Akali was assigned roughly one hundred pages to peruse, though it felt like a thousand. In her mind, she hadn't quite imagined researching to be so uneventful; rather she pictured a ray of light shining down on her as she came to a significant understanding and the standing ovation from Shen and Kennen for her generous help. Then again, she had always had a colorful imagination. Right that second, she could only hope the information she had was even the slightest bit helpful.
Or interesting, she mentally added.
Researching for hours on end was a painfully boring, yet crucial, task, even to someone like Akali who had pulled several all-nighters in order to become a nurse. She had been willing to bet anything that what she had read was useless, so when the words "sacrifice" and "warrior" came into her vision, the world around her seemed to stop altogether.
The sacrifices of a warrior and his blood are needed to awaken the Baron Nashor; only then will the demon rise from its primal relic.
It took Akali seven times to fully process the words she had just read, and when it finally registered, bile and acid burned their way into the back of her throat. She barely managed to swallow it back down.
Syndra needed a sacrifice to summon Baron. Maybe that was why she had kidnapped Akali in the first place—to sacrifice the woman who had trained for more than a decade to become the Fist of Shadow. Paired off with psychological warfare, she was the optimal candidate! That day Syndra had almost murdered her wouldn't have mattered in the long run because all the purple-clothed witch needed to do was find and kill another warrior, something that was quite easy since there were thousands of temple warriors around the country. To a mage of Syndra's caliber, the entire process was child's play.
It made sense why Zed had chosen his words so carefully when he was answering her questions. If he was to earn her forgiveness, then he obviously would have excluded the fact that she was almost given up to a giant monster.
Sacrifice. Baron. Me!
That very thought made her blood rush to her head and her stomach churn. If PTSD wasn't enough to cause insomnia, then that certainly was. Reading more and more only increased the waves of nausea that unfurled in her stomach.
He who summons the creature will possess unlimited control over it, but only if deemed worthy by Baron. If judged as unbefitting, he will be destroyed.
Syndra had always coveted power—if she alone could summon Baron after generations of people failed to, then she would wield the most power in the world. There was only one thing in the world that Syndra hated more than the weak. Once she summoned Baron (and there was no doubt that she would succeed), then she would come for Ionia and raze it until the streets were painted blood red and not one building stood.
Akali continued reading.
How to Defeat the Baron Nashor
Triumph over the current summoner in battle to make him unworthy of the beast's power. Should he remain unvanquished, then his power will grow. Thereafter, slice
Her fingers blindly reached for the corner of the page to turn it. If there was a good time to curse her rotten luck, it'd be right then when Akali realized that there was no next page. Rather, the scribe hadn't finished copying the most crucial part of the book before Zed stole it, which ultimately meant that he and Syndra were the only ones that actually knew how to stop Baron...
Shen was definitely not going to like this. Without Zed's help, they would be unprepared to face Baron, let alone defeat it.
Shen and Kennen didn't seem to put two and two together as Akali told them everything she had discovered; as far as they knew, her sickly wan face was a result from exhaustion and not from her almost sacrifice, but the last thing she needed was sleep.
"Where exactly is this relic?" Shen inquired with a concentrated look.
"From what I've read so far, it's left unguarded at the pit of Arpad Elo," Kennen answered, looking up from the pages in his hand.
"Unguarded?!" The roof of the house shook slightly from Shen's almost roar. "How could anyone leave such a powerful monster unprotected?!"
Kennen arrived at an answer quite easily. "Most people fear the monster that the relic unleashes. Even the bravest of people steer clear of it."
The absurd 'logic' made a shaky breath elicit from Shen.
"Okay…then how do we stop it?" he asked, subtly shifting his gaze to Akali since she had read that part of the book.
"Well," she answered meekly, "I don't know since the scribe didn't finish copying the book. The only people who know how to stop it are Syndra and Zed..."
"Like Zed would ever help us," he snorted, rolling his eyes.
Exasperation didn't quite describe the look on Shen's contorted face, but Akali couldn't dwell on it before he said, "Akali, call Caitlyn or Vi and see if they can secure the premises. Syndra won't be able to defeat the two of them along with a whole unit. Kennen, ensure that all the temples know that Syndra is a threat to be taken seriously. I will call the leaders for an emergency evacuation."
Akali curtly nodded and stood up from the couch to call the Sheriff and her best friend, but before she could even exit the room, the phone rang.
"Hello?" she spoke into the receiver.
