Hearing its name being called, the clone smiled faintly with a quiet familiarity. Its molten-amber eyes gleamed as though it had been waiting for this moment to speak again.

Seeing this, Ash's breath caught, and he looked down at his hands, flexing them as if trying to grasp the weight of what he was seeing.

For a moment he said nothing, his chest tight, before his voice slipped out in a whisper, "So it really was you… the reason that clone felt so alive."

'Hello again, Ash,' he spoke.

Ash exhaled slowly, tension dragging down his shoulders as his assumptions were confirmed, 'How?'

Riven's voice sharp but steady, echoed in Ash's head as if it had always belonged there, 'I never left… I told you that.'

'Yes… but how?' Ash's claws flexed, 'You're no longer just in my head.'

Riven inclined his head slowly, his tone calm yet edged with certainty, "That first time we met, you allowed me to take shape. Your personification of me gave me the ability to form completely. I cannot appear in reality through you, but I can manifest through your clones."

"I don't understand…" Ash spoke, his voice uncertain and edged with fatigue. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the shifting shadow before him. "Can you move completely independently?"

Riven's eyes flared with molten intensity, "No… not in the way you think. I am tied to you. When you call on your clones, I can step forward within them. But it's always through you. Never apart from you."

Hearing this, Ash's brow furrowed as he lighted a hand, willing the connection to sever. For a heartbeat, the shadow form of Riven flickered violently, its outline tearing like smoke caught in a gale. To his shock, the features that distinctively made the clone look like Riven slowly began to recede and fade away, making the clone begin to look like the normal clones that would be summoned.

"I actually pushed him out," he staggered, his chest tight and the only thought settled him as much as it amazed him. For a moment, there was only silence and then Ash willed Riven to appear once again.

The shadows began to coil around the clone once again as they condensed and transfigured into the distinctive features of Riven, the molten gaze and the lean figure,

Riven reappeared, his smirk returning, "So you've learned you can drive me away. But you also learned that you can just as easily call me back. Remember that, Ash– removing me is not freedom. It's only a delay."

Ash frowned, his ears twitching as he dismissed what Riven had just said, "So you're bound to me, but… what if I lose control of you?"

Riven smirked faintly, "You cannot lose control of me, because I am you. At worst, you will lose control of yourself—and then I will take the reins to keep us alive."

Ash's claws tightened, "That sounds like losing control."

"Survival does not care for your pride," Riven said flatly, "It only cares that you breathe another day."

Ash shook his head, "See? You speak like you're separate."

"No, that's where you're wrong," Riven replied, "I speak like the part of you you fear to face. You dress me as other because it's easier than admitting what you are capable of."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Then tell me—do you have your own will?"

Riven tilted his head, shadows flickering across his face, "My will is yours, sharpened. I want what you want, only stripped of hesitation. When you think of protecting them, I strike without pause. When you think of vengeance, I make it absolute. You may doubt, but I am your truest intent."

Ash's chest tightened.

"And what if my intent changes?"

"Then I will change with it," Riven said simply, "But do not mistake change for weakness. Even if you turn to peace, I will still be there—your teeth when peace is broken."

Ash's breath trembled, half in frustration, half in realization, "So there's no ridding myself of you."

Riven's smile returned, faint and sharp. "None. Not until you stop breathing. I am bound to your shadow, and shadows do not leave their source."

Just then, a sudden pulse of energy shivered through the air, rattling the bridge beneath Ash's feet. The markings along Riven's frame began to flicker and dim, the body unraveling into wisps of black smoke.

His voice lingered, fainter now but no less sharp, "This form won't last. The skill ends, and I return to the dark. I know that you still harbour doubts and fear about me… but remember- You can always call me when you need. Always."

Ash did not move, simply watching as the shadow unravelled before him, dissolving into the mist before his claws could even reach. The last thing that lingered were those eyes, molten and merciless yet emanating trust and faith, searing into him as though etching themselves into his soul.

