The Institute of War has always had a strict policy on summoner-champion relationships. There was a certain level of trust that had to be accumulated between summoner and champion for the summoning to work (although it can be forced in extreme cases), however, romantic relationships were strictly forbidden. This was enforced by the threat of excommunication. Excommunication meant not only would the summoner be banished and stripped of all their power, but the champion would be put on a watch list for the a whole year, depriving them of any privacy.
But somehow, people still got away with it. I suppose that love knows no bounds, huh? It was a crazy thought that these people were willing to risk so much for a tumble. I've heard many stories of someone stepping on someone else's toes a little too much and getting ratted out for it. Of course, I always end up feeling a bit bad for the champions, but if I'm being honest with myself, I know they can say no.
Luckily, I didn't have that issue with my champion. Our relationship was… well, hardly even platonic. We were more like… work buddies. You know, the kind of buddy you'll sit with during your lunch break, silently enjoying each other's company. The kind of buddy you sometimes debate asking to hang out, but ultimately decide that he's not really that kind of friend. The kind of buddy that is purely a work buddy.
Aside from that, he was also kind of… not entirely human. He was, at one point. But then he went a bit crazy and decided to search for an ancient civilization before he somehow ended up sharing his consciousness with the Void. No one really knows the details of what happened. He doesn't talk about it often. In fact, Malzahar hates speaking of the time when he was mortal.
All he sees now is the apparent inevitability of the Void taking over. That's all he ever talks about. He's devoted his entire entity to this Void thing. I kind of just… ignored it. Like I mentioned, we're simply work buddies, not best friends. It wasn't my business to get in his business. And I preferred it that way. Truth be told, all this Void stuff kind of scared me.
Malzahar knew that. I could tell by the way he intently watched me each time he spoke about it. It almost seemed like he was amused by the fact it made me uncomfortable. Honestly, it was hard to tell what Malzahar was thinking half of the time. He hid his thoughts well, which was unnerving.
But I didn't let it get to me. We're just work buddies. There was no reason for him to attack me with his creepy Void shit, and there was no reason for me to worry. Despite the fact that he's the prophet of the void. Right? Oh, god. Why did I pick this guy to be my champion?
Each time I doubted myself over Malzahar, I was calmed down by a memory. There was one time when Malzahar did show me kindness. When I first joined the Institute of War as a summoner, I was the weakest in my training group. My mentor did not foresee me passing the training course to become a full-fledged summoner.
That's when I met Malzahar. He came to me one day as I was studying. I was too focused to even notice him approach, despite the heavy weight his aura carried. He touched my shoulder to get my attention. I remember looking into his glowing, purple eyes with my own, dull, tired ones. His voice rasped out a sentence that I could barely understand.
"Mortal, it is for the betterment of the Void that I avert you from this path of failure…" I stared up at him, confused. He wasted no time. A misty, purple cloud shrouded my eyesight and I felt a sense of… nothingness. And yet, at the same time, I could feel knowledge pouring into me.
Needless to say, I ended up the top of my group. Everyone was shocked, including myself. There was only one way I could think to thank Malzahar, and that was to pay him the honor of becoming my champion. I was excited when I found out that he had no summoner at the time.
After that, things went alright. Malzahar and I started our training together to become stronger as partners and individuals. Each time I summoned him to the Fields of Justice was a test of my willpower, and every time he fought was a test of his. Malzahar and I didn't speak much to each other, but I could feel a bond between us.
Then I started hearing rumors. Something about how all of Malzahar's previous summoners had mysteriously disappeared. There was no evidence saying that Malzahar was the cause of their disappearance, but because of his power and his devotion to the Void, it was thought that he… sacrificed them. I simply gave an awkward laugh in response to those rumors and assured everyone that I'd be fine.
Malzahar practically chose me as his summoner. He wouldn't… sacrifice me, would he? I tried not to think about it… ever. Instead, I focused on my work and keeping the relationship between him and I stable. It wasn't very hard, honestly. I left him to his things and he seemed perfectly content with it.
Until recently. Malzahar was starting to push himself more and more into my life. I wasn't quite sure why, he had never shown interest in it before. But I sheepishly accepted it. Despite the horrors he was involved in, he was a rather handsome man. The thought of him getting closer to me filled me with excitement and anxiety.
Especially when he invited me to his room. He had explained that he simply wanted to teach me more about the Void, but something in the back of my mind told me otherwise. A man doesn't simply invite a woman to his room to study. Perhaps his intentions were true, but it was hard to read him most of the time. After being with him for so long, I had learned that he was good at hiding things.
Despite my gut telling me no, I had agreed to meet up with him. Maybe I was just overthinking. I had to trust Malzahar. After all, he trusted me enough for me to use him on the Fields of Justice. Every time I summoned him he was putting his life on the line for me. I had to show him that same amount of trust.
~
I headed into the library. That's where Malzahar wanted to meet. With his powers, he could easily sneak me into his room, so we didn't have to try too hard to get me in. What if he uses those powers on me? I quickly shook the thought out of my head. No. Malzahar and I were friends.
When I entered the library, I saw Malzahar sitting at one of the tables, skimming over a book. He looked up the instant I entered, and I couldn't help but feel flustered. I pulled on the strings of my jacket nervously as I walked over to him and sat across from him. His lips curled into a smirk.
His scarf was still wrapped around his neck and pulled over his head like a hood, but he left his mouth uncovered. Seeing his face exposed like that always made me feel a bit sheepish around him. I knew it was stupid to crush on my champion, but he was so handsome. His glowing eyes just added to the effect.