Her shaky fingers slammed the phone onto the kitchen table once the phone call was over.
"What happened?" Shen asked as he noticed the putrid green shade that Akali's face turned.
"That was Caitlyn. It seems we were too late."
"What?" It sounded like a squeak coming from Shen.
"The Lotus Temple has reported five warriors missing without a trace. On top of that, someone blew up Arpad's Pit."
In a matter of one sentence and a quick phone call, the threat of Syndra seemed even more real than it did before.
As it turned out, planning the evacuation was significantly easier than actually carrying out said stratagem. Shen had somehow managed to arrange an emergency meeting the day after with the leaders of Ionia, who had a difficult time believing that Syndra was a threat to the city, despite the amount of information they had discovered. In fact, some of them laughed at Shen's request for an evacuation. The righteous fury within Akali threatened to make her punch one of the leaders, but thankfully once Ionia's Captain of the Guard intervened, the color on the leaders' faces drained.
One of the leaders protested vociferously, "It has been many a millennia since the creature was last summoned. One amateurish magician cannot accomplish such a feat, and it would be silly to make an entire city evacuate because of one ambitious sorceress."
Irelia's voice was louder than usual, probably to intimidate the unyielding leaders. "Syndra single handedly demolished the very temple that raised her, all because they 'shackled' her power. She killed the elder who had nurtured her from childhood and threw away his corpse without a second thought. Trust me when I say that a psychopath such as herself does not fear Baron and that she will not fail to summon it. Once she has succeeded, Ionia will be her first pit stop in the road to worldwide domination."
"It is foolish to evacuate an entire city based on the assumption that this woman can awaken Baron," another leader stubbornly chimed in. Maybe, just maybe, Akali could land a painful uppercut to his face.
"Then when Syndra strikes and millions of corpses are strewn across the streets of Ionia, the large death count will be on your hands," Irelia growled out, slamming her palms against the mahogany table before her, "assuming that you aren't killed, of course."
"We will gladly take that chance."
Irelia's face contorted with both frustration and anger. "No you're not. I can see how pale your faces have turned, so you people obviously know my warnings are not empty. And if you still don't believe me despite the plethora of proof that my friends have, then I have nothing more to do except take full control of the Ionian troops and force an evacuation."
Yet another leader had the gall to threaten the bluenette. "If you do that, we will personally strip you of your title."
An unexpected smirk formed on Irelia's face, shocking everyone in the room. "You and what army? Our troops obey my command, not yours. Ignore my warnings, strip me of my title, do whatever you need to do, but know the minute you do so, you will have no army to defend this city."
They were at an impasse. The tension in the room was so thick that it suffocated Akali. She stole a quick glance at Shen and Kennen who subtly fidgeted in their seats.
If three leaders agreed with them, then there would be a ballot cast among the twelve leaders; each leader would be able to secretly vote either for or against the evacuation. However, the chances looked extremely slim if the prolonged silence was any indication. The corners of Irelia's lips turned into a prominent scowl, and a pit of worry blossomed in Akali's stomach. If this didn't go according to plan, then Irelia would stay true to her word and force an evacuation, thereby sacrificing her title for the good of Ionia. Why did Irelia need to be punished for doing what was right?
Irelia huffed out in obvious annoyance and stood up from her chair. "I've said all that I needed to say. It is now your turn to do whatever's necessary for the greater good of Ionia and its people."
She motioned for the trio to leave the conference room. The failure of the meeting disappointed everyone; although Irelia put on a brave face, Akali could see how crestfallen she was.
"Thank you," Akali murmured, offering a slight but unconvincing smile. Irelia didn't reply as she pushed open the double doors of the conference room, dreading what may come.
"Wait," a female voice called out from behind them. Irelia swiveled around almost too quickly with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. One of the more reserved leaders stood up from the table.
"Even if Syndra doesn't summon Baron, the hazard of such a mage running rampant is still very real. The citizens won't be mad that they were evacuated if their lives are in danger, and this woman definitely is a threat. We should call for an emergency evacuation."
Another leader piped in, "I second the motion, and hereby request a ballot."
"As do I," chimed in another voice.
The very first leader who had dismissed Shen's warning glowered, but nodded his head mutely.
Five minutes later, the votes had been placed in an ornate wooden box with a slit on top. A leader opened it and dumped its contents onto the table. He opened each creased paper and divided them into two groups. Akali couldn't see which group represented which side, but when the leader stepped away, there were five votes on one side and seven on the other.
