, the glow of the screen reflecting in his eyes.
"Kethra Vein Art…"
He scrolled slowly.
Most of it was fragmented. Old. Half-forgotten records and obscure references buried deep in forums and archived texts.
But the deeper he went—
The stranger it became.
"An internal discipline focused on controlling the body's natural flow…"
"Believed to have origins predating modern Ascendant systems…"
"Some records suggest compatibility with energy-based manipulation…"
Riven leaned back slightly.
"…So it's not just some random martial art."
He kept reading.
Mentions of practitioners who could:
•reinforce specific body parts beyond natural limits
•suppress presence
•maintain control even under extreme pressure
His fingers paused on the trackpad.
"…That's literally what I did."
A small grin formed.
Excitement.
But also curiosity.
How far can this go…?
He scrolled again—
And then stopped.
A new tab suggestion popped up.
"Aarion Veritas expands influence—unmatched rise in private sector power."
Riven blinked.
"…Aarion."
He clicked it.
The article opened instantly.
Clean. Polished. Almost too perfect.
Aarion's name appeared again and again—business expansion, influence, connections that stretched beyond what normal people could even comprehend.
But Riven didn't care about the business side.
He stared at the name.
That same name.
The one that kept appearing—directly or indirectly—in everything strange happening around him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…This can't be coincidence."
A thought formed.
Clear.
Direct.
I need to meet him.
But then—
Reality.
"…How?"
Far away from that quiet room—
The air underground was thick.
Cold.
A dim facility stretched into the distance, filled with low mechanical hums and flickering lights.
Ivan walked forward.
Calm.
Silent.
A guard stepped into his path.
"Hey—stop. Who are you—"
Ivan didn't answer.
Didn't even slow down.
"…I asked—"
The guard raised his weapon.
A second guard turned.
"…Intruder!"
Gunfire erupted.
Bullets tore through the air—
And stopped.
Right in front of Ivan.
Like they had hit something invisible.
Then—
Cracked.
Shattered.
Falling uselessly to the ground.
The guards froze.
"…What—"
A flash.
Lightning cut through the space.
—
Silence.
Both bodies dropped.
Ivan continued walking.
Unbothered.
Inside, alarms began to echo.
"Alert! Alert—"
A voice shouted—
"He's a supernatural! Take the pills!"
Chaos followed.
Men rushed forward, pulling out capsules—
White.
Red.
Some swallowed one.
Some two.
Some more.
Their bodies reacted instantly.
Veins bulged.
Muscles tightened unnaturally.
Eyes turned wild.
Ivan stopped.
Watched.
"…Artificial enhancement."
They charged.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
Unstable.
Ivan moved.
Clean.
Efficient.
Every strike precise.
No wasted motion.
Yet—
He observed.
Their physical limits have been bypassed…
But their control is gone.
One lunged wildly—
Ivan sidestepped.
A flicker of lightning—
The body collapsed.
Another came from behind—
Ivan didn't turn.
A surge—
The air snapped.
Silence again.
Bodies fell.
One after another.
Until—
Only one remained.
At the end of the hall.
Calm.
Standing.
A man stepped forward slowly.
"…So they sent someone like you."
Ivan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Two-star."
The man smirked.
"Enough for you."
They moved at the same time.
The clash echoed through the facility.
Aether collided—
Sharp.
Controlled.
Unlike the others.
This one knew what he was doing.
But not enough.
Ivan adapted quickly.
Faster.
Cleaner.
Within moments—
The man was on the ground.
Breathing hard.
Defeated.
Ivan stood over him.
"…Talk."
The man laughed weakly. "Or what?"
A pause.
Then—
Lightning flickered around Ivan's hand.
Close.
Controlled.
The man's expression changed instantly.
"…Wait—"
"Plan."
Cold.
Direct.
"…Mass release," the man gasped. "Public zones… chaos… panic… control through fear…"
Ivan's eyes sharpened.
"Where?"
A hesitation—
Then—
"…Velkhar District…"
Ivan froze for half a second.
Too short for anyone else to notice.
But enough.
Velkhar.
That was—
Riven's area.
His grip tightened slightly.
"Location."
The man spoke quickly now.
Coordinates.
Storage points.
Distribution nodes.
Everything.
Ivan memorized it.
Then—
Silence.
A flash.
The body went still.
Ivan stood alone.
The facility now quiet.
Too quiet.
He scanned the surroundings quickly—devices, crates, shipment tags.
Everything matched.
Everything pointed to one thing—
This wasn't small.
This was organized.
And it was about to happen.
Soon.
Ivan pulled out his device.
Called.
Riven picked up.
"Ivan?"
"No time," Ivan said immediately. "Listen carefully."
Riven straightened.
"What happened?"
"There's going to be an attack."
A pause.
"…What?"
"A drug. It enhances normal humans temporarily—turns them unstable, aggressive. It's going to be released in Velkhar District."
Silence.
Then—
"…That's where I am."
"I know."
Ivan's tone sharpened.
"I'm sending you a location. Go there immediately. Do not engage unnecessarily."
Riven frowned. "And you?"
"I'll handle the rest."
"…Ivan—"
"Riven."
That one word stopped him.
"If this spreads," Ivan said quietly, "it won't stay controlled."
A pause.
Then—
"…Understood."
The call ended.
Riven stared at his phone.
Then at the screen.
Then at the name still open in his browser.
Aarion.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Things were moving too fast.
Too connected.
But there was no time to think.
He stood up.
"…Guess I'm not staying home today."
END