The Heart was beating.

THUMP.

The sound traveled through the underground city.

THUMP.

Every building shook.

THUMP.

Every memory woke.

Riven stood inside the Archive with the photograph in his hand.

His mother’s face stared back at him.

She was smiling.

But now Riven understood.

The smile was hiding something.

His mother had built the Heart.

Not to save his father.

Not to protect the family.

She had built it for him.

For Riven.

Mira stood beside him.

Riven looked at her.

“You knew.”

Mira shook her head.

“Not everything.”

“But you knew she built the Heart.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you weren’t ready.”

Riven laughed bitterly.

“That’s what everyone says.”

Mira looked at him.

“Riven.”

“You all knew.”

“Your brother knew.”

“Selene knew.”

“Your mother knew.”

“Even that thing pretending to be Kael knew.”

Riven’s voice became louder.

“And I knew nothing.”

Mira stepped closer.

“That’s because your mother wanted it that way.”

Riven looked at her.

“Why?”

“To protect you.”

Riven shook his head.

“From what?”

Mira pointed toward the Heart.

“From the truth.”

Riven looked at the black tower.

“What truth?”

Mira’s expression changed.

“The truth about what happened to you.”

Riven waited.

Mira took a breath.

“Your body died six years ago.”

Riven looked down.

“I know.”

“No.”

Mira shook her head.

“You don’t.”

Riven frowned.

“Then tell me.”

“You didn’t die in the accident.”

Riven froze.

Mira continued.

“You were already dead.”

Silence.

Riven stared at her.

“What?”

“Your body had stopped functioning before the accident.”

“Why?”

Mira looked toward the photograph.

“Because you were born without a soul.”

Riven couldn’t speak.

Mira’s voice became quiet.

“Your mother discovered it when you were six years old.”

Riven shook his head.

“That’s impossible.”

“She took you to doctors.”

“Specialists.”

“Scientists.”

“Nothing helped.”

Riven looked at his hands.

“Then what was I?”

Mira answered:

“A living body.”

“Nothing more.”

Riven felt sick.

“Then how was I alive?”

Mira looked at him.

“Your memories.”

Riven stared.

“What?”

“You had no soul.”

“But you had memories.”

“Every emotion.”

“Every thought.”

“Every dream.”

“Your mother believed that memories were enough.”

Riven remembered the Heart.

The First Memory.

The Archive.

The city.

Mira continued.

“She discovered something.”

“What?”

“Memories don’t disappear when people die.”

“They remain.”

“Somewhere.”

“Inside the world.”

Riven looked at the black tower.

“The Heart.”

Mira nodded.

“Your mother believed she could use memories to create a soul.”

Riven’s eyes widened.

“She built the Heart.”

“Yes.”

“She collected memories.”

“Yes.”

“To give me a soul.”

Mira looked away.

“Yes.”

Riven stared.

“Then why did people disappear?”

Mira’s face became filled with guilt.

“Because your mother didn’t understand the price.”

“What price?”

“The Heart needed memories to survive.”

Riven felt cold.

“So it started taking them.”

Mira nodded.

“First small memories.”

“Then names.”

“Then entire lives.”

Riven looked around.

“The Forgotten.”

“Yes.”

Riven’s voice became quiet.

“All because of me.”

“No.”

Mira grabbed his shoulder.

“Your mother made the choice.”

“But I benefited from it.”

“You didn’t ask for this.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It does.”

Riven looked toward the tower.

“How many people died?”

Mira didn’t answer.

“How many?”

“Millions.”

Riven closed his eyes.

He felt something breaking inside him.

The city.

The Heart.

The dead.

Everything had been created because one woman refused to accept that her son was empty.

His mother had tried to give him a soul.

And in doing so…

she had taken souls from others.

Riven opened his eyes.

“Where is she?”

Mira looked at him.

“Who?”

“My mother.”

“You know where she is.”

Riven looked toward the black tower.

“Inside the Heart.”

Mira nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then I’m going there.”

“You can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because the Heart is connected to you.”

Riven frowned.

“Meaning?”

“If you enter it…”

Mira hesitated.

“You may never return.”

Riven smiled sadly.

“Maybe I don’t want to.”

Mira grabbed his arm.

“Riven.”

He pulled away.

“People are trapped because of me.”

“You’re not responsible.”