"Based on the votes that have been submitted-" the counter began.
Akali could only pray with all her heart that the seven votes were in her favor. If this meeting failed, then Ionia was doomed.
"-an emergency evacuation will hereby take place in Ionia under the supervision of its leaders. Meeting adjourned."
Kennen quite literally turned into a ball of electricity before turning back into his Yordle form and throwing an electrically charged shuriken at the nearest tree. The shuriken lodged itself deep within the lumber, and the tree released a loud crackle before splitting in half and crashing to the ground.
All the citizens had been mandated to bring the necessities and meet at Placidium within a day. Those who stayed would be left behind to face the wrath of Baron, and neither Shen nor Kennen had any intentions of leaving. Naturally, Akali adamantly chose to remain behind, though her mind wanted to run away from the witch who haunted her dreams. But that was the very nature of her nightmares; she could physically run away from the Syndra forever, but she couldn't escape her own mind.
The slice of Shen's ninjatos brought Akali back to the present, where the three of them were in a nearby forest (soon to be cleared anyway) training. Her eyes slowly scanned the two forgotten kamas in her calloused palms. The feel of the blades was so foreign that just trying to find a comfortable grip was difficult-after all, it had been years since she had last seen her kamas, let alone touch them
"Well?" Shen called out between ragged breaths. "You should try to train these last few days before she comes. Even Irelia is training with her men."
Before she comes.
Akali inhaled through her nose, and exhaled through her mouth. With a firm grip on her sharpened kamas, she leaned forward to attain maximum speed and lunged at the tree, digging the blade into the bark. When she stopped her pseudo-flight, she felt the ground quake as the tree snapped in half. For the first time in the months, power surged through her veins, and she relished in this new feeling before it could vanish.
A sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her. Now, Akali remembered why she had loved fighting so much. She fed off of the thrill of battle, and to see her enemies beaten only pumped her blood more.
"Our bodies still remember what it's like to fight," Kennen panted, wiping sweat from his fur. Without saying anything more, he began chucking his shurikens at the tree trunk, each one lining up perfectly.
"Never would I imagine myself voluntarily picking up my own kamas again." Her voice was but a whisper, yet it was clear as day.
"You don't have to stay behind with us. Knowing you're safe will help me focus in battle," Shen said in a hushed tone, endearingly putting his hand on Akali's shoulder.
Her lips curved into a flashy smile even though her mind wanted to do anything but. "What kind of friend would I be if I let you guys run blindly into war without me?"
The serious glint in his eyes didn't falter, so Akali quickly wiped off her smile. "I'll be fine, Shen. Trust me."
The most of a response that he offered was a short nod. Shen turned to drive his ninjatos into another poor tree, but edged in a few last words.
"By the way, Karma wants to see you before she leaves."
"Okay."
Akali knitted her eyebrows in confusion. What did Karma want from her?
It's probably nothing, she thought before flinging a kama at a tree.
The cab drive to Karma's abode didn't take very long, but being in an enclosed space made it feel like a century. The car screeched to a stop, and the driver grunted, holding his open palm to the air. Akali forked over her money and exited the cab before it skidded away.
Why does she need to see me?
Her mind came up with absolutely zero answers. With each step she walked up, wisps of unease spread in her stomach. That there was no doorbell quickly diverted her mind.
Maybe Karma doesn't want to be disturbed, Akali surmised. Maybe the foreboding feeling that pressed against her skull uncomfortably would disappear once she returned to the sanctity of her home.
No.
That one word echoed in her mind as she stopped mid-step. If the slightest distress caused by visiting a friend was enough to send her heading for the hills, then how was Akali to confront the spawn of Satan?
Poor Teemo, Akali mused before knocking the door loudly. It opened on its own accord. The inexplicable hesitation in each step she took across the threshold made her hands clammy and her breath hitch, and she could only hope that Karma wouldn't sense her illogical discomfort.
The lovely aroma of tea wafted into her nostrils; just the mere smell made her rigid posture grew lax. Akali turned her head to see the Enlightened One stroll into the living room with a silver tray holding two teacups and a steaming teapot. She promptly sat down, gesturing to the empty seat across from her, which Akali gladly accepted.
"Hello, Karma," Akali greeted, though her eyes were currently focused on one of the teacups. A light laugh filled the air as Akali took the liberty of pouring herself a full cup. The steaming tea burned the tip of her tongue as she cautiously sipped and blazed a trail down her throat, and before she realized, the cup was empty.
