Masked By Fate: The Strongest Pretender

Chapter 9: 9 : Whispers in the Garden of Blades



Night settled over the capital, but the royal gardens of the Academy remained aglow under enchanted lanterns. Riven sat on a stone bench, partially veiled by the shadows of a tall hedge maze. The scent of night-blooming lilies hung in the air—an oddly serene contrast to the chaos brewing in his mind.

Kaela Dravenn stood before him, arms crossed, eyes aflame.

"So, weakling… you're not just some lucky insect," she muttered, voice low.

Riven didn't respond immediately. His half-mask shimmered under the moonlight. The glow of his red eyes under the upper mask pierced through the silence.

"What gave me away?" he asked softly.

"You dodge too well. You think too fast. And no one—no one—survives a flame strike like that unless they're hiding something," Kaela said, stepping closer. "You're not just a student. You're something else."

Riven let a pause stretch long before standing slowly. The wind tugged at his cloak, revealing the edge of an ancient sigil stitched inside. His eyes locked with hers.

"I am no hero," he said. "But I intend to win this war before it begins."

Kaela's eyes widened. A strange mix of fear and excitement danced on her face. "War?"

"You'll understand soon."

She gritted her teeth, stepping back. "You're dangerous. But... I'll follow you—until I can defeat you myself."

Just as Kaela turned to leave, Ylira emerged from the other side of the garden, her silver hair catching the moonlight. Her expression was unreadable.

"Interesting conversation," Ylira said. "Should I be jealous?"

Kaela scoffed. "Only if he ever gets interesting enough."

Ylira approached Riven, eyes never leaving his masked face. "You keep collecting powerful women. Is that part of your 'pretend-to-be-weak' strategy?"

Riven didn't answer.

But behind the silence, his mind was already elsewhere—on the dark sigils forming beneath the academy, and the blood sorcery stirring in the eastern dormitory. The shadows whispered to him.

And he whispered back.


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