’Could I really be a Stormborn? Am I really the descendant of a God?’
Riven wondered, as for a long while afterwards, he fell completely silent, his mind slowly trying to process everything that the Imperial Anatomist had just revealed to him.
At first, he felt excited, perhaps even a little happy, as there was something strangely satisfying about discovering that he was not just another ordinary human, and regardless of the consequences or dangers that such a revelation might bring, the idea of being someone special carried with it a certain sense of pride that was difficult to ignore.
However, that brief excitement soon gave way to confusion, as once the initial shock began to settle, he found himself unable to understand what any of it actually meant for his life now that he knew he was someone special.
If he truly was a Child of Storm and divine blood really flowed through his veins, then what exactly changed?
The more he thought about it, the more he realised that he simply did not know.
Ever since he had started to understand the world and its complex society, he had lived as nothing more than a slave within Ashfang Village, where every single day revolved around enduring pain, obeying orders, and surviving long enough to see the following sunrise.
Nobody there had ever cared whether he would ever amount to anything or not, because they simply never had to.
Back there, if there was ever a day where he wasn’t scolded, he considered it to be a good one.
While if he ever got his hands on an extra scrap of food, it was usually enough to keep him happy for hours.
Because of that, there was never a time in his life where he had dreamt of becoming someone important, nor had he ever wished to stand above everyone else.
The only thing that he had truly wanted from the bottom of his heart was revenge against the people who had tortured his mother, revenge against the monsters who had dragged Lyra away and sold her into slavery, and revenge against those who had stolen away the childhood that should have belonged to him.
A part of that revenge had already been fulfilled when Hagrid met his end, however, as for everyone else, Riven no longer knew what had become of them, since he had no idea how Ashfang Village had fared after the raid.
Perhaps the village had been completely destroyed, perhaps the survivors had fled elsewhere, or perhaps those whom he hated were still alive somewhere beyond his reach, however, whichever turned out to be the truth, discovering that he was a Stormborn did not change any of it.
’Even if I’m really special...’
He wondered quietly.
’Even if I can gain more strength than my peers, what will I do with it?
I only ever wanted enough strength to kill those who wronged me.
And perhaps live a free man’s life.
So what will I even do with my status as a stormborn?
I’m not Cassius the Cunning, I don’t want to murder a king.
I’m not Travis the unstoppable, I’m no hero that an army relies on to win wars.
I’m just Riven, who was until just recently a slave.....’
The question lingered within his mind for several long moments before another familiar face unexpectedly surfaced amongst his thoughts.
Mary.
’What would Mary think?
Would she like me more if she knew I was a Stormborn...
Or would she find me to be some sort of a freak?’
He wondered, as apart from revenge, Mary was the only other longing that he had ever carried within his heart.
She was the only person after his mother whose opinion mattered to him, and the only person who had ever made him wonder what living a peaceful life alongside someone else might actually feel like.
However, the very moment he began thinking about her, another realization suddenly struck him, as he found himself wondering exactly how long he had been lying inside this laboratory.
How much time had passed?
Where was Garron now?
Where were Mary, Stacy, Garsim, Dara and everyone else?
"How long have I been here for?
I... I need to get back to my group.
My friends...
They must be worried sick..."
Riven muttered, as the Imperial Anatomist slowly raised one eyebrow upon hearing those words.
"You’ve been here for over fifty moons, boy.
If there was anyone waiting for you in this town, I doubt they’re still around here anymore.
And as for Garron’s group, I’m quite certain they’ve already continued their journey and entered the Valdrak Empire."
The Imperial Anatomist replied calmly, as listening to those words, Riven felt another wave of shock wash over him, while an overwhelming sense of loneliness crept back into his heart once more, just as it had on the day his mother died.
That small group of friends was the first real social connection that he had formed in all his years alive, and now there was a very real possibility that he might never see them again.
’They’re gone? Mary... she’s gone?’
He wondered in panic, as his breathing became uneven once more, while a wrenching ache grabbed hold of his heart.
For the first time since learning that he was a Stormborn, he found himself caring far less about his bloodline than the possibility that he had already lost the one person who had ever accepted him without expecting anything in return.
Fifty moons was simply too long.
By now, Mary had probably accepted that he was dead.
She had likely cried for him, mourned him, and eventually forced herself to move on with her life, while he had remained unconscious inside this laboratory, completely unaware that the world beyond these walls had continued without him.
The thought hurt far more than he expected.
After losing his mother and Lyra, Mary had unknowingly become the one person who made him believe that perhaps there was still a place for him somewhere in this world, and the quiet dream of one day living freely alongside her had become one of the few hopes he had ever allowed himself to cherish.
However, now, just like every other small happiness that he had ever dared to cling to, that quiet dream too seemed to have slipped beyond his reach before he had ever been given the chance to grasp it.
As yet again, he was left a hollow and broken man.