"Healer... Healer wake up!" There's a bit of a muffled sound. Someone is shaking me desperately. My head feels extremely heavy. My body feels like it's fixing itself from it's broken form. There's a small tug in my chest, practically screaming directions at me. I need to get up. To move. Everything just hurts as I slowly force myself to become conscious.
The first thing I do when my head is a little less fuzzy is feel around. The ground I'm on... it feels like it's alive. If I press a hand against a certain spot, I can feel a pulse. Somewhere... We're inside something alive.
"Healer!" The voice, a female voice, is crying. She sounds panicked as she shakes my body even harder. I groan slightly, letting her know that I'm alive. The voice... it's Mieke.
"I'm awake... please stop shaking me..." I beg. She immediately stops, making it much easier for me. I clamor onto my hands and knees.
"Healer, you have to help us. Where are we? Where's Kaisa? KAISA!" Mieke screams into the air. From the sound of it... we're in tunnels. Her voice echoes. Each second that passes, I can hear another echo of her cry.
The ground pulses, angered. I feel overwhelmed as it feels like the tunnels hear her. They are angered. Infuriated, in fact. The anger then turns to interest. The noise was what made them angry... then curious. Who would dare enter their home and speak up? Are they strong enough to fight them... or are they just a stupid meal?
"Mieke, stop." I tackle her against a wall. My hand covers her mouth.
She screeches into my palm. For a moment, I'm worried that she's going to shove me off. Thankfully, she seems to calm down quickly, stilling underneath me. Once I'm sure that she won't scream anymore, I take my hand away.
"What is happening? Where are we?" She trembles fearfully.
"I don't know..." I whisper as I finally use my sight.
I almost wish I didn't. We're inside of what I would imagine to be a ant's nest. Dozens and dozens of tunnels are connected to each other, weaved together. They are held up by purple strings that pull holes apart. The entire structure is purple. And yet, there seems to be a steady light that races through the entire thing. It's like... a purple heartbeat. It gives life to those inside it... while also seeking to destroy it.
Leilah... You need to get out of here. Mom murmurs. She sounds absolutely terrified for me... not for me, for us.
Where are we? I ask. Wherever we are, it's enough to scare Mom.
I've never actually been here, though Daamien states that Rhaast has. He's always described it like a purple spider's web, where everything inside just wants to consume. To eat. When it finishes a meal, it keeps going. I have never personally faced it as I disagreed with the other Aspects that enslaved Aurelion Sol, but this... This is the Void. This is where the Watchers are. Mom trembles in my mind.
It takes a moment, but I realize that I have heard the term Watchers before. Dad called Void creatures the Watchers. And if where we are where the Watchers are... We need to leave. Now.
"Mieke, come on!" I hiss quietly as I grab her hand. I start to go down a tunnel randomly when there's an odd noise. Mieke freezes, holding me in place.
I turn around to watch the ground behind us bubble. It looks like a swelling pimple on skin, only purple. As it grows, there's something inside it... It gets bigger and bigger until it pops open. Fluids spray everywhere as the creature from inside drops to the ground. It shivers as the liquid melts away. Four legs are tipped with a tough shell like covered spike. It's three eyes squirm as it awakens. A row of sharp teeth are bared as it that that, it's like four limbs attached to another spike.
A scream permeates the air, startling us. I look away from the creature that was just born to see someone from the village running away. For a few seconds, he seems to be going fast enough to leave. Then, in the middle of a step, he collapses. As he falls on his face, I see why. A similar creature clings onto his back. It's face is soaked in blood as it screams. Seconds later, an entire swarm of them materializes. They cover the fallen man. In seconds, they leave it. Not even a drop of blood is left.
Mieke whimpers, reminding me that there's a little one right next to us. I swallow my fear as best as I can when I notice that it's looking right at us. It clicks it's teeth together as it stares at us. For a second, there's nothing... Then it lets out a piercing shriek.
My left grabs Mieke's wrist, pulling her with me. With my right, I shove my magic at it. It lets out a squeal as it flies into the depths of the void tunnel we were just in... Unfortunately, it's cry is already being taken by others. More screeches fill the air...
My legs pump furiously as I race down a tunnel, following the tug in my chest. We need to get out... Now. The void is a place that only the most skilled can be in. And I finally understand why. The void, they are hunters. They thirst and hunger for flesh. What Malzahar did... it threw us into the center of the Void, feeding us to the Watchers. We're just meals to it.
