Chapter 7

"Oh my god, it is you!" Morgana said with glee which contrasted her gloomy appearance. "I can't believe it is you Artrix."

Artrix too was just as surprised as her, not only at finding Morgana but by her new appearance. Her old, angelic flavour has now been defiled, fallen. No longer did her wings spread out gloriously like a feathered fan. No longer did she have a radiance of purity. Her skin, now as pale as the winter snow, drained the previously lively colors she once wielded.

"Artrix, you may not be able to tell, but I am so happy right now," Morgana said without a smile. To Artrix, it seemed like cruel sarcasm.

"Morgana, what are you doing here? Should you not be in your home world?" Artrix asked.

Morgana gave a puzzled expression. "You don't know?"

Artrix shook his head. "What happened? I was just exiled, and here you are, all…. Different."

Morgana had a doubtful look on her face. She examined Artrix with her pupil-less eyes. She then sighed as if preparing herself to break solemn news to him.

"Artrix… You have been exiled for 10,000 years, everyone already thinks you're dead," Morgana said. Artrix's eyes widened in bewilderment and his jaws slightly dropped from the news. It took him a moment to process the information in his head.

"How… I just came to this world a few days ago," Artrix said. Morgana now bared an even more austere face than her gloom.

"The portal must've transported you forward in time. Ever since you were banished, Heaven was in chaos. After Kayle and I returned home, there was a civil war. In there, we had split apart, each of us with a different idea," Morgana explained.

This was almost too much for Artrix now, he could not believe that Heaven could fall apart like this.

"But how, my father should've handled all this."

Morgana paused for a moment, unsure of how to tell him. Soon, silence followed until Artrix demanded an answer from her.

"Your father is not well Artrix," Morgana said. "With the pressure of passing on his Throne combined with your exile, he couldn't take it. He has been in a deep coma for 10,000 years."

Artrix's words were choked in his throat. His mind desperately attempting to decipher all of this news, but he couldn't. An immense feeling of guilt surged over him. His father was ill because of him, because of his recklessness. He singlehandedly plunged the once undeniable Heaven into the hands of chaos.

"I- I wanted to apologize to him…" Artrix sadly muttered. He then pressed his back against the wall and slid down onto the floor. He could not think properly, his mind was too clouded by sadness and demotion. Morgana lightly stepped over to him and offered him a hand.

"So are you just going to sit here and cry about it?" Morgana began. "Or are you going to get the strength to return to restore order?"

Artrix looked up surprised at this abruptness.

"Just by having survived these few days is a huge step. Now, you need to go and do something!" Morgana said with confidence. "Stand up you pathetic shit! Or else how will you be able to apologize to your old man!"

Artrix feeling enabled and fuelled by this sudden motivation, accepted Morgana's hands and returned to his feet.

"Then what am I to do? I do not nearly have enough neither strength nor power to return to Heaven," Artrix questioned. Morgana pondered for a quick second before realizing the best path he could take.

"Join the League of Legends."

"The League?"

Morgana nodded. "Yes, in there all of the most powerful beings across the realms are gathered. There, you can become strong and hopefully be able to return."

Artrix was still doubtful at this seemingly absurd suggestion.

"But, with my current power, I cannot match them."

Morgana smiled, breaking her gloominess. "Train with her."

"Her?"

"Do not take me for some conjure of cheap tricks, Artrix. I may be fallen but I'm still an angel. Riven is pretty strong, I've seen her in a few matches," Morgana replied. "Now go, and stop wasting time. Each second gone is a second you'll never get back."

After their conversation, Morgana seemingly vanished with the blink of an eye, leaving Artrix behind. Within the silence, he broke down all the things he had just learned. Now, he just needed to get to the Ionian Wing, if he could find it. In a sudden realization, there was no Summoner to guide his way like Vessaria had said.

Well, let this be the first step towards my journey to return home, Artrix declared in his mind before bravely venturing into the mazes of the institute.

Riven prudently treaded down the Ionian halls to her room. The atmosphere matches their ideology of peace and harmony. Beautiful paintings of all things natural, placid and wise lined the simply decorated walls. Anyone entering these halls would've found themselves to be in peace and almost meditative.

I don't deserve these, Riven coldly thought. While attempting to avoid as many people as possible, she had drowned herself in a well of guilt and burdens. Each section of the walls had reminded her of the past as she shuddered in its thought. Fortunately, there were a lot less residents here than the Demacian Wing. Some of the corridors and chambers are completely empty, further emphasizing the dormitory's tranquility.

Despite all of her internal conflicts, the peace that emanated from these very walls somewhat soothed her. She let out a comforted sigh and continued her path to the southern wing when a familiar figure appeared down the hall. He was walking the opposite direction of Riven and was quickly approaching. Immediately, she knew who the man was; Master Yi.

The Wuju Bladesman had his ringed sword strapped to his back and was dressed in his usual attire. He halted his steps when he saw Riven, who too had done the same. A tense briefness ensued and the tranquility was then broken by Yi.

"You…" Yi said with an accusing tone. "Noxian, you still come to us after you butchered our people? Have you no shame?"