“I am.”

“No.”

Mira’s voice became angry.

“You were a child.”

Riven looked at her.

“I was the reason she did it.”

“You were her son.”

“That’s enough.”

Riven walked toward the exit.

Mira followed.

“Where are you going?”

“To find Kael.”

Mira stopped.

“Why?”

“Because he knows the way.”

“To the Heart?”

“Yes.”

Mira’s expression changed.

“Kael isn’t safe.”

Riven turned.

“What do you mean?”

“He is connected to the Heart too.”

Riven froze.

“How?”

Mira looked toward the darkness.

“Your mother used Kael as an anchor.”

Riven’s eyes widened.

“An anchor?”

“Someone had to connect the Heart to the real world.”

“Why Kael?”

“Because he was the only one who could survive it.”

Riven shook his head.

“Why?”

Mira looked at him.

“Because Kael has a soul.”

Riven stared.

Mira continued.

“And you don’t.”

The words hurt more than Riven expected.

He turned away.

“Then what am I?”

Mira didn’t answer.

Riven whispered:

“Am I just a memory?”

Mira stepped closer.

“No.”

“Then what?”

“You are something your mother created.”

Riven looked at her.

“She created me?”

“Not your body.”

“Your soul.”

Riven’s heart stopped.

Mira pointed toward the Heart.

“Your soul is inside the Heart.”

Riven stared.

“Then what is inside me?”

“Nothing.”

Riven felt the world disappear.

Mira continued.

“Your body is alive.”

“Your memories are alive.”

“But your soul…”

“Is trapped inside the Heart.”

Riven understood.

He had spent his entire life believing he was a person.

But he was only half of one.

His soul was somewhere else.

Inside the Heart.

With millions of stolen memories.

Riven whispered:

“If I destroy the Heart…”

Mira nodded.

“You will die.”

Riven looked at her.

“And everyone else?”

“They will be free.”

Riven closed his eyes.

There it was.

The choice.

The Heart had offered him a life.

But that life had cost millions of others.

If he destroyed it…

they would be free.

But he would disappear with them.

Riven opened his eyes.

“Where is Kael?”

Mira looked toward the northern district.

“At the House of Names.”

Riven immediately left.

---

The underground city had changed.

The streets were full.

People were running.

The sky beneath Nocturne had turned red.

The Heart was beating faster.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP.

Riven moved through the chaos.

He passed people he didn’t know.

But somehow…

he remembered them.

A woman carrying a child.

An old man holding a photograph.

A young boy standing alone.

Each one looked at Riven.

Each one whispered:

“Remember me.”

Riven stopped.

The old man from the Archive appeared.

The same man who had spoken to him when the city first went dark.

“You.”

The old man smiled.

“Yes.”

“Who are you?”

“Someone you forgot.”

Riven shook his head.

“I don’t remember you.”

“You will.”

The old man handed him a small key.

Riven looked at it.

“What is this?”

“Your mother’s.”

Riven stared.

“Where did you get it?”

The old man pointed toward the Heart.

“She gave it to me.”

“Why?”

“She knew you would come.”

Riven looked at the key.

“What’s it for?”

The old man smiled.

“Your first door.”

Riven looked up.

But the old man was gone.

Riven continued toward the House of Names.

When he arrived, the building was empty.

Kael stood inside.

His back was facing Riven.

Riven approached.

“Kael.”

His brother turned.

He was crying.

Riven stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

Kael looked at him.

“I remember.”

Riven’s heart tightened.

“Remember what?”

“Everything.”

Kael wiped his eyes.

“I remember the accident.”

Riven stepped closer.

“What happened?”

Kael shook his head.

“We weren’t in a car.”

Riven froze.

“What?”

“The accident was a lie.”

“Then what happened?”

Kael looked at the wall.

“Our mother brought us here.”

“Why?”

“To save you.”

Riven closed his eyes.

“She knew I didn’t have a soul.”

“Yes.”

“She wanted to create one.”

“Yes.”

“Then why did she need the Heart?”

Kael looked at him.

“Because the Heart already had a soul.”

Riven’s eyes widened.

“Whose?”

Kael whispered:

“Yours.”

Riven stared.

“That’s impossible.”

“Your soul existed before your body.”

“How?”

Kael shook his head.

“Nobody knows.”

