Shattered mask

Riven sat on a broken slab of stone, cold against his back. In front of him lay the armor—black leather at first glance, but something deeper pulsed beneath the surface. It didn't shine. It didn't gleam. It absorbed the light.

He narrowed his eyes, then pulled the mask down over his face. As it settled into place, his vision shifted... the air shimmered. Threads of glowing runes and whispering letters unraveled over the armor like veins crawling under skin.

[WRAITHBONE MAIL]

Description: This armor was born from the death of a mindless Dreadspawn. High resistance to physical damage. Moderate resistance to soul-based attacks.

They were mindless when we found them… twisted. That's the weakness. Mind attacks.

Class: Relic Armor

Resonance: Partial — 13%

Soullink: Initiated

Riven muttered under his breath. "High resistance to physical attacks… that's good. Guess I won't be bleeding all over the place again."

He ran a finger over the edge of the armor. "Moderate resistance to soul damage too…"

Soul, huh…

His body still ached. His muscles pulsed with that cold ache that never went away. He remembered the chains. The runes. The bindings that tore at both flesh and soul.

So that's why my whole body feels like it's dying. They hit me with both.

He moved to lift the mask off, but something flickered across his vision. A new set of glowing text… something deeper embedded in the armor.

[ABILITIES]

Riven blinked. He'd seen weapons with strange powers before—but armor? This was new.

Passive Ability:

[Voidskin]

Absorbs a portion of incoming physical damage and redirects it to the armor, strengthening it slightly. If too much damage is taken at once, the armor will overload and break.

He stared at the words. Let them sink in.

Resonance… what the hell is that supposed to mean?

But he shook it off. Too many questions, not enough answers. He repeated the facts to himself.

High resistance to physical damage.

Moderate resistance to soul attacks.

No defense against mind-based attacks...

He frowned.

So if someone gets in my head, I'm screwed.

Riven stood, stretching with a wince. His body still protested, but at least now he had something between him and death.

He started walking. The ruins around him were silent, bones of a forgotten world half-swallowed by ash and darkness. The city was a graveyard.

And yet… he felt it.

Something was behind him.

At first he thought it was paranoia—just nerves. But the longer he walked, the more certain he became. It was that feeling... like being watched. Like something was crawling up his spine and whispering into his ear.

He didn't look back. Not yet.

If it's not human, I'm dead.

If it is… maybe I'm still dead.

Eventually, he came to what might've once been a town hall. A crumbling building with half its roof torn open like a wounded beast.

He stopped, then spun on his heel.

"Who's there? What do you want?" he called out, voice sharp, echoing into the dark.

Something stirred.

And then... he stepped out.

The figure that emerged from the shadows was tall, pale-skinned, and looked carved from stone. His long blond hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, and his brown eyes held a calm that felt out of place.

Too calm.

Too clean.

He looked... perfect.

It didn't make sense.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Riven said coldly.

The boy—he didn't look much older than Riven—tilted his head, eyes curious.

"I'm just a nobody," he replied.

Riven's mind clicked.

A nobody? Followed me all the way from the infirmary? Yeah, right.

He didn't smile. He didn't laugh. His tone turned colder.

"Cut the crap. I felt you behind me the whole time. Nobodies don't move like ghosts."

The boy smirked. "I see. You noticed. You're sharper than they said… Hollowborn."

That hit.

That word.

Only a few in the Order knew what he was. And this guy—this so-called nobody—just said it like it was common knowledge.

Riven's shoulders tensed. He wasn't in any condition to fight. No weapon. No strength left in his arms. Just pain and instinct.

But… he didn't sense killing intent. Not yet.

"You're not just some random wanderer," Riven said. "So what do you want?"

The boy shrugged. "Curiosity, I guess. I wanted to see what a Hollowborn looked like."

He looked Riven up and down. "But you look… normal. That's disappointing."

Riven clenched his jaw.

"No kidding, idiot. What did you expect? Some crawling abomination that eats souls?"

The boy's smile widened.

"Yes."

Riven's lips curled into a bitter smirk.

This guy's insane.