Riven attempted to respond but the guilt clogged her speech. "I…"

Yi held his hand in denial. "No, you do have shame. Shamed that you did not complete your bloody task as you were leashed to do so."

"No, you are wrong," Riven then found the strength to protest. "I'm no longer Riven the murderer, the butcher, the evil. I have left all of it behind."

Riven had tried her best to discard her past, but it had always lingered somewhere within her. It was if it had a will of its own, and tormented Riven.

"I care not if you have changed or not. The blood of my people is still stained upon your hands," Yi angrily said. "When I had heard of your atrocities, I was driven by rage, hatred. A hatred so unfathomable that withholding it would've driven a man insane. I had despised you, hated you and scorned you with every bit of my existence. Now, it is still the same."

Riven now straightened herself. "No matter what you say, no matter what anyone else says, I know I'm not her anymore. I'm not Riven the Killer, Riven the Murderer, nor Riven the anything. I am Riven."

Yi slammed his fist to the side of the wall, causing several paintings to become crooked. "Do not forget that the hundreds of lives of the innocent children, men and women died by your hands."

With that accusation, Riven's confidence immediately diminished. Her stared at both her hands and envisioned the bloody stains that seared her flesh. No matter how hard she tried, no matter what actions she took, she could not forget her past. Riven, the Murderer of Noxus was always in there.

"Speechless? As you should be," Yi said. "If it were not for my pledge to the Art of Wuju, my sword would've been drawn against you long ago already."

Yi then continued his path and coldly passed Riven, leaving her in anguish. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands in the piercing silence. The images of the cleaved bodies of Ionians still tormented her mind, unwilling to let go. The Riven of the past had still festered in her.

After a series of blind luck and observations, Artrix succeeded in his epic journey to find the Ionian Wing. All in all, it took four hours in what should've been a twenty minute. However, that did not deter him from his victorious pride as he strode down the halls that would lead him to Riven's room. When he arrived, he found the door to be slightly ajar. Slightly worried, he quickly entered he was relieved to find Riven sitting on a bed. The room was somewhat similar to the inn back in Piltover, except this time it is a bit more spacious and has two beds instead.

The blinds were closed, blocking out the setting sun's light. Only dim lines of orange light slipped through the cracks in the blinds, leaving the room in a solemn mood.

"Riven, you need to know what happened! After four hours, I was finally-" Artrix began proudly but was interrupted by Riven's seemingly distress. He approached Riven and gave her a light tap on her shoulder.

"Riven… Is there something wrong?"

Riven turned her head slightly as if to greet him but said nothing.

"What is the matter, tell me."

Riven shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm just tired."

"I thought we had already established the fact that you are a terrible liar. So why try now? Reveal to me of your burden Riven."

Riven did not know what to say. She could not tell him of her past, she was sure of it. In this world, only she herself has accepted her change, no one else. She could not bear to tell Artrix of her bloody past. What will he think of her? Most likely the same as the Ionians. But they are right, she thought. They deserve to think of her as a demon in every way. The blood of those who she has spilled can never be washed away.

"I said it's nothing," she protested.

"Riven…"

"No! Leave me be!" Riven angrily said before bursting out of the room. Artrix sprung from the bed and ran to the door.

"Riven!" he called out. However, she had already disappeared into the twists and turns of the corridors.

Riven wandered aimlessly for a few, lonely hours. By now, the sun's rays have already completely vanished into the horizon and a new sheet of night followed. The night was cloudless, the stars sparkled brilliantly. The scenery may be calm but her mind is not however. The painful words from Master Yi were etched into her, repeating over and over. Each time they are said, the agonizing images of her tearing children and women apart would scream in her mind. Without thinking, she had wandered off into a wide, grassy plain. Its tall blades of grass waved gently in the direction of the slight wind. In front of her, she had found a small hill with a single tree planted upon it. Under the tree, she noticed a dim light emanating from it.

With curiosity, she climbed the hills and was surprised of her findings. On it was a set a ceramic tea pots, cups and a small fire. Behind this sat a blindfolded man all too familiar to Riven.

"Master Lee…" Riven greeted with surprise.

The Blind Monk tilted his hand up as if he was directly looking at her. A pleasant smile then covered his face as he offered Riven to sit with a gesture of his hands.

"Ah, Riven, it has been while hasn't it. Come, sit, and enjoy this tea with me," Lee Sin said.

Riven looked at the spot, which was a fluffy cushion placed upon the grass.

"Isn't there someone here?" Riven asked. Lee Sin shook his head.

"Often times, I would place another seat and set of tea for those who wishes to enjoy the beautiful scenery with me. It would look like that someone tonight is you."

Riven then sat down cross-legged, the soft yet comfortable cushion supporting her. Then, Lee Sin proceeded to pour a stream of hot Jasmine tea into one of his little cups. Without spilling a single drop, he offered the drink to Riven whom then accepted it. She took a light sip at the tea, its soothing warmth immediately filling her inside.

"The stars are truly admirable, don't you think Riven?" Lee Sin said.

