The officer's body collapsed with a dull thud, his blood spreading slowly across the soaked ground—almost as if the earth itself was swallowing his sins.
A weight slid off my chest, so sudden and sharp that I felt breath return to my lungs after what seemed like ages. I stood in the ruins of the station, surrounded by shattered walls, broken metal, and the lifeless soldiers I had cut down.
Rainwater mixed with blood at my feet, forming a dark trail that looked like the battlefield's silent testimony to everything that had happened here.
The rescued girls stared at me—wide-eyed, trembling, unsure whether to fear me or thank me. None of them spoke; they simply looked… as if trying to understand who I really was.
And then Zara stepped forward.
She pressed her forehead against my chest, right there in front of everyone. She didn't say a word; she didn't need to.
I placed a hand on her back, feeling her body tremble—not with fear, but with relief.
The kind of trembling that comes from finally being safe.
Her voice broke into a whisper against my shirt.
"Are you… Riven? You're the one who saved us…?"
In her eyes I saw disbelief, confusion, and a single tear clinging to her lashes. I didn't speak—I simply met her gaze. And in that moment, I saw it clearly: the instant when doubt shattered and respect took its place.
The same boy who once caused trouble on the streets…
The same idiot she may have hated…
Was now standing here as their savior.
Among the girls was Ruma's daughter—Once I heard about from my mother, the one abducted by the military. She stood behind Zara now, no trace of fear remaining, only a quiet, grateful calm. Fate has a strange way of bringing lives together.
I led them out of the station building.
The rain had finally stopped, and an unfamiliar softness stirred inside me—as though my soul, once dipped in blood and fire, was tasting peace for the first time.
A translucent screen appeared before my eyes.
---
(System Notification)
Mission Completed — Rescue Successful
Xp Earned : 5X
Level Up ! 2 → 4
Health : 4.5 → 5.5 ;Strength : 5 → 6
Speed : 6→7; Stamina : 5.5 →6
Defence : 7→ 8 ; Endurance: 8→ 9
Strategy Skill: Ability Unlocked; Tactical Reflex — Enhanced
Special Reward Acquired — One Hidden Achievement
---
"Secret reward? What the hell does that mean…" I muttered under my breath.
No one else could see the interface—this strange power was mine alone.
We walked along the muddy trail leading back to the village. The clouds parted just enough for sunlight to slip through, touching the wet earth and filling the air with a fresh, grounding scent. When the village gate came into view, people ran out to meet us.
"Look! Riven is back!"
"They're alive! They're all alive!"
Families broke into tears, embracing their daughters with shaking hands. Fathers prayed under their breaths. Mothers held their children as if they had been returned from the dead.
And when the girls said,
"Riven saved us…"
the entire village wore the same expression—shock, pride, gratitude.
All at once, every pair of eyes looked at me with a respect I had never earned before.
Children shouted my name, grabbing my arms and cheering. Young men lifted me onto their shoulders, shouting in celebration as the entire village echoed with joy.
I glanced away, toward the distant line of trees, whispering to myself:
No one will call me a troublemaker again.
No one will call me a drunk.
Today, in their eyes… I became something else....
I become their hope.
My father walked up to me, his eyes filled with tears he didn't bother hiding.
"Son… you made me proud today."
My mother cried quietly while scolding me for fighting.
My siblings ran to me, their arms wrapping tightly around my waist.
In that moment, I finally understood—
Riven had found redemption.
Sometimes all it takes is a single moment of courage.
A single honest fight.
I looked up at the sky as the last drops of rain slid down my face.
And for the first time in a long, long while…
I smiled.
"Maybe I'm not a good person," I whispered.
"But today… I fixed at least one of my mistakes."
And beneath the fading rain,
that smile became my first taste—
of peace.