Chapter 28 - 27 - Like I Could Cut Through Anything
The morning sunlight filtered gently through the leaves, casting golden patterns that danced across the forest floor. The air felt crisp, dew still clinging to the tips of the grass, and the distant sound of birds marked the start of a new day.
Riven slowly opened his eyes.
His body was still leaning against a large rock that radiated leftover warmth from the fire. A worn-out blanket draped loosely over part of his body—but that wasn’t what he noticed first. There was a soft, warm weight against his right side. As he turned his head slowly, his breath caught.
Ashtoria was sleeping soundly, resting against his shoulder.
Her face was calm, her breathing steady. Her blood-red hair spilled across his shoulder, with some strands falling against his chest. And from those strands wafted a subtle scent—sweet and alluring, like a blend of forest breeze and wildflowers. It was a scent hard to define, yet impossible to forget.
Riven’s gaze lingered on her face.
Her skin was pale and smooth, her brows perfectly shaped, and her lips slightly parted with each quiet breath. There was peace in her expression, something nearly unimaginable from someone who usually appeared so cold and distant.
In silence, Riven studied every detail of her face.
"Who is this woman really?" he wondered silently. "Why were those people trying to kill her? Is she truly just a fugitive noble? Or is there something much deeper?"
He didn’t move. His shoulder had gone stiff, but he didn’t want to disturb her sleep. Whether out of sympathy—or something else—he wasn’t sure. Something he didn’t quite understand yet.
He let out a quiet sigh and closed his eyes again, returning to his mana absorption technique. He calmed his mind, opened himself to the flow of mana around him—drawing it in slowly like morning dew, guiding it into his body, and stabilizing it at his spiritual core.