“Then what is the First Memory?”

Kael looked terrified.

“Your soul.”

Riven froze.

The First Memory.

The little girl.

The first person who died.

The beginning of the Heart.

All of it was him.

His soul had existed before he was born.

His body had been created later.

Riven whispered:

“So I wasn’t born.”

Kael shook his head.

“You were remembered.”

Riven looked at him.

“What does that mean?”

Kael stepped closer.

“Someone remembered you before you existed.”

“Who?”

Kael’s face became pale.

“Your mother.”

Riven couldn’t breathe.

Kael continued.

“She had a dream.”

“She saw a child who didn’t exist.”

“She saw you.”

“She wrote your name.”

“She drew your face.”

“And then…”

Kael looked toward the black tower.

“The First Memory appeared.”

Riven understood.

His mother hadn’t discovered the First Memory.

She had created it.

By remembering him.

Riven was the first person who had ever been remembered before being born.

The first memory.

The beginning.

The Heart.

The city.

Everything.

It all began with one woman remembering a child.

Riven’s mother.

His voice became quiet.

“Where is she?”

Kael pointed toward the Heart.

“Inside.”

Riven held up the key.

“She gave me this.”

Kael stared.

“Where did you get that?”

“Someone gave it to me.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

Kael looked at the key.

His face became terrified.

“Riven.”

“What?”

“That’s not a key.”

Riven looked down.

The metal began moving.

It transformed.

The shape became a small black symbol.

The silver eye.

The symbol from the comic book.

Riven dropped it.

The symbol floated in the air.

Then it opened.

A door appeared.

Behind the door was a room.

Riven recognized it.

His childhood bedroom.

But something was different.

His mother was sitting beside the bed.

She was crying.

A young Riven was lying unconscious.

His father stood behind her.

Riven stared.

It was a memory.

But it was different from the others.

It wasn’t stored inside the Heart.

It was happening now.

His mother spoke.

“I can’t lose him.”

His father answered:

“He isn’t ours.”

She turned.

“He’s my son.”

“He isn’t human.”

“I don’t care.”

“He has no soul.”

“Then I’ll give him one.”

“How?”

She looked toward the camera.

Toward Riven.

“I’ll create it.”

Riven stepped closer.

The memory continued.

His mother placed her hand on young Riven’s chest.

Then she said something.

A sentence Riven had never heard before.

“I remember you.”

The room disappeared.

Riven stumbled backward.

Kael caught him.

Riven looked at his brother.

“That’s how she created my soul.”

Kael nodded.

“Yes.”

“But if she remembered me…”

Riven looked toward the Heart.

“Why is my soul inside it?”

Kael’s voice became quiet.

“Because she couldn’t put it inside you.”

“Why?”

“Because your soul was too large.”

Riven stared.

“Too large?”

Kael nodded.

“It contained every memory.”

“Every forgotten person.”

“Every dead soul.”

“They all became part of you.”

Riven’s eyes widened.

“So I’m not one soul.”

Kael shook his head.

“You’re millions.”

Riven finally understood.

The Heart wasn’t stealing memories to create his soul.

It was feeding him.

Every person forgotten by the city became part of Riven.

That was why he could hear the dead.

That was why he could see the memories.

That was why the city remembered him.

He was the city.

And the city was him.

Riven looked at Kael.

“Then how do I free them?”

Kael answered:

“By waking up.”

Riven frowned.

“What does that mean?”

Kael pointed toward the Heart.

“You need to take back your soul.”

“And then?”

“Then the Heart dies.”

Riven looked at him.

“And I die with it.”

Kael shook his head.

“Not necessarily.”

Riven stared.

“What?”

Kael smiled.

“For the first time…”

“I think you can choose.”

A voice came from behind them.

“He’s right.”

Riven turned.

Selene stood in the doorway.

Her clothes were torn.

Her eyes were tired.

But she was alive.

Riven immediately raised his knife.

“Where were you?”

Selene looked at him.

“Inside the Heart.”

Riven lowered the knife.

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to find your mother.”

“Did you?”

Selene nodded.

“Yes.”

“Where is she?”

Selene looked toward the black tower.

“Waiting for you.”

Riven stepped forward.

“What did she say?”

Selene hesitated.

“She said something strange.”

“What?”

Selene looked directly into his eyes.

