Shattered Sanity

The Hypnotist’s proposal left Riven puzzled for quite a long time, as he carefully weighed both the advantages and disadvantages of allowing an entirely fabricated layer of childhood memories to be planted inside his mind.

As for a while, the thought did indeed make him feel uncomfortable, until suddenly, the discomfort vanished when the Hypnotist stood up by his side and began to stroke his hair.

”I wouldn’t be asking it of you, unless I truly believed that it was necessary for the mission.

But I will leave the final decision on you....”

He re-iterated, as Riven felt his resistance crumble.

”I understand.”

He said eventually, before nodding like a noble and continuing.

”I only need to know whether it will be painful or not.....

And I ask this, not because I am afraid of the pain, but because I can better prepare myself mentally, if I understand what is coming my way.”

He requested, as the Hypnotist smiled wildly at this response.

”No, my child, not at all, this procedure won’t hurt you”

He replied, as his voice carried its usual warmth.

”All that this procedure requires is that you consciously trust me and willingly allow me to alter your mind.

But otherwise do not worry,”

He assured, as he maintained calm eye contact with Riven.

”I know your mind better than anyone else. I know that your perfect recall makes it impossible for me to truly erase who you are or everything that you have experienced until this point.”

He slowly raised a finger.

”What I shall do instead is place another layer of memories before your existing ones,” the Hypnotist continued, as he carefully explained the process. ”So that whenever your mind instinctively reaches backwards towards your childhood, it shall first remember the life of Riven Dawnriver before eventually arriving at the life that truly belonged to Riven Veyr.”

He nodded confidently.

”Your real memories shall never disappear.

They shall simply no longer be the first memories your mind chooses to remember.

And with that...

Our disguise shall finally be complete.”

He explained, as Riven quietly contemplated those words.

”It’s all necessary for the mission... yeah?” Riven asked, as although he already understood the answer, hearing those words one final time somehow strengthened his resolve.

”It’s all for the mission,” the Hypnotist replied, before extending his hand towards Riven, as without the slightest hesitation, Riven accepted it.

Clap

The two firmly shook hands like gentlemen, as with that, the meeting came to an end.

—---------

(A couple days later, the underground laboratory)

With Riven’s approval, the Hypnotist performed the memory alteration procedure a couple days later, as he carefully planted an entirely fabricated layer of memories inside his mind regarding the circumstances surrounding his birth and childhood.

According to those memories, Riven’s mother had been a minor noble secretly married to Duke Dawnriver, who had been forced to flee the Valdrak Empire while heavily pregnant after political enemies discovered her existence.

After enduring countless hardships while travelling beyond Imperial territory, she eventually gave birth to Riven beneath the protection of a wandering Ascendant near a secluded cave deep within the wilderness, where she continued living in isolation alongside her newborn son.

Riven then grew up within those remote forests under the care of his mother, accompanied only by two loyal servants, a single bodyguard, and the wandering Ascendant who occasionally visited to guide his education while ensuring their location remained hidden from the outside world.

When his mother eventually passed away shortly after his eighth birthday, the loyal bodyguard escorted him back to the wandering Ascendant, beneath whose tutelage Riven continued studying for the following four years until Duke Dawnriver finally returned to reclaim the son whom he had been forced to hide from the Empire all those years ago.

As that was the official story that the Hypnotist planted in his mind, with a vivid imagery for where he lived, who exactly was his mother, and how his early life looked.

However, not every memory that the Hypnotist planted was completely fabricated, as many genuine experiences from Riven’s actual childhood remained completely unchanged.

His battle against the Night Panther.

His knowledge of surviving within forests.

His understanding of edible herbs, dangerous plants, and countless techniques for living in the wilderness that he had acquired while travelling with Garron.

Those memories remained exactly as they truly were, as preserving them only made his newly constructed identity feel even more believable whenever his mind instinctively revisited his childhood.

As instead of remembering Garron as an instructor, the Hypnotist made him the wandering Ascendant in this story.

As by the time the procedure finally concluded, Riven no longer felt any contradiction between the two lives that now existed within his mind.

”You are, from this day onwards, Riven Dawnriver in every sense of the name,” the Hypnotist declared, as quiet satisfaction filled his heart after watching the final piece of the disguise fall perfectly into place.

”Arise, O noble of House Dawnriver.”

He said, as Riven stood up from the operating chair and gave him a simple nod befitting one given to an important servant of a noble, as he accepted his new identity in full.

”The doctor was mentioning that Father is going to come and visit me here in a few days,” Riven began, as he calmly looked towards the Hypnotist.

”When exactly might that be?”

He asked, as the Hypnotist instinctively lowered his eyes under his sharp gaze before answering—

”He shall arrive in approximately two months’ time, my lord,” the Hypnotist replied, as although those words still felt somewhat unfamiliar upon his tongue, he addressed Riven exactly as befitted the heir of House Dawnriver.

”By then, you should have gained complete control over your reconstructed body, allowing you to present your best version before the Duke.”

He answered as Riven silently nodded.

”I understand. You may leave now, I wish to be alone for a while.”

He replied, as with a simple wave of his hand, he dismissed the Hypnotist, as from that day onwards, his transformation into a noble born was finally complete.