"Sorry," Akali said sheepishly before setting the cup down. "Shen told me you wanted to see me, though I can't imagine why you'd want to see me." Realizing her tone could come across as hostile, she quickly exclaimed, "Just wondering!"
The smile that played upon Karma's lips further puzzled Akali. "Shen told me about your nightmares."
Immediately, Akali sulked in her seat. Had she just left her haven just to discuss her PTSD? It wasn't the best of conversation starters, and she was sure there wouldn't be much of a conversation thereafter.
"I'm fine." The two-word lie had slipped past her lips so often in the past few months that even she was beginning to believe it, but the skeptical look on Karma's face made her sink into her chair.
"Lying is a very unhealthy habit."
Akali fought the urge to rudely roll her eyes. "If it prevents everyone from obsessing about my PTSD, then I will gladly do so."
Karma reached for the teapot and elegantly filled both cups to the brim. The way the woman poured the tea made it seem like a graceful dance, which mesmerized Akali.
"It's not your stress that your friends are concerned with; it's your health."
Akali shook her head. "It is my own weakness, and ergo my own problem. No one else should have to care for me, especially since there are far greater things to worry about."
Karma easily replied, "You have to first overcome your own struggles before you can even attempt to conquer bigger ones."
"Did you call me here just to give me a lecture on how to live my own life?" Akali snapped before she could bite back her tongue. "I already have two friends who give me the same speech daily; I really don't need someone else dictating my actions."
She expected a look of hurt to cross Karma's countenance, but it was completely neutral. Gasping, she slapped her palm over her mouth.
"I'm sorry," Akali rushed out as soon as she realized what she had just said. "I've become rather…antisocial these days, for lack of a better word."
"It's alright, Akali. I understand the effects of PTSD." By the way Karma was smiling, she wasn't lying. "I saw how you were about to leave before, but you stayed. Why was that?"
"Uhm…" came Akali's very eloquent reply. Was Karma actually expecting a legitimate answer? "Because like you said, it's just one of the smaller victories to an even bigger battle?"
Karma dipped her head into a nod, as if approving of her questioning-answer. "I called you here to help you heal, Akali. I can tell from your eyes that the ordeal you've been through is scarring, but this is a wound that time alone can't heal. I can help you embark on your journey to move forward, but only of you are willing to."
There were only so many things more that Akali could forget, Zed's previously sinful existence being one of them, but she faintly nodded anyway—at this point, she had nothing more to lose.
"Good." A reassuring smile morphed on Karma's face. "I have something to give you."
Karma rose from her chair, which squeaked as it moved, and left the room, swiftly returning with a dainty box in hand. She pushed the box forward in front of Akali, and the only thing she could do was stare at it dumbfounded.
"Open it."
The command was in no way impatient; it sounded like a mother telling her child to open his birthday gift. A shimmering, golden armored vest glimmered underneath Akali's eyes. It felt pleasantly warm underneath her touch and glowed a soft green, the color of life.
"It's a piece of armor that you can wear underneath your battle gear. It's infused with life essence."
"Life essence? What does it do?"
"You'll see when the time is right, but if you're lucky, you won't need to use it. Oh wait!" Karma exclaimed before leaving the room once more. "I have one more thing for you before I leave the city tomorrow…"
Her voice trailed off until the house was silent, but Karma emerged with a smaller box in her hand. "If you ever feel run down, eat these biscuits I baked. They'll rejuvenate your spirit. They're also really delicious, if I do say so myself."
"I-I don't know how to thank you," Akali spoke, practically left speechless by the gifts she received.
"You can thank me by heading home and getting a good night's sleep. Eat a biscuit before you do."
Akali hurriedly downed another cup of tea before preparing to leave.
She sighed apprehensively as the soles of her shoes slapped against the concrete. By tomorrow, the city would be completely devoid of life. There was no telling when Syndra would attack, but at least the innocent bystanders would be safe.
Akali did eat a biscuit, just like she had been instructed to do so. As Akali climbed into her bed for the first time in days, she wondered whether or not she would live after everything passed.
Akali woke up in the dead of night with the back of her shirt completely saturated with sweat. A new vision decided to plague her mind this time, but it was far different from the ones she had seen before.
Perhaps it was her pessimism, or maybe it was her sour mood getting the best of her that night. Whatever it was, in the midst of her sleep, Akali was bombarded with visions of her own death.