Another pimple appears as we run. This one is far bigger, with a red, spikey creature inside. It's fluids pop right over us. The creature inside looks a bit like a crab with a long neck and a mouth. It's razor sharp teeth click together as it slowly climbs on two legs. One pair of arms ends in pincers beneath it's head. The other set of arms have claws at the end of them. It's already our size... and it's blue pupil less eyes open.
In my panic at seeing the creature, my magic activates. My hands and legs turn black, cracked, enlarged, and glow a deep red with Darkin powers while my chest and torso burst into brilliant light. The creature's eyes close as it turns away.
"The light... IT BURNS!" It screams. It's voice is deep and crackled, with a darkness to it. Still, the fact that my glow is enough to blind it... It encourages me to make my magic glow brighter.
DON'T! Mom yells in my mind, causing my magic to sputter and disappear.
I'm back to my normal form as we keep running. The creature keeps roaring, complaining that it can't see. I take the opportunity to run.
Why? I ask silently as I yank Mieke into another tunnel. The tug in my chest directing us. This time, we stop running. We remain still as we wait for something else to come to us.
The light attracts everything here. You're just telling everything that there's a free meal here! Mom scolds me lightly.
I cover Mieke's mouth as a thundering of feet run past us. It's the same dark red creature... only this time is attacks one of the pimples. Inside is the small four legged killer from before. It squeals as it is swallowed whole by the larger red thing. I pale a bit as the large red thing grows a little bit.
For a second, it stops moving. At the same time, there's purple pulsing through the entire place. It all seems to connect to this creature. It listens before letting out a raucous laugh. Mieke and I cover our ears to protect our ears.
"I shall bring them TERROR! Who will be eaten first?" It seems to ask. The ground pulses before another Void spawn is created in front of it. The creature tackles it, swallowing another squealing thing whole.
I can not bear to be around the monster anymore. Mieke's hand holds tightly onto mine as we back away from the feasting creature.
Mom... What do I do? I try not to cry as I lead Mieke through tunnel after tunnel. The tug in my chest is what's leading me... but I feel completely lost... I don't know where he is.
You need to find Starshadow and Daamien. He can get us out. Mom insists. I reach into my core and beg for some sense of direction to find him. My prayers seem to be answered as a thin white light points me down a path. I dispel it immediately, going off of my instincts to find him. The light is not welcome here... so we'll have to go through the darkness. To move blindly... it's a good thing I'm used to it.
We travel through the land for hours. Each time we're about to take a break, another creature spawns. Each creature that spawns squeals a warning to the rest of the horde, forcing us to keep moving. I feel like I did when I was hunted by a vulkodalk... Where I'm meant to be worn down and weakened. Only this time, I don't tire as easily. I don't need to sleep or eat or drink or anything... My magic has certainly grown.
It's clear that my magic is the only thing keeping us alive after a couple of days. The longer we continue, the slower Mieke becomes. It's only because of her desire to see her daughter that she keeps walking... yet even her will is not enough. There isn't any food or water inside the void. Well, the only food in sight are the voidlings that spawn in front of us. Even if my own stomach is starting to growl from lack of food, I am not desperate enough to eat one. Mieke, on the other hand, is far weaker. My strength is taken from me as I'm forced to keep up our survival. I have to ask Mieke to take the lead as I lose my ability to see. From what I hear... she stops trying to hold me down. She groans and makes noises in disgust as she eats something... at least it helps me keep a little more magic to myself, to make sure we can outrun any hoard.
I'm not sure how long we are in here... only that I am starting to fade, even with Mieke consuming the void to survive. If it was just me, I could move farther and faster... but I am taking on Mieke's weaknesses. I heal her of her thirst, exhaustion, and hunger. As a result, I am losing too much magic to keep up our fast pace. My movement slow down to meet hers. At some point, she grabs my hand.
"Healer... Healer, you have to go without me." Mieke grabs a hold of my wrist.
"What? But-" I try to protest when there's another noise... one that I don't recognize. It sounds like it's... floating. Hovering... But the noise sounds like something I would hear in my mind.
"Go, Healer. Find my daughter." She shoves me away. I fall onto the ground. With us no longer connected, my magic allows me to see once again. Mieke shoved me into a crevice as she walks out. I watch in horror as a massive creature, one made of tentacles and eyeballs, floats into view.
