The emergency guild meeting had lasted until well past midnight, but Riven found himself unable to sleep. He sat on the roof of the guild hall, staring up at the star-filled sky and trying to process everything that had happened in the past few days. The weight of Kouen's revelations pressed down on him like a physical burden.
Seven Great Djinn. Seventy-two total awakenings. Organizations across the world scrambling to recruit or control the bearers. And at the center of it all, a prophecy that demanded one person rise above the rest to claim ultimate power.
*"You are troubled, young bearer,"* Baal observed gently, his mental voice carrying the warmth of distant thunder. *"But paralysis serves no purpose. The situation will continue to evolve whether you act or not."*
"I never wanted this," Riven said quietly to the night air. "I just wanted enough power to protect my friends. Now I'm supposed to be some kind of chosen champion in a conflict that could reshape the world."
*"And yet, would you prefer that someone else bear this burden? Someone who might use my power for conquest rather than protection?"*
The question hit harder than Riven expected. He thought about the ice bearer who had already joined the Oración Seis, about Kouen's barely concealed ambition, about the unknown person who would soon bond with the war-loving Marchosias. If he stepped aside, if he refused to engage with the prophecy, would the alternatives be any better?
Soft footsteps on the roof tiles announced someone approaching. Riven turned to see Erza climbing up, her red hair catching the moonlight. She had changed out of her armor into simple civilian clothes, but her expression still carried the weight of command.
"I thought I might find you up here," she said, settling down beside him with practiced ease. "You always come to the roof when you need to think."
They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, looking out over the sleeping town of Magnolia. From this height, the world looked peaceful and unchanging, giving no hint of the ancient powers stirring across the continent.
"Tell me honestly," Erza said finally. "How dangerous is this fusion process with your Djinn? Not the political implications or the prophecy—just the immediate risk to you personally."
Riven considered lying, but Erza had always been able to see through his attempts at deception. "Every time I try to achieve full transformation, I risk losing myself completely. Baal's consciousness is ancient and vast, and if I'm not strong enough to maintain my own identity during fusion, his personality could overwhelm mine entirely."
"And if you don't master the fusion?"
"The power leaks will keep getting worse until they start affecting populated areas again. Eventually, I might accidentally kill innocent people just by existing near them."
Erza nodded grimly, as if this confirmed something she had already suspected. "So you don't really have a choice. You have to master this power, regardless of the larger implications."
"That's about right," Riven agreed miserably.
"Then we focus on what we can control," she said with characteristic decisiveness. "Tomorrow, we're going to work on your fusion training with proper safety measures. Lisette has been researching meditation techniques that might help you maintain your sense of self during transformation. And Master Makarov is arranging for additional protective barriers around the training ground."
She turned to look at him directly, her brown eyes serious but kind. "Whatever happens with this prophecy, whatever conflicts arise between the Great Djinn bearers, you're still part of this guild. You're still family. And we'll help you master this power the same way we've helped each other grow stronger."
Before Riven could respond, a sudden pulse of magical energy washed over them. It was different from the earth-based power they had felt when Kouen arrived—this was sharp and cold, with an underlying violence that made both of them instinctively tense for combat.
*"Marchosias,"* Baal whispered urgently. *"The War Djinn has awakened and chosen a bearer. And they are... angry."*
The magical pressure continued to build, and in the distance, they could see flashes of red light on the horizon. Somewhere out there, another Great Djinn was testing its new host's limits, and the results were violent enough to be visible from miles away.
"We need to tell Master Makarov," Erza said, already moving toward the roof edge.
But Riven remained sitting, staring at those distant flashes with a growing sense of inevitability. The other bearers weren't waiting for him to be ready. They weren't giving him time to safely master his power through careful training. The world was moving forward with or without his participation.
*"You understand now,"* Baal observed. *"Safety is a luxury you may not have. Sometimes growth comes only through necessity."*
"I know," Riven said quietly. "I just hoped we'd have more time."
As another violent red flash lit up the horizon, he realized that his time for gentle preparation was over. Whatever came next, he would have to face it with whatever control he could manage, ready or not.