Riven didn't stop until the noise behind him dulled into something distant and uneven. Not gone—just far enough that it stopped pressing directly against his back. He slowed near a narrow gap between two houses, catching his breath without fully relaxing.
Running blindly wasn't a plan.
But standing there earlier would've been worse.
He leaned slightly against the wall, listening. The village didn't sound the same anymore. It had changed. The easy rhythm from before was gone, replaced with scattered movement, raised voices, something breaking somewhere too close for comfort.
They had entered.
That much was clear.
Riven closed his eyes for a second, trying to steady his thoughts. It wasn't as simple as "this happens, then that happens." Whatever fragments he had weren't complete. They came in pieces, out of order, sometimes too late to matter.
"…Useless."
The word slipped out, quieter than he intended.
Because knowing something vague wasn't the same as knowing enough.
Another shout echoed from the main path, followed by the dull thud of something hitting the ground. Riven's jaw tightened. His body wanted to move—either to run further or go back—but neither felt right.
That hesitation annoyed him more than the fear.
He exhaled slowly and pushed himself off the wall, stepping just enough to look past the corner of the house. Not fully exposed. Just enough.
The village square was partially visible from here.
People were scattering now. No order, no direction. Some trying to help, others just trying to get away. It wasn't chaos yet—but it was close.
And in the middle of it—
One of them.
Closer than before.
The man moved without hurry, which somehow made it worse. Covered face, loose grip on the weapon like he didn't feel threatened by anything around him. He wasn't chasing. He didn't need to.
Riven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So it starts like this."
The thought came naturally, like he'd already accepted it.
Not a sudden massacre.
A slow collapse.
His gaze shifted again, scanning the area more carefully this time. There were too many ways in, too many places to get trapped. If more of them were already inside—
He stepped back again, pressing into the narrow space.
Think.
He couldn't fight. Not like this. This body wasn't built for it, and whatever he used to know—if he ever did—wasn't something he could access properly.
So that left one option.
Survive.
It sounded simple.
It wasn't.
Because surviving here meant choosing where not to go.
Another noise—closer now. Footsteps, uneven, rushing. Someone turned the corner ahead of him, nearly slipping as they did. A young boy, maybe a few years younger than him, eyes wide, breathing too fast.
He didn't notice Riven at first.
Then he did.
"Th-they're—" The words broke apart before forming properly.
Riven didn't answer right away. His eyes moved past the boy, checking the path he'd come from.
Clear.
For now.
"…Don't run toward the center," Riven said, voice low but steady. "Go around. Stay near the outer edge."
The boy stared at him like he didn't understand.
Which, honestly, made sense.
"Just—don't go back there," Riven added, a bit sharper this time.
That seemed to land.
The boy nodded quickly and moved again, not waiting for anything else. His steps were still unsteady, but at least they were going in a better direction.
Riven watched him for a second… then looked away.
No time.
He shifted position again, moving along the side of the houses instead of stepping out into open ground. The narrow paths weren't safe, but they were safer than being seen too early.
Every step felt heavier now—not physically, but mentally.
Because the more he moved, the clearer it became.
This wasn't a single moment.
It was a chain.
And he was already inside it.
A faint flicker passed through his vision again.
Not as strong as before. Not enough to stop him.
But enough to remind him.
[Condition Unstable]
Riven's expression didn't change.
"…Yeah. I noticed."
The text vanished almost immediately, leaving nothing behind but that same quiet pressure in the back of his mind.
He didn't question it this time.
Didn't try to understand it.
Not yet.
Right now, understanding wouldn't keep him alive.
He reached the end of the narrow path and paused, just before stepping out. From here, the forest wasn't far. Not safe—but not predictable either.
Which might be better.
Behind him, the village continued to break apart, piece by piece.
Riven glanced back once.
Just once.
Then he turned away.
And kept moving.