The morning sun painted the sky orange and pink as Riven walked across the wooden bridge into Magnolia. His boots made soft sounds on the old planks. Early morning mist floated around his torn cloak like ghostly fingers. The first rays of sunlight caught something strange on his right arm - a cracked gauntlet that looked like it was made of golden metal and lightning.
The gauntlet flickered sometimes. It would appear for a few seconds, then fade away like smoke. It was all that remained of Baal's power from the desert temple. Every time it appeared, Riven felt a tiny shock run up his arm.
He was more tired than he had ever been in his life. His whole body ached. His muscles felt like he had been carrying heavy stones for days. But the worst part was the exhaustion in his mind. Something powerful lived inside him now, and his brain was still trying to understand what that meant.
The storm was still there. Riven could feel it moving around inside his chest like a second heartbeat. It was quiet for now, but he knew it was waiting. Baal was waiting.
"Djinn Requip," he said quietly to himself. "Baal."
He made a fist with his right hand. The golden gauntlet appeared again for just a moment. Then it was gone, leaving only the memory of power and a burning feeling in his fingers.
"It was too much," Riven thought. "I wasn't ready for something that strong."
The gates of Fairy Tail Guild Hall stood in front of him now. The building looked exactly the same as when he had left weeks ago. But everything felt different now. He was different now.
He pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. The guild hall was quieter than usual. Only a few people were awake this early. Some guild members sat at tables eating breakfast. Others were cleaning up empty bottles and broken chairs from whatever party had happened the night before.
"Riven?" a gentle voice called out.
Levy McGarden looked up from a stack of mission request papers. Her blue hair was tied back neatly, and she wore her usual orange dress. When she saw him, her face lit up with a big smile.
"You're back!" she said, walking over quickly. "We thought you might have gotten lost in some ancient library and never come home."
Riven managed a small smile. "You know how I am with old books and legends. But this time I found something real."
Levy stopped walking when she got closer. Her smile faded as she looked at his torn clothes and the scorch marks on his sleeves. Dark lines ran across the fabric like someone had drawn on him with black ink.
"Wait," she said slowly. "Did you actually find something? You look like you got struck by lightning."
Before Riven could explain, a loud voice echoed from the second floor balcony.
"Riven. Come upstairs. Right now."
Master Makarov stood at the railing above them. His small body looked serious and stern. His arms were crossed, and his bushy eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. Even from far away, Riven could feel the old man's powerful magical energy.
Several other guild members looked up when they heard the Master's voice. Gray stopped drinking his coffee. Cana paused in the middle of shuffling her cards. Everyone could tell something important was happening.
=The Guildmaster's Office=
Makarov's office was on the second floor of the guild hall. The room was full of old books, mission reports, and strange magical items collected over many years. A large wooden desk sat in the center, covered with papers and empty coffee cups. Behind the desk, Master Makarov looked very small in his big chair, but his presence filled the whole room.
Riven stood in front of the desk like a student called to see the principal. Makarov held a thick book about ancient magical bloodlines in one hand. A steaming mug of coffee sat next to his elbow.
"Let me make sure I understand this correctly," Makarov said. He put the book down and looked directly at Riven. "You went into the desert chasing old stories. You found a sealed temple that was supposed to be just a legend. You heard voices that nobody else could hear. You touched an ancient weapon that had been locked away for centuries. And now your magic has completely changed into something you don't understand."
When the Master put it like that, it sounded crazy. Riven shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"I know it sounds unbelievable, Master," Riven said. "But it really happened. The Djinn - his name is Baal - he chose me. The power isn't like my old Requip magic. It doesn't just give me weapons and armor. It becomes part of me."
Makarov rubbed his forehead with both hands. "After seventy years of running this guild, I should be used to our members finding world-changing magic in dangerous places. But it's always the quiet ones who bring home the most dangerous artifacts."
Despite being nervous, Riven almost smiled at that comment.
The Master's expression became gentler. He stood up and walked to the window that looked out over the guild hall below. Down there, their family was starting another normal day - eating, laughing, preparing for missions.
"I won't forbid you from exploring this power, Riven," Makarov said. "Fairy Tail has always been about helping our members grow and become stronger. But ancient magic that talks to you and changes your soul is not something to play with carelessly."
He turned back to face Riven.
"You need training. You need someone watching to make sure this power doesn't take control of you. Go down to the training grounds behind the guild hall. Erza is waiting there."