An unfamiliar ceiling. This one was of dark oak.
The scene slowly faded in as Veigar squinted his eyes, bedded on a mattress stuffed with hay, with a fluffy blanket over him, and a pillow under his head. It felt like cotton, but it had been so long since he slept in such a quality of sheeting that he wasn't sure.
It was terribly uncomfortable.
He moved to get up, but his recent waking aches had felt quite different this time around. It was as if his body had worked overtime in his sleep to get itself back in order. The soreness was an almost refreshing kind of pain, though it was pain nonetheless. This instant observation was shortly accompanied by a second one that helped to answer his confusion; he was almost entirely covered in bandages.
Veigar propped himself up with his left arm, searching the room around him for his leather glove, which he had gotten quite comfortable relying on. Fortunately, it was quickly spotted resting on a small bedside table alongside a singular rose inside a vase. It was black. Meanwhile, his glove was spotlessly orange, several tones lighter than the last time he had seen it.
Before he could fully enjoy the soreness of his recovering health, a door opened. It was a human male, clad in plain white garbs. Humans. Humans were all he had been seeing lately.
"You're awake, aren't you?"
They looked a bit distanced, as if unsure how to properly approach him.
"Can you… understand me?"
Veigar sent his glove flying straight into the man's neck, choking him with menial force.
"Where am I? What have you done to me!?"
Veigar liked to wake up alone. He liked to take his time to adjust to his surroundings, no matter where he was. But somebody else had touched him; bandaged him; covered his wounds and scars as if to insult his history. He was rumbling at such a vile idea.
The doctor's hands moved quickly to pull the glove from his throat with no success, opting to instead scream and bang on the walls for help. Within seconds, a familiar sword-wielding girl had rushed in, draped in more casual, but well spent clothes than he had seen her in last time. She looked almost as if she had prepared for such a situation.
"Wait! Let him go! He's a doctor!"
Veigar, not interested in her words, instead looked at her features, recalling his last conscious moments. There was a sharp pain in his head, as his glove lost all life and fell from the doctor's neck.
"The tower… The girl…"
He picked up his memories and pieced the situation together, which in turn only caused his mind to become more shrouded.
"Y- you! You brought me here! Why?"
The girl moved to prop up the doctor who was still recovering from his shock, and then began to explain herself.
"Your body was riddled with bone fractures, internal bleeding, and infections. Your injuries would have killed you if I didn't get you to a proper healing mage.
"Then let me! I didn't ask for a mortal's charity!"
"I'm-- sorry... But after seeing you like that, how could I leave you be? Besides, I took you to one of the bigger towns in the area, and they offered to treat you for free after I explained what you did."
"What… what I did?"
"You took down the Wizard Caltherus, did you not? This town, too, was under his reign. And… you saved my sister! She's here too, being treated. Isn't that great?"
Veigar didn't want to hear about it. He didn't want to hear about that girl. He was terrified of even the thought. His voice moved to silence the red headed swordswoman before she could say another word about him.
"-Is she okay?"
Or so he thought, but something entirely different in tone escaped from him.
"She's recovering still, but alive and well. And I have you to thank for that."
Veigar was frustrated.
"No! I didn't- I didn't save anybody!"
Frustrated and afraid.
"I am not a good person! I don't save people! I can't-"
"You... didn't know about them, did you?"
Them?
Veigar paused his frantic ramble, confused.
"The hostages, I mean. And when you found her after urgently looking, you screamed. At the horror of the situation. I heard it."
No. Veigar couldn't accept this. She was putting him; taking him down to her level; he could tell that much. Her soft tone; her glowing words. She uttered them without a speck of knowledge about his true nature. His sickness.
"What would you know about-"
"I did too. I screamed when I saw her. I don't know what kind of creature you are, but I can say with certainty that you're not a bad one. Because you sought to save my sister."
She had a soft, warm smile on her face. The sun beaming through the windows was naught but a spotlight for her freckled grin, radiating with genuine gratitude. It was unbearable to look at, through Veigar's twisted sight.
Don't look at me. Don't look at me with those innocent eyes, letting your guard down like I'm some sort of savior…Stop!STOP IT!
He couldn't take it any longer.
"STOP IT!"
Veigar screamed and flailed about once again, and a mage was quickly brought in to sedate him.
Dark oak again.
That's right, he was being treated in a hospital. He hated it, but reckless actions would get him nowhere. Veigar simply needed to get himself alone as soon as possible, away from these people who thought him good, and he would no longer have to worry. He couldn't find his glove this time. No rose either. Instead, there were two other people in the room. One, seemingly a young priestess mage, sat at the corner with a small wand in her hand. She realized he had begun to move, and was on her guard. No reckless actions. Got it.
Then, he noticed the one beside him. It was her. It was the girl. Before anything else, he grabbed his chest and clutched it, trying to keep himself under control. If he made any sudden movements, he might have been sent straight back to sleep. But there was little time for him to gather himself. At his anxious movements, she began to wake.
Red hair.
Fair, pale skin.
Freckles.
And a calm face.
She dawned a gown of thin, white cloth. A standard medical patient's garbs. Yet to him, it reminded him more of a sundress. Suddenly Veigar's tight, clenched muscles softened, and his eyes were fixated on this girl, slowly rising from her daze.
She looks so… sane.
He had that one simple thought, clear as day.
The yordle stretched out his stiff, scrawny arm. Something about this girl was ethereal. He wanted to reach out and touch her, if for no other reason than to verify that he was still grounded in reality. Her soft, relaxed face, without a trace of fear or unease; he was fixated on it. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that this was the same face that had cowered in fear at him, lost and out of touch.