Riven was about to agree when she realized that Lee Sin was actually pointing in a random direction. This put a faint smile on Riven's gloomy face.

"What burdens you Riven?"

Riven was about to conjure another lie when Lee Sin interrupted her. "And don't think about lying to me Riven. From the moment you climbed this hill, your heart has already betrayed you."

Riven sighed and played around with her tea. She could see her own reflection in the clear, green liquid.

"I… I don't know Master Lee. I thought I have been able to change, to forgive myself but I now realized I cannot. My past still stains me, I cannot forget it," Riven said. "Your people that I've butchered I can never forget. Only you seem to have accepted me, no one else does."

The faces of those he had slain has haunted her ever since. She remembered this one child, no more than seven years old, was protecting his mother from Riven. He has as fearless in death as he was in life. At the time, Riven saw this child as a mere obstacle, now she looked back and saw a person stronger and braver than she. Without mercy, she had cut him down as well as his mother.

Lee Sin quickly finished his tea with one large gulp and then set the cup back down.

"Riven, have you forgotten what I once said? Only when you accept yourself, can others accept you too. Do you yourself accept your own change?" Lee Sin asked.

Riven bowed her head in contemplation. "I try to forget but I never succeed."

"Then do not try to, Riven. The past will always exist, whether it'd be in scrolls or your heart. It is a part of you Riven, a part of who you are and who you were," Lee Sin said. "Is it fair for me to say that a butterfly is still but a caterpillar? But is it also fair for me to say that it was never a caterpillar? No, it moves forward and lives with the fact that it was still once something else."

Riven nodded in understanding, but something still troubles her. "But… I can't move forward. No one accepts me, not even myself."

"Riven, you fear of others too much. Yes, change can be difficult, but it is also a necessary stage of life. You cannot escape from your past, but you can move forward with it. If you truly wish to change as a person, your heart must be the first to bend. Only then, can you show others of your accomplishments."

Riven then thought of Artrix, will he accept her? She desperately wanted him to know how she is different, how she is not a murderer, how she regretted her actions.

"I do not know what to say to others," Riven said.

Lee Sin then poured another cup of tea for himself and took a sip. "In this society, people live behind the masks of falsehood and deceit all their lives. This is how people survived and succeeded for so long. However, sometimes it is better to take off the cask of lies and unload your burden. If you wish for others to understand you, to know the truth, then how can you do so by hiding it from them?"

Riven took Lee's wisdom and embraced it deep within her heart. His words have meanings that gave her insightful, and a light to follow.

"Riven, I know you are acumen. You learn quick as you have with both your blade and your ability and determination to move forward. I have accepted you because I know you are sincere and that you are a different person. The Riven I know is strong and brave, she can endure any hardships she faced."

Riven smiled and took another sip of the tea, allowing its warmth to embrace her once again. She knows the right path to take is to tell Artrix, but a slight concern still bugged her. Then, in the distant, a faint voice can be heard calling for Riven. Lee Sin's acute ears twitched and he set down his tea.

"He calls for you, Riven. If he is the person that you had wished to tell, do so. If you want him to know who you really are, tell him," Lee Sin said.

With that, Riven stood up and brushed herself off and sincerely thanked Lee Sin for the tea, and everything he had done for her. Without him, she would've still been lost, without guidance and an identity to follow. Then, she quickly ran down the hills to meet Artrix's calls. On a road not far from the hill, Artrix has been worriedly running about in search of Riven. When he finally found her, a wave of relieve surged through him.

"Riven, you had me worried sick, I was searching for you and-"then, in the most unexpected moment of all, Riven embraced Artrix tightly, causing him to lean back in surprise. For a second, Artrix was unsure what to do, but soon returned the feeling by wrapping his arm around her.

"I'm so sorry Artrix," Riven apologized, still hugging him.

"For what?" Artrix asked.

Riven then released their bond and an artless, yet heartfelt smile greeted Artrix in the moonlight.

"I have something to tell you Artrix. I have been wanting to tell you all along, but I did not know if you would accept me for it or not," Riven said.

Slightly confounded by her new honesty, Artrix patiently waited for what Riven has to tell him. Riven then took a deep breath of confidence and told him the truth. She told him of how she was once a Noxian captain in the invasion of Ionia, how she had butchered all of those innocent souls without a single thought and how her bloody past still lingers on. The most important aspect however, is of how she had changed, or tried to. She told him that she does not want to be called anything else but Riven. She told him that she was still the Riven back in Ionia, as she is the Riven today and that she could never forget her past but is willing to be herself and move forward.

Artrix was awed by her strength and determination. "Of course I'm willing to accept you. I will do so no matter who you are. I accept the Riven and your change too just as you have accepted me."

An unexplainably joyous feeling swarmed Riven and her heart now felt a thousand times lighter. A chilly breeze then swept the lands, causing the grass to now sway in unity with the brilliant moon about bathing the field in luminescence. Artrix suggested that they return to their room as the night deepened. As they began to walk, Riven looked back at the hill and saw that the light remained as the tree above it bristled in the wind.