As the crowd began to disperse, the initial wave of cheers fading into murmurs of awe, Riven found himself quickly surrounded by his generals. They gathered around him like loyal hounds left alone for too long—wide-eyed, eager, and just shy of scolding him for staying away for too long.
"Welcome back, my king," Mal said first, his voice calm, composed. His face was the picture of seriousness—except for the way the corners of his lips kept twitching, struggling to contain the grin threatening to break through.
"You've gotten even stronger since you left!" Damon laughed, giving Riven a hearty pat on the shoulder that nearly rattled his bones. "I bet you turned that academy upside down."
"Rumors of a shadowed fire climbing the power charts reached my spies days ago," Aria added with a knowing smirk. "We knew instantly it was you."
Their voices blurred for a moment—praise, relief, affection—but one among them remained silent.
Krux.