No longer was Akali chained to the wall of her dingy cell; this time, a sweaty image of her was standing alone on a street littered with rubble. The structures behind her had all been torn from the base, razed beyond repair. A shuffle from behind her caught her attention, and as she turned around to face the noise, a burst of powerful dark magic drove deep into her heart. Akali could see a trail of blood trickle from the corners of her mouth, her deadened eyes staring up into the red sky. In the distance, a feral roar tore through the landscape, causing the pebbles beside her corpse jump into the air like crickets.
It was eerily vivid, as if what she had just seen was an actual premonition of her impending demise, but last time Akali checked, she had no clairvoyant abilities like Karma. Her nerves were probably getting the best of her.
This is what I get for sleeping more than three hours, Akali thought as she crawled out of bed and tiptoed her way to the kitchen. Grabbing a quart of milk from the refrigerator and a small cup, she fumbled through Karma's box for a biscuit. Even though the cookies didn't exactly energize her as much as she had been guaranteed, they were still pretty damn tasty.
A soft breeze blew faintly against Akali's skin, but that wasn't the reason why she shivered. None of the windows were open, so how in Ionia could there be a breeze? A light shuffle of footsteps nearly stopped her heart right that second, but before Akali could turn around, it grew so silent that the only thing she could hear was her rapid heartbeat in her ears. She rapidly surveyed the kitchen, hastily clutching a knife in her clammy palms, but there seemed to be no visible differences.
That is, until her eyes landed upon a folded note that had been placed on the dining room table.
Her eyes burned holes into the paper and made sure it never left their line of vision. Akali didn't even notice the way her feet barely touched the ground as she padded her way to the table. With trembling fingers, she opened the note, her jaw hanging as the contents of the note came into view.
She'll be here in two days.
-Z
Ionia was now completely barren since all the citizens had been evacuated earlier in the morning. Usually the loud beeping of cars stuck in rush hour would fill the air around this time, but today, there was only silence, a peace that gave Akali time to think to herself as she sat leisurely on a rooftop with Shen and Kennen to watch the sun set.
According to Zed's little note, she would be here tomorrow. An angry puff of air escaped her nostrils as she dangled her feet off the rooftop. Sitting on the ledge of a building while doing absolutely nothing scared Akali because it reminded her that the only thing she could do was powerlessly wait for destruction to come to her—at least the danger of accidentally leaning too far over the ledge and snapping her neck was reminiscent of her time at the Kinkou temple.
Her laughter disturbed the silence in the air and only grew louder as the two people beside her shot her puzzled looks.
"Remember the time one of the masters saw your stitches, Shen, and grew really worried because he thought a wild wolf had bit you? I nearly died when you had to tell him that you ran into a door because you had drunk too much alcohol the previous night." She couldn't suppress the snorts that escaped her as Shen's ears turned beet red.
Shen cracked a smile though his cheeks were flaming with embarrassment. "In my defense, I didn't know that there was alcohol in the iced tea I ordered."
Her abdomen hurt as she let out howls of laughter, and soon Kennen joined in.
"You kept ordering more because it was 'the best tea you'd ever tasted!'" Kennen barked out between guffaws.
Akali had to wipe the tears that flowed freely from her eyes, but one look at Shen's tomato cheeks sent her on another giggling spree. It wasn't long until the air stilled once more and Akali was left alone to her pessimistic thoughts.
Tomorrow, she would have to face her demons—more specifically, one that had white hair and could kill people with just one stare. Right about now, Akali could use a magical genie and wish for the hag to disappear from this earth. Oh, if only life were that simple.
Was Akali afraid of death? Not particularly, but she was deathly terrified of Syndra. That night in the cell when she was on the brink of death, the idea of being scared didn't cross her thoughts once, but now that her head wasn't suffering from major blood loss, the idea of tomorrow arriving was frankly petrifying.
Would Akali be able to defeat Syndra, especially when she had the powers of Baron to aid her? Come tomorrow, she would receive her answer, though re-picturing her mottled corpse did little to console her already sunken spirit.