A heavy silence followed, pressing into his chest. And then it was gone.

Ash stood for a long moment, his eyes looked up, furrowed with complex emotions, as he tried to digest what had just happened.

Night had now settled across the swamp and the mist came in now. The air was cool and the moon's pale light struggled to pierce the canopy, leaving much of the landscape in shifting shadows.

His breath came in slow clouds, merging with the night air.

Finally, with a quiet snarl meant only for himself, he turned, forcing his legs to carry him back across the boardwalks. The mist clinging to the railing like ghostly fingers, and the glow of lanterns ahead shimmered faintly through the haze.

With each step, the distant hum of the night slowly grew louder as Ash began to make his way through to the Main Hall.

Silence greeted Ash the moment he entered the main hall. It was not what he expected. The same time yesterday, this place had been brimming with life- pots clattering in the kitchen, laughter rising from tables, the chatter of Kin preparing dinner.

Now that warmth was gone, replaced by a heavy quiet broken only by hushed voices that came from deeper in the hall.

Near the benches close to the kitchen, a crowd had gathered, their faces lit by lanterns, pale and worried.

Children and older members of the kin were huddled around the two casualties who were currently being treated.

At the center of the crowd knelt Rhavri, her bark-toned features drawn in quiet focus as she cared for the two casualties.

Druven lay still, his chest wrapped with bloodied cloth as Rhavri pressed herbs into the wounds. His breathing was shallow, every inhale a struggle, the grievous injuries etched deep into his ribs.The scent of crushed moss and sap filled the air as poultices were applied, their greenish paste glistening under lamplight.

Beside him, Salken stirred faintly, his arm bound tightly in splints. His body bore a scattering of shallower cuts and bruises, one side of his face was swollen where a claw had struck.

He was badly injured, but his chest rose more evenly than Druven's, the rhythm also steadier.

Having finished tying the splint onto Salken's other arm, Tholn slowly got up to his feet as he looked towards Druven but as he did so, his attention was immediately caught by Ash who had just made his way in.

He turned to him, relief flickered in his eyes as he rose to his feet and he strode forward quickly to meet him.

"You're back," he said, voice low but steady, full of gratitude, "Thank you for protecting them."

Ash nodded at Tholn's thanks and immediately asked, "Are they okay?"

His gaze then swept over the mats, lingering on Druven's pallor and the bandages that could not hide the blood still seeping through. His eyes then moved to Salken, who fingers twitched faintly as if still gripping a weapon even in half-consciousness.

Tholn exhaled slowly, his shoulders easing just slightly as he also turned to them, first to Druven, "They are stable. We are just waiting for them to gain consciousness. Druven took the worst of it- deep gashes across the ribs, and he lost too much blood. It was close but Rhavri's skills kept him tethered here."

He then turned to Salken, pride glinting from his eyes, "Salken got hurt because he was protecting Druven. Had he left him, he would've escaped safely but he didn't."

"Admirable…" Ash commented, his opinion of the young hunter rising as the two of them made their way towards the crowd.

"He's just beaten up, his arm broken clean and ribs bruised, but he'll pull through. They'll both live," Tholn finished, his voice firmer now as if speaking the words gave him strength.

Ash nodded once, the tension in his frame loosening though his expression stayed hard. He let his breath out through his nose, the warmth of the hall seeping into him little by little.

His eyes shifted to the children nearby.

They were putting on their strongest front, lips trembling yet curved into thin smiles as they whispered to each other that everything would be fine. One boy wiped at his tears quickly, forcing his chin up as though daring himself not to cry again. The older youths of the Kin knelt beside them, murmuring soft reassurances, steadying small shoulders with hands that trembled only when unseen.

Ash's chest tightened at the sight, but he continued on with Tholn. As they drew closer to the group, the murmurs hushed. Then, from among the cluster, a young child suddenly broke away and rushed toward them, eyes wide with desperate hope.

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