Mieke, instead of running, just opens her arms up. She seems pale and scared, but she keeps her gaze firm on the new creature that appears. I scramble onto my hands just in time for the creature to pull it's tentacles into to point. There's a whining sound, then purple lights. It's harsh as it gets even louder. The purple lights come together and point at Mieke.
The woman herself disappears in the light. There's a sharp scream before silence. I would cry out in shock if Mom didn't magically hold my mouth together.
"...Odd creature of flesh and blood. Perhaps I will examine more." It rumbles loudly in my mind. I almost scream from the noise. It's so loud... Like an ancient voice in my head. It echoes inside my mind. It's enough to cause me to buckle.
At least it doesn't remain. It floats away when it hears a coarse wail. Another human fallen to the void... My head snaps up. It doesn't sound like a girl. It sounds like another man. Mieke survived as long as she did because I was supporting her... but another person here... What is Malzahar doing?
Still, I can't concentrate on that. I have to think about escaping. To find Starshadow and Kaisa. To get out. And maybe, just maybe, I can warn the world... Or maybe... Maybe I forget what happened... I want stories, yes, but I don't think I can handle this kind of thing... Not so soon after being a part of war.
The time after that passes in a blur... I'm not sure how long I am on my own. Only that I keep going. Each day is filled with danger. This place... it's feed or be fed. At least I get constant practice of using magic to see... I can't afford to let my magic drop for a second. At least my headache when I use it is getting easier. I can keep going. My magic, both Aspect and Darkin, light up whenever there's a small void creature. They squeal and run away, leaving me to keep going. Each day I'm in here... I find myself getting more used to my magic. My sight stays longer and I have less of a headache, yet my strength is fading. My vegetarian preference makes me feel extremely uncomfortable to grab a hatched voidling from nearby and replenish my strength. So, I go without food. I follow the tug on my core for as long as I can.
Mom? I groan weakly in my own head.
Keep walking. You're almost there. Mom encourages me. My legs give out on me as I fall on my face. At least I can still see, thanks to Mom's help. It doesn't feel like magic is being used at all.
I... Can't... I gasp.
Leilah! Starshadow's voice calls in the distance. My entire body, feeling tired and drained, gets one last burst of energy. With all my strength, I race the last distance between us.
It feels like hours when it should have only been minutes. And yet, I finally find them. I find Starshadow and Kaisa. Both of them appear to be at a doorway... one that looks more like rocks than the webbing of the Void.
"Are you sure she will be able to find us?" Kaisa frets a little bit. I hear her voice through Starshadow's ears.
We're bonded. We'll always find each other. Starshadow sounds far more sure that I feel... And yet, he's not wrong.
Starshadow! I call out to him. His head twists around, finding me in an instant.
Leilah! He cries out joyously as he races over to me. He's... His body is my height. He uses all of it to wrap himself around me, giving me a protective hug.
Hi, Starshadow... I sigh in relief. He finally shrinks down in size, letting me carry him. I saw the choice you had to make. I'm surprised you picked Kaisa.
Yeah, well, she was closer. Besides... you had Mom to take over if things got too rough. I remembered Kaisa. I liked her... and I didn't want her to die... Starshadow squirms in discomfort.
I'm proud of you, Starshadow. For protecting a friend and trusting me to take care of myself.
Yeah, well... At least Kaisa doesn't complain. Starshadow teases. And yet, I know that this... this is something I influenced him to be. He cares about the people of this world now... and I'm proud of him for it.
What happened to you? I haven't heard you for days. I ask as I limp towards Kaisa.
No idea. I woke up a few days ago. Kaisa here was heading deeper into void territory. Dad got us pointed in the right direction. He told me to head for the exit because the inside of the void is almost constantly moving. Thank the Darkin Rhaast for telling Dad so many stories of the void, or we'd be lost in here forever. But that's not the worst of it. My scales... they got covered in this gooey substance where this stupid little voidling appeared. I ate it... blech. Though, Kaisa killed a few and ate them to stay alive. Surprisingly nutritious... I also need something delicious in my stomach, and this place does NOTHING for my scales. Starshadow continues to list off grievances as I carry us back to the entrance of the tunnel.
The daughter of Mieke and Kassadin stands at the entrance, looking filthy and exhausted, but alive. She seems to have a smile on her face as she offers me a hand.
"Leilah!" Her face changes from relieved to panicked as something lands on my back.
I yelp as I'm tackled to the ground. For a second, there's nothing. Then there's sheer, agonizing pain as teeth and claws dig into my back. I can feel it clamp on the back of my neck. Starshadow, in the surprise attack, is thrown off my back. He cries out in alarm.
