Nyx

The glow of the gateway settled and Riven exited to the courtyard. The amphitheater surrounding the courtyard was packed with other first years and they all seemed to quieten when he exited the gateway.

"Now that the last student has returned, please wait a moment whilst we total up everyone's scores." Elder Thorne said, his sharp golden gaze lingering on Riven before he turned and walked over to where a group of academy staff members were huddled.

"Last one, huh?" Riven muttered to himself as he made his way over to an empty seat.

'System, are you back yet?' Riven asked mentally, feeling slightly uncomfortable now without the system administrator's usual babble.

Once again he was met with silence.

"Well if it isn't the top scorer?" Valis appeared in front of him, his sneering expression already irking Riven. "What happened in this trial, huh? I thought you said it wasn't down to luck that you passed the first and second trial?"

Wait… did Valis think Riven failed because he was last out?

"Well, let's just wait and see what the results reveal, shall we?" Riven placed a fake smile on his face and Valis's eyebrow twitched.

"Let's see if that smirks still there when your name appears last and you're kicked out of this place." Valis said, distaste twisting his pristine features before he turned around and sauntered off.

Riven felt the weight of someone's gaze and turned around to see a grinning Lucenya. As he met her eyes she waved and gave him a wink.

"What the hell is wrong with those two." Riven muttered, shaking his head as he faced forward.

His mind flickered with the memories of the silver haired man and what he had said…

"Reclaim what is rightfully yours."

The phrase echoed in Riven's mind, refusing to fade even as he forced himself to focus on the present. The courtyard, the hushed murmurs of students, the weight of hundreds of eyes watching him—it all felt secondary to the fire burning within him.

Something inside him had awakened. The shadows still coiled around his fingertips, responding to his thoughts, eager to move at his command. He clenched his fists, feeling the raw strength humming beneath his skin.

I need answers.

He exhaled sharply, tilting his head back as Elder Thorne's voice rang out over the courtyard.

"The results have been tallied," the elder announced, his golden gaze sweeping across the gathered students. "And now, we shall reveal the rankings."

A massive projection of golden script appeared in the air, listing the names of every student who had participated in the trials. The lower ranks filled in first, dozens of names appearing in descending order.

Riven barely paid attention to them. His eyes flickered toward the top of the list, waiting—

Then his name appeared.

1st Place - Riven Drakar

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

The entire courtyard seemed to freeze. Riven could feel the collective shock in the air, the disbelieving stares drilling into him from all directions.

Then the whispers started.

"Riven? But—he was the last one out."

"How is that possible?"

"First place? Over Valis?"

He could practically taste the outrage from some of the more prestigious students. Especially from a certain platinum haired fool-

"This is bullshit!"

Valis shot to his feet, his face contorted in sheer disbelief and fury. "How the hell did he get first place?! What kind of joke is this?!"

Elder Thorne's golden eyes snapped toward him, unimpressed. "If you wish to challenge the results, Valis Dain, you may take it up with the Academy's Headmaster."

Valis' jaw clenched, his entire body shaking with rage, but he had enough sense to back down. Barely.

Riven, on the other hand, simply tilted his head, his lips curling into a slow smirk.

"Seems like luck was on my side again, huh, Valis?"

The noble's face darkened with fury, but before he could retort, Elder Thorne continued.

"With that, the top ten scorers will be receiving special accommodations and resources, as well as priority selection of skill books," the elder announced. "The full details will be given at the ceremony tomorrow. For now, you are all dismissed."

The students slowly began to disperse, though the glances they threw Riven's way were anything but subtle. Some were curious, others envious, and more than a few outright hostile.

Riven paid them no mind.

He had more important matters to deal with.

'System, are you still not responding?'

Silence.

Damn it.

Something was wrong. The system had never gone completely silent like this before. Had his awakening affected it somehow?

He turned on his heel, making his way toward the dormitories, his mind racing. He needed to get somewhere private, somewhere he could figure out what had really changed inside of him.

He raced up the stairs and into his room, heading straight for the small training room and locking himself inside.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, searching within himself for any change or sign of the system.

He studied his mana heart and was startled to find it now completely black with violet runes engraved onto it just like his arms were. The circle orbiting it was also completely dark, like a shadowy wisp brimming with mana.