Some warriors Akali had met in her lifetime believed that if they died in battle, it was because fate willed it. Akali had tried earnestly to convince them that carelessness and poor judgement lead to death, not some anthropomorphized idea in charge of curbing the population. But now, watching the light of the sun disappear into the darkness of the horizon and remembering that the tomorrow would surely come albeit painfully slowly, she could understand it, the idea of fate. It made her feel less lonesome, and more...confident, as if whatever happened tomorrow would not be her fault. Certainly, it seemed as if her feeble attempts to escape the guilt if Syndra did succeed was causing her newfound appreciation for "fate", but at least she felt safe knowing something imagined was looking out for her.
Maybe dad could be my guardian angel, she jested internally.
"I hear there's going to be a blood moon tomorrow," Shen voiced to no one in particular, breaking the brief silence between them.
Akali raised a questioning eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"It has been years since I last saw one," Kennen piped.
Now that Akali thought about the matter, it really had been years since the last one. She remembered how her father had spontaneously touched her shoulder and pointed to the sky, enlightening her to the existence of the blood moon. The bittersweet memory lingered in her mind.
"I still remember," she spoke.
Yes, she remembered and now realized that what was once an enthralling astronomical phenomenon was just but an ironically cruel reminder of her impending doom.
The red robe that clung to the surface of Akali's skin felt alien, considering the last time she had worn it was seven years ago, and the added layer that was Karma's vest made the fit all the more tight. The image of her breasts slapping her face in combat wasn't very appealing, hence the white sash she had bound around her chest and waist. Her headful of hair definitely proved to be disadvantageous and ridiculously long, if the two ties in her hair meant anything (though she was very tempted to follow in Mulan's footsteps and cut off her hair with her kamas). The antlered mask that had built in filters was the final touch to an overall very intimidating look. Score for functional yet fabulous battle attire.
Attempting to get some shut eye was a vicious cycle of Akali closing her eyes and leaping out of bed just a few minutes later, so she had opted to take the only other choice: try on her battle gear and fret over her reflection. As it turns out, she wasn't the only one having difficulties sleeping-the couches outside in the living room emitted squeaky noises every time Shen or Kennen shifted, which basically happened every thirty seconds.
She wanted to go downstairs and maybe squeeze in another precarious roof-sitting party before daybreak arrived, but she didn't want to answer the impending questions of why she was wearing her battle gear.
The mirror on her wall tilted to the side.
I really need to secure this better, Akali reminded herself as she readjusted her mirror to its previous position. The damned thing never stayed in place.
Her focus returned to her reflection. For a woman who hadn't worn her fighting gear in years, even Akali had to admit that she looked—
The mirror slanted again, though much more than it previously did.
Weird...
Her fingers tried to straighten the godforsaken piece of glass, but it only leaned to one side again.
Akali muttered to herself, "What a piece of sh-"
Her eyes passed over the glass of water sitting on her nightstand for a second before they zeroed in on the cup. There was really nothing extraordinary about the cup itself. Cylindrical, clear, filled with water, nothing unusual about it. No, it was the fact that the water inside was faintly rippling as if something was moving it that caught her attention. Within seconds, the water sloshed over the rim of the cup, creating a puddle on her nightstand.
The entire house seemed to know something that Akali didn't, for it too began to gradually tremor, until even the framed photos mounted on her wall crashed and shattered against the floor. She didn't need her instincts to tell her something was very wrong.
"Guys!" she whisper-screamed as soon as she entered the living room, but Shen and Kennen were already on their feet, changing into their battle uniforms with vigilant expressions.
Then it came. A deafening roar far too feral to be human. Covering her ears did nothing to stop the dizzying ringing.
The howl died out in the night air, but the danger that waited for them was far from concluded.
Funfact: before I actually sleep (which is around 2am), I usually picture this story as a movie so that I can figure out what I want to write next. Around this time, ideas flood my head, so I pick up my phone whilst in a sleep-deprived state and write different parts of a chapter in an email, which I send to myself (I have twenty different emails sent to myself LOL).
^ TL;DR I write at 2 am and I wrote the last few chapters on my phone.
I really hate tea. Unless it's with dim sum. In which case tea is acceptable.
I gave Akali a lot of time to think in this chapter because so much is happening to her in so little time, and with the added baggage of PTSD, she should become psychopathic reallll soon. Ik I mention PTSD a lot, but when you're a victim of PTSD, I think your life pretty much revolves around it (in a really bad way). Remember people: get help when it's needed.
I know this chapter is really fast paced, but this is in the perspective of Akali. In her own eyes, it seems as if everything is a blur, but that's only because she dreads the day Syndra will come and attack Ionia.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and have a sunshiny summer. C: