Chapter 26: Departure

The Next Morning

The field was filled with voices of the other students. Riven stood with Kevan, Lynn, Leo, and Ceyric at the same grounds where they had once taken their trials. But today, a ship dominated the space. It was a vanguard ship with a sleek, twenty feet of aerodynamic steel, marked with the insignia of the Federation.

Students lined the edges of the field. Some glared in envy. Others sulked in quiet disappointment at their own failure.

"Damn it," one muttered. "Would've been fun to see Astralis."

"Fun?" another spat. "This was supposed to be our shot. And now—"

A few feet away, Darius clenched his fists, face dark with rage. 'That defective trash... it should be me down there. Not him.'

When Arven approached with the other instructors, silence fell. His voice cut through the air.

"You have been granted a great opportunity. An opportunity you have worked and fought for. But make no mistake, this is only the beginning for you."

The field stilled.

"Obstacles will rise before you, and some of those obstacles will decide what you become. Tomorrow, next month, or years from now you will face moments where giving in feels easier than fighting on, if only to feel the sweet embrace of release. But know this: giving in is no better than surrendering to death. The only answer is survival. Survival through all means is the key. Nothing else matters."

He paced before them, gaze sharp.

"The trials you endured were not games or mere random tests. They were to prepare you for when your body screams to quit, when your lumen is gone and you have nothing else to rely on, when exhaustion makes you crawl and still. To stop means death. Ahead, each of you will face your Deviant. Its aura alone will threaten to crush your spirit. Its presence will break your courage. Some of you will run. Some of you will die.

"Oh, I do not say this to seed fear in you." His gaze swept back across them. "This is the reality you were all born into. Will you falter? Or will you rise?"

Even the instructors stood straighter.

Arven's eyes lingered on the five. "This path is not for the weak. Do not disappoint Veylin. Do not disappoint me. And most of all, do not disappoint yourselves." His last words dropped to a mutter. "Do not forget who you are. And where you come from."

He turned, walking away. His words echoed long after.

Riven stared at the dirt beneath his boots, fists clenched so hard his knuckles blanched. Each word hammered against him like a strike.

'Survival... through all means.'

The phrase cut deep. He hated how it rang true. He hated how it reminded him of every failure, every near-break and the torture he went through in that corridor.

'He's right. Against the Deviant, strength won't be enough. Training won't be enough. It'll come down to whether I can keep standing when everything else is stripped away except my willpower.'

His jaw tightened.

'I won't falter. I refuse. Even if I have to crawl through blood and ash, I'll stand and I'll rise.'

He lifted his gaze briefly, catching Arven's eye as it passed. For an instant, the silence between them said more than any speech could. Expectation. A challenge.

Riven's hands curled tighter. 'I won't break. Not now. Not ever.'

---

The five boarded the ship. Its interior glowed with lines of light across the walls and seats.

Ceyric whistled. "Spacious and sleek... saints above, this is something else."

Kevan elbowed Lynn, grinning. "They say this model-four Vanguard can hit Mach four. Can you imagine?"

Lynn raised a brow. "Isn't that normal? My brother—"

Kevan cut in with a chuckle. "Oh yeah, right. Forgot who your brother is."

She smirked, shaking her head.

Riven stepped in last, eyes scanning the design with his wooden box slung across his back . "Impressive," he muttered.

Leo lingered outside a moment before slipping in. The door sealed shut with a hum.

The ship brightened as the pilot turned in her seat she had green hair and matching eyes.

"Journey from Vorath to Eryndor will take twenty minutes. Sit down and try not to make any unnecessary noise."

Lynn blinked. "Wait... shouldn't that take less at full speed?"

The pilot arched a brow. "Yes, it would thanks less time but I've been instructed to fly at Mach two. So question it again, and you can walk all the way to Eryndor."

Lynn huffed into her seat. "Rude..."

Ceyric smirked. "Guess not everyone finds you charming."

"Keep that up," Kevan said with a grin, "and you'll lose a couple teeth, brick-face."

Before Ceyric could reply, the ship shuddered. The ground dropped away as it rose, accelerating—faster, faster—until the thunderous boom split the air as it broke through the sound barrier.

Inside, inertia dampeners purred reducing the effects of such motion inside the ship. There was no drag or crushing pull. Only smooth, seamless speed.

Riven gripped his seat, lips curling into a grin. 'Oh, this is so cool... I want one.'

---

Back on the field, Leyra stood with Borah, Corrin, and Arven. The ship had already vanished into the sky.

"Think the kids will be fine?" Leyra asked quietly.

Arven didn't look away from the horizon. His voice was calm, but heavy. "That will depend. On their will to survive."

————

The ship cut through the clouds in silence. For twenty long minutes, not a word was spoken. Even Ceyric the loudest of them all, forever boasting, laughing, or complaining about one thing or another sat unusually quiet.

From the corner of his eye, Riven glanced at him. The big boy was staring out the glass window, lips parted with a distant look in his eyes. 'Huh,' Riven thought. 'Never thought I'd see him actually think about anything other than punching or eating. Guess miracles do happen once in a while.'

He shifted his gaze forward. Lynn and Kevan were seated directly ahead of him, whispering low.

"What do you think it's going to be like?" Lynn murmured.

Kevan shrugged. "I don't know."

She turned, catching Riven's eyes. "And you?"

He sighed, leaning back. "Like Kevan said, I don't know, Lynn. But…" His tone dropped, thoughtful. "With other Awakened types there, and older students who've already sharpened their edge, one thing's certain: it'll be anything but impressive to say the least."

Kevan smirked. "Yeah. And with the third trial being conducted there, I don't think—" He hesitated, then added, "—I don't think all of us are walking out of it the same for some reason."

Riven's head lifted slightly, his fist curling tight against his leg. His thoughts sharpened at that.

'He's right.'

His heartbeat thudded. 'It'll be interesting… maybe even deadly.'

A thin smile tugged at his lips. He muttered under his breath, "Hmm. How invigorating."