The vortex was like going down a slide backwards and Hazel was getting dizzy from the ride. Unfortunately, it stopped at least 5 feet from the ground, so there was going to be a painful fall. The girl landed harshly on her back, giving her enough adrenaline to stay awake. Several cracking sounds was heard, so Hazel hoped that was the sounds of twigs and branches snapping. Her vision was extremely blurry, but she managed stand herself up. Her back cracked numerous times when she tried to stand up straight.
"Ow… Am I getting old?" The girl mumbled, rubbing her back.
She stood up and observed her surroundings. Apparently, cherry blossoms bloomed during this time of the year. Hazel squinted her eyes and saw a building off in the distance.
She pondered out loud, "Maybe, there's people who could help me."
The girl started walking towards the building and as expected, it took forever to get there. Her legs were sore from the long walk and the fatigue was really getting to her now. She yawned and kept walking.
"I'm really regretting playing the computer so much now," Hazel mumbled.
It was true. Her parents got her a desktop at the age of 6 and everyday, she would sit there playing it, non-stop. She blamed her brothers for playing video games in front of her. Hazel managed to get to her destination and sighed of relief. The night was still young so hopefully there was at least one person awake. She took a good look at the building; it had an elegant frame and the building's overall architecture loosely reminded her of Feudal Japan. To top it all off, there were numerous cherry blossoms surrounding the building.
Hazel opened her mouth to call someone out, but she something move in the corner of her eye.
"Who's there?!" She yelled.
No response. The black haired girl turned her attention back to the entrance. Suddenly, there were many shadows. Not just any ordinary shadows, but bloodthirsty shadows that took the shape of what looked like a well equipped man. They all had red eyes that were just glaring at her with contempt. Hazel could just feel their stare pierce through her. They all had blades connected to a gauntlet on their arms. Oddly enough, these shadows looked familiar and so did the shrine. The shadows were intimidating enough for the girl be frozen still. A man started walking towards her, but she couldn't see what he looked like because of the darkness but the girl could hear his painstakingly loud footsteps. All she could make out was the man was what all the shadows took the form of and a horrifying pair of conspicuous red eyes. This man walked down the stairs, with his bloodcurdling stare locked onto her. His footsteps had a steady pace and he stood up with a confident posture. This felt so familiar to her, but she couldn't place her finger on it. Where has she seen this man?
"State your name and purpose," He asked in a emotionless yet bold voice.
Hazel swallowed nervously and managed to choke out, "H-Hazel."
Honestly, she didn't know what to say next. It wasn't like the girl wanted to be here. She rather be sleeping in her lovely bed, but it seemed like it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. A few clouds disappeared, revealing a full moon. The moon shone brightly on the man's face. The girl gasped. Hazel couldn't believe. She just couldn't believe it. The moonlight revealed the man's identity to be the Master of Shadows: Zed. Was this all an elaborate prank? No. How could that explain the vortex that took her to this place? Perhaps it was all a dream.
Zed stopped several feet away from her and raised an eyebrow. He most certainly had never seen Hazel before in Ionia and her clothing did not originate from Ionian… or Runeterra for that matter.
"Z-Zed, I-I'm your summoner, Achluophobia," She continued.
The man threw a shuriken at the girl as a mean to prevent her from talking any further. Thankfully, it only grazed her face, leaving a long but thin cut under her eye.
He exclaimed," Leave now or suffer the consequences!"
It didn't take long for Hazel to start running. It was as if her feet were like they were moving on their own. She honestly didn't know where she was going; the girl simply ran in the opposite of the shrine.
Zed chuckled and walked toward the shrine. He turned back to the forest where Hazel ran off into. Achluophobia, the fear of darkness. She was a Summoner and she summoned him in the Fields of Justice? Oh, the irony. Though, he was curious as to why her sudden appearance startled him so much. She seemed like a harmless person rather than a threat. Why did he feel the need to prepare so many shadows? Zed shrugged it off but perhaps… Keeping a close eye on her wouldn't hurt. She could make a lovely addition to the Order of the Shadows. If he recalled correctly, the direction she was running towards the Kinkou's base.
Eventually, Hazel lost her footing and tripped. Her breathing was becoming labored and her vision was blurring once more. Before she lost consciousness, she saw a girl wearing green running to her aid and a shrine that was similar to Zed's place.
"Shen! There's someone hurt!" The girl in green yelled.
