The Story of Us • Riven

Ch 44: The Very First Night

"I wish I could fly, I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time"

I sat on the floor, watching the wood burning in the fireplace. I listened to the crackling of the fire as Riven sat beside me with a blanket in hand. He wrapped it around me as I forced a smile.

"You have to tell Sky" he said.

"I know" I said.

"If you go there to get her, you risk bringing him back and wreaking havoc as he once did" he said.

"It's Bloom, Riv" I said. "I don't have a choice."

"I know, love" he said.

He scooted closer to me as I leaned my head against his arm.

"You slept for maybe three hours.. maybe" he said.

"Sorry if I woke you up" I said.

He grabbed my face as I looked into his eyes.

"Sometimes I wish we could just go back in time and be sixteen again" I said. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

He kissed my forehead as I slowly closed my eyes.

"You're the love of my life, Briar" he said. "I will never let you do anything alone as long as I'm here."

I heard footsteps behind us, turning around to see Billy. I put my hand on Riven's arm before standing up. I walked towards Billy who also looked like he'd barely slept.

We walked outside, looking around at the heavily wooded cabin. I wrapped my cardigan over my body, hugging myself.

"How long were you kept there?" I asked.

"It didn't seem that long" he said. "But four years."

I snapped my head to him as my heart sunk. That meant he had been only twelve years old when they took him in as a prisoner.

"You were a child" I said.

"To them I was a threat" he said.

He looked at me as hurt crossed his face. I could feel his pain.

"I'm sorry" I whispered.

"You are the one who saved me" he said.

"I could feel you calling to me" I said. "To be honest, I don't know they would bring me there when they were keeping my brother as a prisoner there."

He shook his head, not knowing why either.

"We have to prepare for the fact we could be inadvertently starting a war by getting Bloom" he said. "There's the very real possibility when we go there he will try to come back with us."

"I promised I would always protect her, and I am currently failing" I said.

"We'll get her back" he said.

I nodded as we walked back inside, waiting for Tommy and Lorna to wake up. A couple hours passed as Riven fell asleep on the couch watching me at the kitchen table with Billy.

It was dead silent, under any other circumstances it would be creepy but it was oddly calming. I tapped my fingers along the coffee mug as Lorna came down the steps with papers in hand. She set them onto the table as both Billy and I looked at them.

"The Dark Realm is used as a sort of prison" she said. "Anybody goes there does not come out."

"How was Bloom able to communicate with Emma?" I asked.

"I'm guessing Bloom was meaning to call out to you but Emma being the most powerful telepath, she intercepted the calling" she said.

I grabbed one of the papers, looking at the sketch of what we believed it to look like.

"Tommy and I will remain here, while you and Billy get Bloom" she said.

"Wait, what?" I said. "Why just us?"

"You and Billy are the most powerful of all of us. If something happens, you will be able to defend yourselves better than us" she said.

I took a few deep breaths as Lorna disappeared.

"You ready for this?" Billy asked.

"I have to be" I said. "Are you?"

"Have to be" he smiled.

I tried not to smile as Lorna appeared again but with something in her hands. She handed me a dark red suit as I hesitated to grab it.

"Red is kind of the Maximoff color" she said.

"That explains my liking of red" I said.

I examined the suit further, immediately noticing the material.

"What is this made of?" I asked.

"If I tell you Billy and Tommy will be jealous" she smirked.

I traced my fingers along it, it was clearly made with some sort of metal. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

I put the suit on as Riven and I stared at one another. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest as his eyes were heavy.

My hands were bunched up, symbolizing me trying to keep myself together. They loosened as I felt my eyes water. He quickly closed the distance between us, grabbing my face.

"You've got this, Bee" he said. "We're going to be here as back up."

I nodded, knowing if I said something the tears would start streaming down my face. I wasn't necessarily scared of going to get Bloom, I was scared of the fact that I could be releasing someone vile and evil. I thought we were done with fighting evil. I had lost so many people to keep doing this. I wasn't sure how much more I had left in me.

"Don't doubt yourself. Bring Bloom back" he said.

He crashed his lips onto mine as I grabbed his face. We pulled apart, setting our foreheads together. I took a deep breath before walking away from him.

I walked to Billy, looking next to him, nodding my head. He muttered words to himself before holding his hands out and a portal opened. We walked through it together, both of us looking around. It was dark and looked near identical to what Lorna had.

The portal would only stay open for five minutes, so we didn't have much time to get Bloom. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I focused on Bloom. My eyes darted open as I looked at a building that looked like a run down lighthouse.

"There" I said.

I glanced at Billy, taking the lead towards the lighthouse, knowing it had to be a trap.