To maintain the momentum and keep the storyline gripping across 105 chapters, I will give you Chapter 10 below, continuing the plot and deepening the characters' arcs.
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The man sat before me, his face gaunt and pale, his eyes wide with a fear that was almost palpable.
Riven's presence was like a shadow over him, suffocating, pressing him deeper into the chair.
I had watched the entire process from the observation room, as Riven had worked his subtle magic, bending the man's mind to his will. I still couldn't understand how he did it. How words, mere words, could break someone down so completely.
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"You will speak," Riven's voice had been calm, almost detached, like a surgeon performing an operation.
"I will make you forget everything except what I want you to remember."
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It had taken only moments for the man to crack.
I saw the desperation in his eyes, the way his body trembled as his mind fought to hold onto something — anything — to keep him from breaking.
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As I watched, something inside me stirred.
It wasn't pity.
It wasn't sympathy.
It was something darker. Something that made me question whether I had ever truly been in control of my own mind.
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The man had started speaking then, his voice trembling, the words spilling out like poison.
I had stood there, watching Riven's power unfold with clinical precision.
But when it was done, when the man was completely broken, I had to look away.
I didn't want to witness this anymore.
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Now, as Riven stood before me, his eyes locked onto mine, I couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease crawl down my spine.
"You've seen what happens when you hesitate," he said, his voice cold and calculating. "What will you do next?"
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I didn't know how to answer.
I had been trained to follow orders, to bend to his will.
But somewhere deep inside, I wondered if there was more to life than this. Was this really all I was capable of?
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Riven seemed to sense my hesitation, his lips curling into a cold smile.
"You will learn," he said, his voice low. "There is no escape from this world. You belong here. You're mine."
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I clenched my fists at my sides, feeling the weight of his words.
He had said those same words to me before, but this time, they felt heavier. More final.
I wasn't sure if I could keep pretending. Pretending that this life, this nightmare, was the only choice I had.
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But as I stood there, looking into Riven's eyes, I realized something.
I had already lost.
I had already become a part of this world.
There was no going back.
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Riven stepped closer, his gaze never wavering.
"You will never be free," he whispered, his breath cool against my skin. "Not from me. Not from this."
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I didn't answer.
What was there to say?
He was right.
I wasn't free.
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The training continued, each day blending into the next.
Riven's lessons became more intense, more demanding.
And every day, I felt myself slipping further into a place I didn't recognize.
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The room was dark, lit only by the harsh glow of the fluorescent lights overhead.
I stood before Riven, the weight of my failure pressing down on me.
"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice cold.
Ready for what?
What was I supposed to be ready for?
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I nodded, my throat tight with unspoken words.
"Yes," I whispered, even though I wasn't sure what I was agreeing to.
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Riven smiled then, the kind of smile that made my blood run cold.
"Good. Let's begin."
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The following days were a blur of intense training and manipulation.
Riven pushed me harder than ever before, demanding more from me with each passing hour.
But there was always a sense of something else lingering in the air.
Something darker. More dangerous.
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I found myself thinking about the man from the observation room.
What had happened to him after Riven was done with him?
Had he been let go?
Or was he now a broken shell, his mind twisted beyond repair?
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I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.
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But then, one night, I found myself standing in front of Riven's office, the door slightly ajar.
I didn't know what I was doing there.
I hadn't meant to follow him, but something had pulled me toward him.
Some invisible force that I couldn't explain.
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I stood there, hesitating, my heart pounding in my chest.
And then I heard his voice, smooth and calculating, as if he had been expecting me.
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"You shouldn't be here," Riven said without looking up.
His voice was eerily calm, as though this was nothing out of the ordinary.
But the words sent a chill down my spine.
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I stepped into the room, my eyes fixed on the floor.
"I… I wanted to understand," I said quietly, not sure if I was asking for forgiveness or merely seeking answers.
"Understand what?" he asked, his gaze lifting to meet mine.
I met his eyes, my heart racing.
"Why," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "Why do you do this?"
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Riven stood up, walking toward me slowly, his movements calculated and deliberate.
"You think you understand power," he said, his voice almost a whisper, "But you don't. You will never understand until you've taken everything from someone. Until you've destroyed them completely. Only then will you truly know what it means to be in control."
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I took a step back, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest.
"Do you enjoy it?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Enjoy what?"
"Breaking people," I said softly.
Riven's lips curled into a cold smile, but there was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite place.
"It's not about enjoyment," he said, his voice lowering. "It's about necessity. Power is never about enjoyment. It's about survival."
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I didn't know what to say to that.
But deep inside, a part of me wanted to fight back.
A part of me wanted to prove that I could still be more than just a weapon.
That I could still make my own choices.
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But I knew deep down that I was too far gone.
I had already made my choice the moment I stepped into this world.
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Riven watched me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine.
"Do you want to be free?" he asked suddenly.
I didn't answer.
I couldn't.
Because I didn't know if I even remembered what freedom felt like anymore.
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[End of Chapter 10]
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