“She said the Heart isn’t the real enemy.”

Riven frowned.

“Then what is?”

Selene whispered:

“The person who made the first memory.”

Riven froze.

“Who?”

Selene’s expression became terrified.

“The First Memory.”

Riven shook his head.

“That makes no sense.”

“It does.”

Selene stepped closer.

“Your mother didn’t create the First Memory.”

“She only found it.”

Riven stared.

“Then who did?”

Selene looked at the darkness.

“The First Memory created itself.”

Riven felt cold.

“Why?”

Selene answered:

“Because it wanted to be remembered.”

The Heart began beating violently.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP.

The underground city began collapsing.

Kael looked toward the tower.

“She’s waking up.”

“Who?”

Kael looked at Riven.

“The First.”

A child’s laughter echoed through the city.

Riven turned.

The little girl stood at the end of the street.

The First Memory.

She smiled.

“Hello, Riven.”

Riven stepped forward.

“What do you want?”

The girl smiled.

“Nothing.”

“Then why are you here?”

“To give you a choice.”

Riven stared.

“What choice?”

The girl raised her hand.

The entire underground city disappeared.

Riven suddenly found himself standing in a white room.

His mother was there.

His father.

Kael.

Mira.

Selene.

Everyone he had lost.

Everyone he had forgotten.

They stood together.

Alive.

Riven’s mother stepped forward.

“Come home.”

Riven’s eyes filled with tears.

“Mom.”

She opened her arms.

Riven wanted to run toward her.

But something felt wrong.

He looked behind her.

The First Memory was standing there.

Smiling.

Riven understood.

This wasn’t real.

It was another memory.

A choice.

The First spoke.

“You can have everything.”

Riven looked at his family.

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“Alive?”

“Yes.”

“Forever?”

“Yes.”

Riven looked at his mother.

“What do I have to do?”

The First smiled.

“Forget.”

Riven froze.

“Forget what?”

“Everything.”

“Who I am.”

“Who they are.”

“The city.”

“The dead.”

“The Heart.”

“All of it.”

Riven looked at his family.

His mother smiled.

His father held out his hand.

Kael was waiting.

Riven closed his eyes.

Then he heard another voice.

His own.

A voice from the past.

Don’t let them forget.

Riven opened his eyes.

He stepped backward.

“No.”

The First Memory’s smile disappeared.

“You don’t want them?”

“I do.”

“Then stay.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

Riven looked at his family.

“Because they’re not real.”

The memory began breaking apart.

His mother screamed.

“Riven!”

His father reached for him.

“Don’t leave us!”

Kael shouted.

“Brother!”

Riven cried.

But he kept walking.

“I’m sorry.”

The white world shattered.

Riven returned to the underground city.

The First Memory stood before him.

Her face had changed.

She was no longer a little girl.

She looked exactly like Riven.

“Why?”

Riven stared.

“Because I remember.”

The First stepped closer.

“Then remember this.”

She touched Riven’s chest.

A wave of darkness exploded.

Riven fell.

His mind filled with millions of voices.

Every forgotten person.

Every stolen memory.

Every life.

They all screamed at once.

Riven saw the truth.

The First Memory wasn’t his soul.

It was something else.

Something older.

Something that had existed before memory.

Before death.

Before life.

A presence.

An ancient consciousness.

And it had been using the Heart.

Using his mother.

Using Riven.

The First Memory looked at him.

“I didn’t create Nocturne.”

Riven struggled to breathe.

“You did.”

“No.”

She smiled.

“I created you.”

Riven froze.

“Why?”

The First Memory whispered:

“Because I needed a body.”

Riven’s eyes widened.

The girl disappeared.

The Heart opened.

Inside it was a massive black shape.

A creature with thousands of eyes.

Thousands of mouths.

Thousands of memories.

Riven finally understood.

The Heart wasn’t a prison.

It was a body.

And Riven…

was the soul it had been waiting for.

The creature spoke.

WELCOME HOME.

Riven screamed.

“No!”

The Heart began pulling him toward it.

Kael grabbed his arm.

Selene grabbed Kael.

Mira joined them.

Everyone pulled together.

Riven looked at the Heart.

Inside it, he saw his mother.

She was trapped.

His father.

Trapped.

Millions of people.

Trapped.

And the First Memory.