"System, answer me." Riven demanded as he searched deeper within himself.

Silence.

"ANSWER ME!" He commanded and the shadows brimming beneath his skin exploded from his body, flurrying around him like a tornado.

[[Link… weakened…]]

Relief flooded through Riven as he saw the notification screen pop in front of him.

'Weakened?' Rivens brows furrowed as he closed his eyes again. Searching deeper and deeper within himself - searching for anything that could be his connection to the system.

All he could see was vast darkness, stretching so far and wide within himself that he felt if he stayed here he would slowly get lost in the void.

He was about to give up when all of a sudden he saw a flicker of blue light. His eyes squeezed tighter as he focused on the blue glow. 

A thread.

It appeared to be a thin thread, no thicker than a strand of hair, but as he got closer he could see that it wasn't just one strand - but thousands… no… millions.

"I hope this works." Riven sighed and reached out mentally, his palms outstretched towards the maze of strands.

And then, he released it.

It was like a tsunami wave crashing down on the threads. A dark, pitch black ocean of mana surging and falling against the endless threads.

As the black tide of mana surged over the endless strands, Riven felt an unseen force push back. It wasn't violent, nor was it passive - it was resisting him, like an ancient mechanism long untouched by time, struggling to awaken.

The pressure in his mind built, his body trembling as he forced his will forward.

This is mine.

My power. My system. I won't let it be taken from me.

The dark mana wrapped around the thin strands, seeping into them like ink spreading through water. At first, nothing happened. Then, a pulse.

A weak, struggling flicker of life.

[[ Link stabilizing… ]]

The screen flickered, its words distorted for a brief second before snapping into clarity.

[[ Link to System Core partially restored. ]]

[[ Warning: An external force has attempted to suppress System Functions. ]]

Riven's eyes widened. Suppress?

Who - or what - was trying to suppress his system? His thoughts raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. His bloodline awakening, the memories of the throne, the strange figure that had given him this power - it all had to be connected.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on the newly stabilized thread, feeling its presence within him. It was still weaker than before, but it was there. His lifeline to the system remained intact.

[[ System Recovering… Please Wait. ]]

The more Riven poured his mana into the strands, the more resistance he felt. It was like trying to push against a massive, immovable door.

If something is suppressing the system, then he just had to break through it.

He willed his shadows to continue to wrap tightly around the threads, coiling like tendrils of ink, feeding them with his power. His breath grew heavier, sweat beading on his brow, but he didn't let up.

Then, finally…

A pulse.

No, not just a pulse - a response.

The threads trembled, shuddering under his relentless will. The blue glow flickered once, twice, before it surged, brightening like a crackling bolt of lightning.

[[ Warning: System Core Interference Detected. ]]

[[ Attempting to Bypass Foreign Restrictions… ]]

Riven's fingers twitched. Foreign restrictions? Someone - or something - had placed a block on his system.

He gritted his teeth and pushed harder.

The resistance cracked.

[[ System Core Synchronization… 67%… 81%… 96%… ]]

The air in the training chamber grew heavy, a deep, pulsating hum vibrating through the walls. Then, with a final surge, the last barrier shattered.

A flood of notifications appeared at once.

[[ System Core Restored. ]]

[[ Administrator Status: Reactivated. ]]

[[ Foreign Interference: Neutralized. ]]

Riven finally opened his eyes and slumped to the floor, his body covered in sweat as his breath sawed in and out of his mouth.

"System… are you… back?" Riven asked between gasps of breath.

[[ I knew you would miss me! ]]

The notification had relief flooding through him and he hung his head backwards, a breathless laugh escaping his lips.

"I didn't miss you - I missed the system and its perks." Riven corrected.

A hum filled the air again and the shadows twitched and began to move. Riven watched as a figure began to form from the shadows. 

"That hurts my feeling, you know." A feminine voice echoed through the shadows, a slender woman's figure sauntered her way over to him, leaning down so her midnight hair fell around hers and Rivens face like a curtain.

"Who are you?" Riven asked, not flinching as she leaned closer, their faces only inches apart. Her entire body was made from shadows but Riven could make out the features hidden underneath.

