The stairway shimmered under Riven's feet like stardust solidified. Each step rang like a bell struck by eternity, echoing across a sky that wasn't a sky, but the barebones of time itself.
He walked, one breath at a time.
The stars watched.
No, not stars.
Eyes.
Countless cosmic eyes peering through the veil—some curious, others hateful. All waiting.
> [Sovereign Layer: 78%]
[Host Identity: Riven Lorne]
[Time Remaining: 43:44]
Destination: Final Trial Gate
He climbed until the stars receded and silence became absolute. The air grew heavy with memory. Each breath summoned whispers from long-lost moments.
Then, he reached it.
---
A platform stretched outward—circular, infinite, rimmed with tombstone-like pillars of glass. Floating above them: his memories.
Real ones.
The cracked bowl from his childhood.
His mother's broken lullaby.
The prison collar.
The tear-soaked chain.
The girl with ash-blonde hair who once gave him a crust of bread and vanished.
Each memory flickered, vulnerable.
> [Core Memory Archive Exposed]
WARNING: Interference Detected
Entity Present: Dissonant Soul Fragment
Classification: SELF
---
From the far edge of the platform, he emerged.
Another Riven.
But twisted.
Same face, same frame—but eyes pitch black, leaking shadow, and skin etched with ancient, broken runes. His voice came not from his mouth, but from the air around him, as if time remembered his words before they were spoken.
"I am what you buried," it said. "The version of you that gave in. The one who took the easy way. The one who broke."
---
Riven's breath caught.
This was no illusion.
This was his inner fracture, brought to life by the system's cruel trial. The part of him that wanted to surrender, to become exactly what the world had told him to be: voiceless, shackled, and forgettable.
"You're not me," Riven said.
The doppelgänger chuckled.
"I'm the you who never stood up. Who obeyed. And for that, I was rewarded."
He spread his arms.
Around him, golden chains slithered like serpents. They shined, but they were still chains.
---
> [Trial Objective: Reclaim or Erase the Fragmented Self]
Warning: Deletion of the fragment may cause emotional instability.
Reward for Integration: Permanent skill inheritance + Memory stabilization
Time Remaining: 42:11
The corrupted Riven lunged.
Faster than thought.
Their fists met—and the world shook.
---
They clashed across the memory field, destroying fragments as they moved. Each punch shattered a different echo:
The sound of laughter.
A scent of rain.
A whispered name.
The sting of betrayal.
"Why fight me?" the shadow Riven asked, eyes glowing like black suns. "We wanted peace. You think this path leads to salvation? It only ends in madness."
"I'd rather go mad with purpose than live whole as a slave," Riven roared.
---
Their battle slowed.
Shadow Riven paused, expression softening.
"You think strength is enough to carry all this pain? You'll drown in it."
"I already drowned," Riven whispered. "Now I swim in fire."
With that, he summoned his Sovereign Authority.
The platform cracked as divine light erupted from his body.
> [New Manifestation: Echo of the Unbroken]
Temporarily fuses with a stable version of a future self
Duration: 60 seconds
Stats Boosted: All
Morality Anchor: Active
His form shifted.
His spine straightened.
His hair crackled with golden fire.
His voice deepened—resonant and commanding.
"I am Riven Lorne, Sovereign of the Shattered Will."
---
He struck once.
The shadow form fractured.
Another blow.
The chains binding the corrupted self snapped.
Shadow Riven staggered, coughing ink.
"You… would integrate me? After all I did?"
Riven knelt beside him.
"I won't erase my weakness," he said. "Because it's where my strength began."
He placed a hand on his double's heart.
> [Integration Complete]
New Trait Gained: Burning Remorse
Grants enhanced resistance to mind and soul manipulation
Empathic burst: Release emotional feedback as psychic damage once per day
---
The fragments around the arena floated back into place.
The platform reformed. The tombstone-glass pillars vanished.
And in their place, a single doorway appeared, etched with the final sigil.
> [Final Trial Gate Unlocked]
Identity: Verified
Core Stability: 95%
Sovereign Layer: 83%
Time Remaining: 39:49
Riven stood before the door, now whole.
His past embraced.
His rage refined.
His pain no longer a wound—but a weapon.
---
He reached toward the door.
It pulsed once, as if alive.
"Beyond this lies a truth no god can speak."
"Beyond this lies the source."
"Do you still wish to proceed?"
Riven exhaled.
"I didn't climb this far to look away now."
He pushed.
The door opened.
And all the stars in the heavens wept.