Standing behind them all.

Smiling.

Riven looked at Kael.

“Let go.”

Kael shook his head.

“No.”

“Kael.”

“I’m not losing you again.”

Riven smiled.

“You won’t.”

Riven pulled out his knife.

He turned it toward his own chest.

Kael’s eyes widened.

“Riven!”

Riven whispered:

“If the Heart wants my soul…”

He looked toward the black tower.

“Then I’ll give it something else.”

He drove the knife into the ground.

A massive crack spread across the city.

The Heart screamed.

Riven raised his hand.

Every memory inside the Heart began moving.

Millions of lights.

Millions of souls.

Millions of forgotten names.

They surrounded Riven.

He heard them.

For the first time…

he heard all of them.

And he spoke.

“Remember.”

The city shook.

“Remember every name.”

“Every life.”

“Every person.”

“Everyone who was forgotten.”

The Heart began breaking.

The ancient creature screamed.

The First Memory appeared again.

Her face twisted with rage.

“You cannot stop me!”

Riven looked at her.

“I don’t have to.”

He pointed toward the people.

“They can stop you.”

Every forgotten person stood.

The dead.

The erased.

The lost.

They all remembered themselves.

And when they did…

the Heart lost its power.

The ancient creature began disappearing.

The First Memory screamed.

Riven looked toward the collapsing tower.

His mother appeared.

She was crying.

“Riven.”

He ran toward her.

“Mom!”

She reached for him.

“I’m sorry.”

Riven hugged her.

“I know.”

“I only wanted you to live.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t know what it would cost.”

Riven closed his eyes.

“I forgive you.”

His mother began fading.

“Riven.”

“Yes?”

“Are you real?”

Riven smiled.

For the first time, he knew the answer.

“Yes.”

His mother smiled.

“Then live.”

She disappeared.

The Heart exploded.

Riven screamed.

The entire underground city was consumed by light.

Kael reached for him.

Selene shouted.

Mira disappeared.

The Forgotten vanished.

The buildings collapsed.

The black tower shattered.

And Riven fell into darkness.

---

When he opened his eyes…

he was lying on the ground.

Rain was falling.

Real rain.

Riven slowly sat up.

He was standing in the streets of Nocturne.

The real city.

The sun was rising.

People were walking.

Cars were moving.

The city was alive.

Riven looked around.

“Kael?”

No answer.

“Selene?”

Nothing.

“Mira?”

Silence.

Riven stood.

His body felt different.

He touched his chest.

There was a heartbeat.

His own heartbeat.

For the first time.

A real heartbeat.

Riven smiled.

He had a soul.

He was human.

Then he heard footsteps.

Riven turned.

Kael stood behind him.

Alive.

Real.

Riven laughed.

“You’re here.”

Kael smiled.

“Of course.”

Riven ran toward him.

They hugged.

Then Riven noticed something.

People were looking at them.

A woman stopped.

She stared at Riven.

Then she began crying.

“Who are you?”

Riven froze.

The woman smiled through her tears.

“I don’t know.”

“But I remember you.”

Riven looked around.

More people were gathering.

They didn’t know his name.

But they remembered something.

A feeling.

A memory.

A life.

Riven understood.

The Forgotten had returned.

Not physically.

But through memory.

The city would never forget them again.

Kael looked at Riven.

“Where is Selene?”

Riven looked around.

She was gone.

Then he saw something on the ground.

A red scarf.

Riven picked it up.

Inside the scarf was a note.

He opened it.

Only one sentence was written.

THE HEART WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

Riven stared.

Kael looked over his shoulder.

“What does it mean?”

Riven didn’t answer.

Because something else had appeared.

A shadow.

A figure standing across the street.

A little girl.

The First Memory.

Riven froze.

She smiled.

Then she disappeared.

Riven looked down at the note again.

On the back was another message.

THERE ARE SEVEN CITIES.

NOCTURNE WAS THE FIRST.

Riven’s heart stopped.

Kael looked at him.

“What?”

Riven slowly turned the paper around.

Seven symbols were drawn.

One was the silver eye.

The other six were unknown.

Riven stared.

The mystery wasn’t over.

It had only begun.

And somewhere beneath another forgotten city…

something woke up.

Something that had been waiting for Riven.

Something that remembered his name.

TO BE CONTINUED…