Riven and Kaeya stood in the training yard, wooden swords clashing as they were sparring. Their blades pushed against each other, the force vibrating through their arms.
The match had been going on for a while—Kaeya on the offensive, Riven holding firm with well-timed blocks and deflections.
Kaeya smirked, breathing lightly. "Wow, Riven… your swordsmanship is impressive. Are you sure you don't remember anything?"
Riven gave a half-shrug. "Nope. Just… muscle memory, I guess."
Before their spar could continue, a small figure peeked out from behind a tree, trying her best to stay hidden. Her telltale red outfit and big hat with bunny ears gave her away instantly.
Kaeya waved her over. "Hey, Klee!"
She popped out with a wide smile. "Ooooh, Kaeya! But shhh! Don't tell Jean I snuck out of my solitary confinement, okay?" she giggled mischievously.
Kaeya crossed his arms with a chuckle. "I won't… as long as you don't go blowing up any fish today."
Klee beamed. "You got it! Promise! Oh!" Her bright eyes landed on Riven, tilting her head curiously. "Who's this guy?"
Riven crouched down to meet her gaze, offering a soft smile. "Hey there. I'm Riven. I guess I'm… a friend of your mom's."
Klee gasped excitedly. "Wait, really?! That means… you're my uncle!" she declared proudly. "Do you wanna blow something up with me?!"
"Klee…" Kaeya said with a warning tone, arms still folded.
"Oh! Right, right," she pouted. "Maybe later…"
Riven chuckled, gently patting Klee's head. "This little one really does love her bombs, huh? Maybe next time."
Klee grinned from ear to ear and dug into her bag, pulling out a small, round object. "Here, mister! This is my friend!"
Riven caught it, blinking as he inspected the strange device. His eyes widened. Wait… is this a bomb?! His instincts screamed to throw it—but somehow, he held back. She had just handed him a bomb like it was candy.
"Okay, byeeee!" Klee waved cheerfully. "I gotta go dig up more treasure!" And off she ran, skipping into the distance.
"…And there goes Klee," Kaeya sighed. "Don't worry too much about the bomb. It probably won't explode. Probably."
Riven raised an eyebrow. "Alice mentioned her daughter had the same explosive spirit as me. You think that means I used to have… destructive tendencies?"
Kaeya gave a short laugh. "Could be. Who knows? But yeah, Klee's a bit of a mystery. She might look young, but her kind ages differently. She's much older than she seems."
Riven glanced down at the bomb still in his hand, carefully placing it inside his bag.
"As for her father…" Kaeya added, rubbing his chin. "Come to think of it, Alice never mentioned him. Never even hinted at who he might be. Guess whoever he is… lucky guy. Now then, where were we—"
A soft, teasing voice cut in smoothly. "You were looking for me, if I'm not mistaken."
Both men turned as a confident woman stepped forward, a book tucked under one arm and a knowing smile on her lips.
"Ah, perfect timing," Kaeya said. "Riven, meet Lisa—our very own head librarian."
Lisa gave a graceful nod, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So… you wanted to explore the library, hmm? Well then, darling, follow me. Let's see if we can't uncover some history… or perhaps a few secrets."
Riven followed her a few steps before speaking up. "So you're Lisa. Hello, I'm—"
"Riven," she finished with a soft smile. "Yes, Acting Grand Master Jean already informed me of your… unique circumstances."
Lisa's gaze drifted momentarily, catching sight of Noelle in the distance before returning her full attention to Riven.
"I'll save you the trouble of combing through every book, darling," she said. "I've already checked—there's nothing in my records that matches that hair clip of yours. Not a single mention."
Riven blinked. "Oh…"
"But there is another matter to consider," Lisa continued, folding her arms thoughtfully. "If you were truly a friend of Alice, then it's quite possible you're as old as she is. Or… older."
Riven turned sharply to Kaeya. "Wait—how much did you guys tell her?"
Kaeya smirked. "Well… everything. Why?"
Riven groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Because I didn't even consider that I might be… old. Like, really old. That opens up a whole mess of questions."
Lisa chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh my, then let me be bold—perhaps you've lived many lives, loved many women, even fathered children across the nations." She gave a teasing wink. "You could be quite the romantic legend."
"That's not funny!" Riven snapped, though the heat in his cheeks betrayed his flustered reaction. "Hearing that just makes me question everything even more. Who the hell am I?!"
Lisa smiled softly, her tone gentler now. "That, darling, is the question only you can answer."
Later, in the grand halls of the Knights of Favonius library, Riven sat surrounded by towering stacks of books. He flipped through page after page, his eyes scanning texts on ancient wars, lost kingdoms, and the cultures of distant nations. And yet… nothing.
No clue about the hair clip. No mention of his name. No trace of the life he'd lost.
He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe this was a waste of time," he muttered. "At least I learned a bit about Teyvat…"
Still, Lisa's teasing comment lingered in his mind—and it terrified him.
"Hundred kids…" he grumbled. "There was that guy in the novel I read—he didn't even remember half their names, and they all came looking for him. No way. That can't be me. I mean… if my life was supposed to be full of pain, I probably didn't even have a chance…."
He shook his head, trying to shake the absurd thought.
"Lisa said you were looking through the library," came a calm voice behind him.
Riven turned to see a young man with pale hair and sharp eyes, dressed in alchemist's garb.
"I'm Albedo," he said with a polite nod. "Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius. My aunt, Alice, asked me to deliver you a message."
Riven blinked. "Alice? Wait, your aunt?!"
Albedo gave a small smile. "Yes. She figured you'd waste time flipping through books, so she told me to give you a single word instead—something more… direct."
He stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Khaenri'ah."