"I am your most devoted follower, your highness." She said and dragged a tender hand down the side of his face. "I have been asleep in the void for so long, waiting for your return."

He lifted his hand and the shadow woman smiled as if she expected him to touch her face in return.

Instead, he flicked her on the forehead.

She flinched backwards, falling onto her behind.

"What the hell?!" She yelled as she rubbed her forehead.

"You don't have to go acting all mysterious and cool - I know you were that annoying system administrator who's been pestering me all week." Riven sighed, cocking his head as he watched her.

"So mean." She pouted and crossed her arms.

"Now tell me - who are you?" Riven asked.

The shadow woman huffed, her obsidian eyes narrowing at Riven as if genuinely offended. "I already told you. I am your most devoted follower."

Riven simply arched an eyebrow.

She sighed dramatically, tossing her long, midnight hair over her shoulder before standing back up. "Fine, fine. If you must know, I am Nyx." She placed a hand on her hip, tilting her head. "I was created from the pits of the Abyss, my only purpose is to serve the one who commands it."

Riven crossed his arms. "What about this whole system thing? Did you create that?"

Nyx's expression wavered, her usual playfulness giving way to something more solemn. "It's complicated, especially for someone like you who is still learning, but this world is divided into three distinct Realms. First, there is the Abyss, where the souls of the corrupt and the forsaken undead dwell. Then, there is the Mortal Realm, where we are now. And finally, there is Varethun—the land of the Dragons."

She took a breath before continuing, her tone filled with quiet reverence.

"Velmorian was the first of us to rise from the Abyss. He was born from its darkness, but he refused to remain there. By sheer will and strength, he clawed his way free, breaking through the veil and stepping into the Mortal Realm. He took on human form, lived among mortals, and studied their ways. In time, he even cultivated a mana heart like theirs, one that beat with ambition and hunger for power. He climbed through the ranks of mankind, surpassing their limits, and when there was nothing left to challenge him here, he ascended beyond—into Varethun, the realm of Dragons, seeking even greater strength."

Nyx hesitated, biting her bottom lip before pressing on, her voice tinged with a mix of sorrow and rage.

"But the Dragons… they resented him. They saw him not as one of their own, but as an outsider—an intruder who had no right to rise above his station. They feared his potential, his limitless growth. So they tormented him, tested him, tried to break him. And when all else failed, they framed him for a crime he did not commit. It was their final act of cruelty."

Her fingers curled into fists, trembling slightly as she spoke.

"For his supposed 'betrayal,' they cast him down from Varethun, tearing his mana heart from his chest as punishment. They stripped him of everything - his power, his place among them - and sent him plummeting back to the Mortal Realm."

Nyx's gaze darkened, her voice dipping lower.

"Weakened, betrayed, and lost, Velmorian turned to the humans he had once been close with. But they, too, abandoned him. Without his strength, he was of no use to them. The very people who had once praised him as a hero discarded him like a broken tool."

A sharp exhale. Shadows writhed at her feet, curling and shifting as if responding to her fury.

"Exiled from the Solis Kingdom, forsaken by both man and dragon, Velmorian wandered the lands, his heart hollow and his rage festering. But the Abyss… the Abyss never forgot him." She lifted her gaze, eyes gleaming like a starry night sky. "In his moment of despair, the Abyss called to him, and he answered. He welcomed the darkness that had once birthed him, embraced its power, and in doing so, he became something far greater than what the Dragons feared."

She stretched out a hand, and the shadows swirled around her, forming twisting tendrils in the air.

"With that power, he carved his own domain - a kingdom built not from stone and steel, but from shadow itself. And he was not alone for long. The Abyss born - others like him, others cast aside - crawled forth from the depths, drawn to their new master's call."

Her voice took on a reverent hush as she continued.

"They became his legion. His children. Undead, abyssal creatures, all swearing fealty to him. He was no longer just a man. He was something more. And as his kingdom grew, so too did his power. He forged this system, binding it into existence—not for himself, but for the strongest among his children. His true successor."

Finally, Nyx's gaze lifted to meet Riven's, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"And now, Riven…" She took a step closer, her obsidian eyes burning with conviction.

"The system - Velmorian - has chosen you."