The hall shook with power.
On one side, the baron’s guards stood with shields raised and weapons drawn, their nerves breaking under the crushing weight of Lokey’s aura and the deathly silence of Hela’s skeletal knights. On the other, the Riftborn siblings stood ready for war, their rage barely restrained.
Lokey lifted his hammer, crimson light rippling across the marble.
“Say the word, sis,” he growled, “and we paint this hall red.”
The skeletal knights raised their weapons as one, blue fire flaring in their hollow sockets.
The guards flinched—but held.
It was a breath away from slaughter.
“STOP!”
The cry cut through the chaos.
Asra stumbled forward, hands outstretched, placing herself between her father’s men and the Riftborn. Her face was pale, but her voice rang clear. “Please—enough! Father, listen to me!”
The baron’s jaw was set like stone, but his eyes darted nervously to the skeletal warriors, then back to Lokey.
Asra turned desperately toward the siblings. “Lokey, Hela, Artemis—please, think about this! Even if you are within your rights, if you kill a noble, you’ll never be able to live in this kingdom. You’ll be hunted everywhere you go.”
Artemis stepped forward, sword still blazing, and placed a hand on Lokey’s shoulder. His voice was low but firm see. “She’s right, brother. As much as he deserves it, this fight will cost us everything. We can’t protect Hela if we’re outlaws.”
Lokey’s breath came in ragged growls, rage vibrating through his chest. His hammer trembled in his grip, every muscle screaming for release.
Then Hela’s hand found his.
Her voice shook. “Please, Lokey… stay with us. I need you.”
Something inside him cracked.
Not his rage.
His restraint.
The silence stretched, heavy and unbearable.
Finally, with a guttural roar, Lokey slammed his hammer into the marble at his feet. Stone cracked outward in a spiderweb, but he did not strike flesh. His crimson aura slowly dimmed, though the fury in his eyes did not fade.
The skeletal knights lowered their weapons, standing down—but not vanishing. Silent sentinels around Hela.
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As the violence ebbed, the world shifted.
Not outwardly.
Internally.
SYSTEM THRESHOLD REACHED
Conflict Averted Through Will
Lethal Authority Restrained
Growth Evaluation Initiated
For the first time since their summoning, the System fully opened to them.
SYNCHRONIZED STATUS — RIFTBORN
Lokey Rimes
Class: Forge Knight (Unawakened → Awakening Imminent)
Level: 6
Titles:
Shield of Blood (Hidden) — Took lethal intent upon self to protect kin
Breaker of Chains (Dormant)
Stats:
Strength: High (S)
Endurance: Very High (S+)
Agility: Moderate (B)
Mana: Low (C)
Willpower: Exceptional (SS)
Active Skills:
Endure — Temporarily increases defense and pain resistance
Hammer Mastery — Scaling damage with impact force
Passive Traits:
Protector’s Wrath (Rare) — Strength and durability scale exponentially when defending bonded allies
Smith’s Soul — Crafting quality improves with emotional investment
Authority Through Deeds — Allies instinctively follow commands during combat
Note: Runic Affinity detected — Conditions not yet met
Artemis Rimes
Class: Arcane Blade
Level: 5
Titles:
Edge of Balance — Walks between spell and steel
Stats:
Strength: Moderate (B)
Agility: High (A)
Mana: High (A)
Intelligence: High (A)
Willpower: High (A)
Active Skills:
Arcane Slash (Lv. 2) — Converts mana into cutting force
Spellbind Edge — Infuses weapon with elemental attributes
Passive Traits:
Adaptive Casting — Learns faster through combat application
Synchronized Flow — Spell efficiency increases when fighting alongside bonded allies
Hela Rimes
Class: Soulbinder — Path of the Dead
Level: 5
Titles:
Voice Beyond the Veil
Unclaimed by Fear (Hidden)
Stats:
Strength: Low (D)
Agility: Moderate (B)
Mana: Very High (S)
Soul Capacity: Extreme (SS)
Willpower: High (A)
Active Skills:
Grave Grasp — Summons skeletal appendages
Gravebound Sentinel — Summons armored undead guardians
Passive Traits:
Death Sense — Detect nearby souls and emotional residue
Sovereign of Silence (Rare) — Undead obey without mana upkeep when defending the caster
Soul Resilience — Resistant to corruption and external domination
Warning: Divine Surveillance Likely
The System receded—its judgment rendered.
Lokey stepped forward, close enough that the guards tensed, close enough that the baron stiffened in his chair.
His voice was ice and fire, every word a vow.
“You listen to me, Baron. If any of your people touch my sister—if you so much as think of causing her pain again…”
He leaned closer, aura flickering like dying embers.
“I will come back. And I will tear your house down stone by stone. Do you understand me?”
For the first time in decades, fear showed plainly on the baron’s face.
He did not shout.
He did not command.
He nodded once. Stiff. Silent.
“Good,” Lokey spat.
He turned, placing a protective hand on Hela’s shoulder. “We’re done here.”
The siblings left the great hall together, the weight of silence pressing down on every guard who dared not move.
The Guildhall was a different world.
Warm light. The smell of food and ale. The bustle of adventurers from every corner of the continent. Here, banners of kings and nobles meant nothing. The Guild had its own laws—its own strength.
The Guildmaster listened patiently as they recounted the encounter. When they finished, he leaned back, expression unreadable.
“You handled it better than most would’ve,” he said at last. “The Guild stands apart from crowns and thrones. We don’t take sides in their politics, and they don’t have power here.”
His eyes softened as he looked at Hela. “You’re in the Guild now. We protect our own.”
For the first time that night, Hela allowed herself a small, shaky smile.
But Lokey’s hands were still clenched at his sides.
The System had recorded his promise.
And everyone in the hall knew—
It wasn’t a threat.
It was a vow.