"Shall we, mortal?" he said, after observing me for a moment. Malzahar hasn't once called me by my name. He has always referred to me as "mortal" or "human". It bothered me a little bit, but I never mentioned it to him. I figured it was easier just letting him call me whatever he wanted. Malzahar is not the kind of guy you want to piss off.
I nodded and stood back up. Malzahar stood- er, floated and closed the book in his hands. A purple cloud lifted the book into the air and he replaced it on one of the shelves. I watched the book, still amazed despite having seen his power in action multiple times before. He came over to me, smirk still on his face.
"I know you love to admire my work, but we should get going," he teased. I blushed and looked away, giving a slow nod in response. Malzahar led the way and I followed after him. As I walked behind him, I wondered why Malzahar wanted to see me in his room, of all places. A bunch of different ideas came to me at once, some totally inappropriate, but I tried my best not to get lost in my fantasies.
Malzahar calmly led me through the long, winding corridors of the Institute. They had a special section of studio apartments for champions that didn't have a home to return to. Malzahar was one of those champions. I imagined he wasn't particularly accepted back wherever he was from, and the Institute would never let him travel back and forth from the Void.
Eventually we came to his room. Luckily we hadn't seen anyone on the way- not that it would have mattered, anyway. By this time, I was pretty nervous about being alone with Malzahar in his room. I simply couldn't push away the suggestive thoughts that came to me. I somehow managed to keep myself from blushing as Malzahar unlocked his door and led me in.
He motioned for me to sit as he closed the door behind me. I quietly obeyed and sat down on the couch that was a bit further into the room. Malzahar's room was very well-kept. It was almost like he didn't live here at all. He had a luxurious bed that appeared to have silk sheets, with a purple canopy that draped over the bed to make it seem more private. I couldn't quite tell from where I was sitting, but it almost looked like he had small lights woven into the top part of the canopy to resemble stars when lit. It seemed very romantic, which I found surprising.
Malzahar sat across from me and unwound his scarf from around his neck. My eyes glanced over to him and I watched with interest. His features were simply breathtaking. His dark brown hair came down and rested atop his eyelashes, the unbrushed tendrils giving him a rather attractive messy look. His glowing eyes just added to his dreaminess.
I found myself shamelessly swooning over Malzahar right in front of his face. He seemed to notice and a slight smirk spread over his lips and he leaned forward, elbow on his knee, head propped up. He appeared amused by my infatuation with him. I wondered if Malzahar had ever had any romantic relationships. I wondered if he could ever see himself in a relationship with me.
I blushed and looked away. No, that was against the rules. I didn't want to get into any trouble with the Institute. Malzahar seemed to disagree on that point, however, because he reached out and grabbed my chin, turning my head back to look at him. The smirk was wider.
"You should chase the things you desire, human," he said. I felt a hot spark course through my body. Malzahar's hand stroked my jawline and across the side of my neck, until his hand cupped around the back of my neck and he pulled me to him. I was now awkwardly straddling his hips.
"U-uh… s-so, we're not doing any studying, h-huh?" I stuttered. I mentally slapped myself for being so awkward and fumbling over my words. Malzahar looked thoughtful for a moment as he ran his thumb over my bottom lip.
"It is studying, just a different kind," he said teasingly. I shuddered at his words. Where was he getting at with this? Was he not worried about the consequences of getting caught? Although, I suppose the thrill of the crime made it that much more exciting. I stared into the blue glow of his eyes and saw confidence. No, it didn't seem Malzahar was worried at all.
"Why now?" I whispered to him. He leaned in, his nose brushing lightly across my cheek. I could hear him inhaling as his nose brushed passed my ear and buried into my hair. He let out a soft moan as he exhaled.
"Mmm, you truly are breathtaking," he mumbled. "My dear, you should relax. Enjoy yourself." He pulled away to look me in the eyes. "I can assure you that no one will ever find out about this." He smiled knowingly, and I felt oddly comforted despite the sudden red flag going off in my head. My body relaxed, and I slowly nodded. Malzahar leaned in and kissed my lips.
I felt electricity shoot through me, all the way to the tips of my toes and fingers. My stomach did a flip as one of Malzahar's arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me close so that there was no space between his and mine. I could feel my heart pounding in excitement for the things to come. And yet, my mind felt clear. Wait, where have I felt this before?
Malzahar's hand found its way under my shirt. His hands were cold, and he used this to his advantage. He brushed his fingertips over the skin on my back, causing me to shiver in response. I could feel goosebumps form as my hair stood on end. His fingers traced small, cold circles around my back and I felt myself getting aroused. I blushed, all red flags drowning out in the sensual overflow.
His other hand gripped my chin and tilted my head to look him in the eyes. I'm sure I looked rather flustered to him, but I didn't care. I was ready for whatever Malzahar had to offer me. His lips tugged into a knowing smirk. My eyes watched him, my lust slowly turning into concerned confusion.
"It appears you are ready. Human, I do apologize for this, but you would be much more beneficial to the Void than you would to this Institution. Please, do not struggle. I will make this as painless as possible," Malzahar said. A sudden panic shot through me, but it was then suppressed as Malzahar's glowing eyes poured into me.
I felt my mind be overtaken by a sense of darkness. My body started to ache, and I tried to cry out, but no sound came. Slowly, I could feel myself disappearing. It was an odd feeling, like I was losing who I was. I tried as hard as possible to keep a grasp on my individuality, but when the darkness faded and I was no longer in Malzahar's room, all I could feel was a voracious sense of hunger.