The bite gets worse before it releases me. My vision turns dark as all my magic is redirected into healing me. Starshadow growls lowly as he wraps himself around me.
I can only hear the angered yells from Kaisa and the strangled death cries of the void creature that attacked me. Eventually, the yells change. No more voidling, but there's a desperate cry for help from Kaisa. It invigorates me just a little bit to look through Starshadow's gaze.
The voidling that Kaisa attacked is gone... but so is her clothes. Now, she's covered in a purple, skin tight suit. One with appendages on her shoulders. She seems to be frantically clawing at her skin, desperate to get it off... yet it won't budge. Not even her knife can pierce it.
"Get it off me!" She screams in a panic.
Wait. Dad interrupts the moment right before Starshadow sinks his teeth into the creature.
Like Isles I am!
It's not eating her. Dad tells him calmly. That stops Starshadow in his tracks. Good thing too, as his fangs were just about to pierce her.
Then what is it doing? Starshadow demands.
"Get it off me!" Kaisa keeps trying to pull off her suit.
I don't know, but I need you to touch her. I can't get a sense as to what is happening otherwise. Dad murmurs.
Starshadow's tail warily touches the voidling skin. The second he touches her, Dad hisses.
It's... molding itself to her... Shit, it's a malady. Dad reports. My face pales. A malady... One that can not be reversed without severe pain.
"What do you mean, it's a malady?" She squeaks in fear. Her skin responds in kind, flailing open and closed.
It's not magical... but the voidling is merging their cells together. Kaisa is a part of her as much as she is a part of it. Separating the two now, it would be extremely painful. Dad informs everyone.
Kaisa stops struggling. Her eyes are full of tears and fear as she looks at us. Starshadow's head is bent while I force my body to get up.
"...I'm not... What will my Father think? I can't... I can't go back to him looking like this. Like a monster that almost killed him. That killed Mother..." Kaisa begins to cry.
I'm certain that he'll still love you. Starshadow attempts to reassure her.
"...No... No, I can't..." Kaisa keeps crying.
"Kaisa-" I try to assure her when Starshadow becomes large. My legs buckle onto me as my eyes momentarily rolls into my head. My vision disappears. Starshadow took too much magic from me, knocking me unconscious. He did that on purpose...
Starshadow's hood widens as he hisses at a small creature. Kaisa whimpers as she crouches near my bonded. The celestial's tail is wrapped tightly around my exhausted body. He's going to protect us.
This little one waddles on two legs as it appears. Three toed feet stumble into the light. Little stubby paws in front flail back and forth as it almost seems to dance it's way into view. It's body is tiny compared to it's mouth. It's like a caterpillar with only a mouth, actually. It's beady little eyes lock onto us. More specifically, me. Out of the corner of Starshadow's eye, I'm glowing softly. Like my magic is keeping my body alive and warm.
It opens it's mouth, revealing rows and rows of teeth around an open mouth. It tilts it's head up... and shoots out a glob of green. Starshadow nudges Kaisa out of the splash zone. The vomit... melts the rock it lands on. There's a chill that runs down his back. Especially when a little bit of spit lands on his scales. He hisses in pain as the vomit burns through his scales... His scales that are reinforced with celestial and Darkin magic. The void's attack... it's as strong, if not stronger than our power.
Kaisa yelps and covers her head. To everyone's surprise, her new skin clicks a few times. Then a few purple missiles erupt from the new appendages on her shoulders. They shriek as they surge forward. When they land against the little creature, it lets out a garbled cry. When the explosions fade, it's hide seems a little cracked. It whimpers in pain before hobbling away. It whines as it creeps back to the shadows.
Starshadow keeps looking between Kaisa and where the little creature went before he keeps his eyes on the girl.
"...That was a surprise..." He trails off. Kaisa stares at the weird things on her back before looking at Starshadow. This time, she's not so scared.
"...I think I know what I have to do." She whispers.
"Uh, no. No, no, no. No, no. No. You're just a kid!" Starshadow protests, hisses slightly. His coils remain close around me, basically wrapping me in a safe bundle. In fact, Starshadow holds me above the Void ground. My head lolls softly against Starshadow's coils.
I actually look very pale and skinny. The magic that I used must have been too much... And yet, I can see myself slowly filling out again. It seems like all I really need is rest... though I would definitely prefer to have something else to help me recover.