Hazel groggily woke up in an unfamiliar room. The bed wasn't comfortable but it was better than sleeping on twigs and branches. There was little to no furniture decorating the room which only contained a bed, a dresser, a mirror, and a painting. She yawned and stretched her arms and got out of bed. The girl noticed her reflection in the mirror and saw that someone had bandaged the cut Zed caused. Suddenly, there were sharp pains in her knees, but she didn't remember injuring herself. Maybe Hazel scraped her knees when she fell.
"Oh. You're awake," A female voice stated.
She turned around to see the girl dressed in green. Her attire consisted of a mask, matching arm guards, thigh high socks, and a very unique dress that you wouldn't see back where she lived.
The girl pulled down her mask to reveal a smile and introduced, "My name is Akali. I was the aided you when you were hurt."
Hazel couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Akali? There was so much to take in.
"Where am I exactly?" She asked rather impatiently.
Akali laughed and answered, "We're in Ionia. Have you lost your memory as well?"
She turned to leave and said before Hazel got to say anything, "I have to run some errands. If you wish to talk about some things, speak to Shen in the courtyard."
Hazel sighed after Akali had left her alone. She guessed her only option was to meet the rest of her champion pool, but not after pinching herself to see if this was all a dream. Nothing. The girl sighed wandered out of her room in search of Shen. Unfortunately, her sense of direction wasn't the best. She easily became lost and had to ask several ninjas for directions. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, Hazel finally found her destination. She opened her mouth in awe at the sight. The courtyard was simply captivating; there was a small waterfall that led to a pond filled with Koi fish and a plethora of beautiful plant life decorating the large space.
"Your clothes tell a story, young one," A male voice said. "You're not from here, are you?"
The girl was startled by this man because she was too busy admiring the courtyard and wasn't really paying much attention to anything else. Hazel squinted and tried the source of this voice and spotted a figure dressed in all blue meditating. It seemed like monochromic clothing were a thing around these parts.
She shook her head and answered, "No. Akali told me to come to talk to you."
"Tell me. What is your name and where are you from?"
"My name is Hazel and I'm from a place called Earth, specifically California."
"Your eyes are not hazel at all. They are as blue as the ocean. Also, you originated from the dirt and trees?"
Hazel raised an eyebrow at his response. Dirt and trees?
"N-No, no! That's what the planet is called!" She exclaimed when she realized what he had meant.
"A place named after an element. Is there a planet named 'Fire' as well?" He teased.
The girl nervously laughed and started twiddling her fingers.
Shen asked, "What is bothering you, young one?"
"If this is Valoran, then I don't belong here. Earth is not even a place in Runeterra."
He stood up and walked to Hazel and place his hand on her forehead.
"Did you get enough rest?"
Upon further inspection, his face was completely covered except for his glowing yellow eyes.
She slapped his hand away and retorted, "I'm being completely serious. A vortex that formed on my computer took me here."
He raised an eyebrow and concluded, "Your clothing does vouch for you… However, the rest of Runeterra is largely unknown."
How could she have persuaded him that she did not hail from this land? Then, it hit her.
"I'm a summoner! Achluophobia! I can prove that I'm a summoner. You and Zed are sworn enemies. You're the leader of the Kinkou and you work alongside the Fist of the Shadows, Akali, and the Heart of the Tempest,Kennen and Zed is the leader of Order of the Sha-"
"That's enough. You have given me enough evidence, 'Summoner.' You haven't met Kennen and yet, you know his title."
Hazel sighed of relief after she actually persuaded him. She was actually surprised that she remembered their titles. After all, the girl only did play Zed and the occasional Thresh and Evelynn, but there were some times that she would play Kennen and Akali. Shen turned his back and started to leave the courtyard.
"Wait! Where are you going?!" The girl yelled.
"It's time for training. Would you like to join?" He answered.
She stated, "Well, it depends on what kind of training."
The man laughed and said, "We're going to run 6 miles, 3 hours of practicing our skills, ano-"
"I'm fine! I don't need any training! Hazel interrupted. She assumed the "we" part was him. Akali, and Kennen. It seemed like they all managed things around here and were very close to each other.
Shen chuckled and left the courtyard. It was her turn to leave now. There was no reason for her to stay in the courtyard anymore. Upon leaving, the girl was met by a shot purple ninja about a meter tall. Of course, it did not take long for her to find out who it was. It was no ordinary ninja that stood before her; it was the Heart of the Tempest, Kennen. This Yordle did not give her a welcoming, friendly look at all. If anything, it looked like contempt.
"Do not overstay your welcome, 'Summoner,'" He warned and walked away.
"What the hell did I do now?" She blustered.
It was time for her to return to her room since where else could she go? Now, it's time for another 10 years to find her way through this shrine.