"Starshadow... it was my fault. I let out a goat to play and the whole thing fell apart. Let me make up for my mistake..." Kaisa pleads.
"I told you that the goat wasn't what caused the accident! That was the stupid prophet doing something bad." My bonded reminds her.
"Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't... but this skin is a part of me now. I can't go back home... but I can do something about the creatures here. Protect Runeterra from suffering the same fate my village suffered." Kaisa seems to get more determined as she speaks.
"You do realize you're only eleven, right? This is not for you to decide on!"
"Who will decide for me then? We've been gone for three weeks. By then, Father will have come home and thought us lost. No... No. Kaisa died out there... I'll find a way to live here. And protect Shurima. Protect Runeterra. It's... it's the least I can do when I unleashed the void." Kaisa seems rather stubborn.
"Again, you didn't even do-"
Starshadow, you need to hurry. The path to the surface will change soon. Dad warns Starshadow. Like he said, the exit we have is pulsing. It's twisting and slowly sealing. Starshadow groans before he makes his decision.
"Fine. But, first... Dad, write that Rune that you taught Leilah." Starshadow demands, letting his body be taken over. Dad takes Kaisa by the hand and pulls her forward. As his hand descends, the skin seems to be scared. It squeals, letting Kaisa's human skin out. Her neck is clear of the creature's unfluence.
"Will you accept this mark? It will summon Leilah when the void gets too much for you to handle. To activate it, you just touch it. It has to be meaningful, so brushing your hair back won't trigger it." Dad explains.
She nods frantically. Starshadow's tail glows a bit as Dad hovers his tail over her palm She winces in surprise as the runes bury itself into her neck. When it's done, her hair covers the mark. The void skin stays away from it, letting Kaisa have easy access to it if she needs to.
"This will allow you to summon us when you need it." Dad promises before Starshadow returns to the surface.
"...Thank you, Starshadow." Kaisa whispers as Starshadow slithers us out of the hole.
He turns around to see the hole closed away. No longer is Kaisa there. Instead, it's just an open hole... Not even the void is there, only existing for a moment.
"I'm not sure I did the right thing..." He sighs into the air before pulling shadows up our bodies.
When the shadows open up, Starshadow is too small to keep me wrapped up. In his desperation, he's accidentally teleported us into the center of Demacia, inside the throne room. Where all the petricite concentrates itself.
My body rolls on top of him as he turns to stone, yet not even his scales digging into my back is enough to wake me from my exhaustion. I'm still too magically exhausted... Thank the stars that these walls are already filled with Petricite. If they weren't... there's a chance it would have absorbed my soul...
"HELP!" Starshadow screeches into the air. Immediately, dim lights appear, as well as an army. Guards flood into the room, with a man coming forward. He carries a lance in his hand as he points it directly at us. My body, still covered in blood, looks like a corpse. It gets worse the longer we're here. Starshadow's form is practically made of stone as he nudges my shoulder.
"Who are you?" The lance man asks. His accent seems... familiar...
"I'm Starshadow, this is Leilah. Please, you need to take her where there isn't Petricite. It'll kill her!" Starshadow begs, his body clinking together as he rolls together.
"...Lady Starshadow?" The man puts his lance down slightly.
"Sorta. Noxus knows our secret, so no point in keeping the title... Just get her out of here!" Starshadow demands. The man puts down his lance and creeps forward. The last thing I remember is thinking about how an Ionian is in Demacia...
So, yeah. Leilah took a little trip into the void. It was a lovely trip... Maybe Leilah will take Yone there... NAH! But still, Leilah's magic is incredibly powerful. Enough that she could survive quite a long time in the void without sustenance... like a certain snake does. Leilah's becoming a true child of an Aspect and a Darkin. I'm proud of her growth... and eventually, she's gonna end up like Starshadow. Not needing to eat in order to survive, but can enjoy the taste. She's gonna be op... but she still has the gentle soul and kindness he's always had. That's just who she is, and no amount of power will change that... but that doesn't mean that she's going to be the same... Stay tuned, because Kin is coming up fast, and I'd hate for anyone to miss it! Feel free to leave in the reviews how many void champions you spotted, and if you would like to vaca there. XD.
Champ of the chapter is Viego... The Ruined King... ugh... Fine, you know what? I'll say something nice. He's a selfish prick, but he knew how to follow his heart... even dead, so I reach out to you to do the same. May you all follow your dreams and passions in a far healthier way than Viego did, and I hope you guys recognize just how extraordinary you are, as you make my day just by being around.