If I could just touch her… if I could just prove to myself that she's real, then maybe…
"Maybe there's hope for me too."
Veigar the Terrible muttered these words under his breath. And he quickly regretted them, not understanding what he had meant by it. Only that they were pointless, dangerous thoughts. The only thing that his hands were made for was to inflict pain. That's right. All he needed was pain. His body began to itch. It was a burning itch; a desire to rip and tear open his own flesh, and feel his blood flow free from his body. Veigar needed to feel pain. He needed to regain himself. He snapped his arm back, looking to dig his claws into his other arm.
But, he couldn't pull it back. Not with the minimal strength he could manage. What had stopped him?
Sure enough, illuminated by the dim morning sun, he saw his own feral hand, rough and calaced, lightly pressed against her face; resting in her thin, delicate, human palms.
She was cold to the touch. Cold, yet comforting. And she had taken his hand into hers.
"You wanted to touch my cheek, right?"
Clearly the young girl still hadn't quite fully awoken, but her beady eyes gazed right into Veigar's. They had life inside of them. In fact, they were overflowing with it.
"Thank the gods."
He had said another strange thing.
"Do you feel better now?"
The girl had asked him, slow and cheery.
Did he feel better? Veigar couldn't quite comprehend the question he had been given. What did she mean? Feel better? What would that be like? To feel better.
Better. Better. Better better better betterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetterbetter.
Better.
He ran the word through his head, looking for a meaningful way to answer her question. He wanted to impress her; to show her something that would make her smile. So he made something up on the spot.
"Yes, I'm feeling much better."
"Good!"
He topped it with a smile. It didn't mean anything to him, but it felt good to see the human girl in front of him a little bit more gleeful. That's right, he wanted to make her smile. That was okay, right? Surely, it was some sick impulse brought about by something inside the yordle that he just didn't understand yet. So it was okay for now, if he made her smile just a little bit.
"I'm going to go tell Olivia that you're awake, okay?"
He snapped back from his trance, blinking at the mention of a foreign name. He must have had a clueless look on his face, as the girl quickly followed up.
"She's my big sis. But you know her already, right?"
The girl with the sword. Veigar understood, but he only nodded, not knowing how to properly respond with words. He didn't understand how to speak to this girl. He could understand her words, and yet when he tried to reply, it was a foreign tongue.
"Oh, and I'm Lauren! I don't think I told you that yet."
Ah, that's her name.
"L--"
I want to say it.
"Lu-"
Lauren.
"La-"
Lauren!
"L- Lauren."
"That's right!"
Veigar scoffed. He kept falling under some sort of trance with this girl, so desperate to talk to her. And yet here she was, treating him like an animal learning new tricks. He hoped he was coming off as bothered.
"Uhm, don't pout, okay?"
A bit of timidness slipped into her cheerful tone, catching the yordle off guard again.
"Uhm, you're Veigar, right? Veigar, "the Terrible"? Olivia told me about you, but you don't seem so terrible. Who gave you a name like that?"
And then he remembered again. That's right. He was terrible. But what was this feeling he was plagued with? This clouding in his mind, like he was remembering something important? A soft, fluffy memory, that brought a calm and ease to his otherwise void of negative thoughts.
Veigar realized that at first, he was happy about this girl's sanity. Happy that despite seeming like she had broken when he first saw her, she hadn't been lost for good. He relished in that fact, that she was worlds apart from him. The two would never, ever be able to think alike. But then, his relief turned to regret.
Why couldn't we think alike? Why is it that when I look at her; when I feel her smooth skin right in front of me, I feel so far away?
Veigar laughed. He laughed out of grief, and pure sadness. His voice croaked, as tears welled up in his eyes.
Why am I so terrible?
"Ah! Um, I'm sorry! I'll stay here a bit longer, so please don't feel so sad!"
Lauren was surprised. She didn't quite remember what had happened on that day, but her sister affirmed to her that this mysterious creature was in fact, the one who came for her. Olivia told her that he was strong. Strong, but fragile, like a glass cannon, so she had to be careful when she talked to him. She was beginning to understand why. The recovering girl could feel her wounds ache as she watched him laugh, teary eyed; as she held his hand. She couldn't quite put it into words, but she felt some connection to Veigar, after meeting him. She knew without a doubt that the two of them shared some kind of bond.
Suddenly, her stitched up wounds began to pulse to the beat of her heart, and she felt a bit chilly. Watching Veigar, she figured he must have felt the same. So she hugged him, hoping it would warm the both of them up. And as his tears became contagious and spread to her, she began to laugh a bit, too. What a funny character he was, she thought.
"Let's get along, okay?"
Veigar nodded.
White. Pure, polished white. The room surrounding Veigar and the two redheaded girls beside him was comprised of almost entirely polished stone, giving it a lavish, estranging aura. He felt like an outsider… No, he very much was one. But nonetheless, there was nothing but praise given to him on his way to the city hall. Praise by passersby, free food by stall vendors, flowers from children; all in the name of the hero who had saved them from the wizard Caltherus.
He kept his head down, nervous and weary of all of these people. All happy, all praising him.
They don't know. They don't understand. If only they could understand. If only they could hate me, things would be so much easier.
...Or so he told himself, but he was afraid of being hated, as well. All of this weight was tossed back and forth in the yordle's mind, making him dizzy and nervous as he headed to the mayor's office, who had wished to see him personally upon his recovery. His hands were clammy and his legs were stiff, like an infant seeing the outside world for the first time. To keep him moving, Lauren had to hold his hand. He hoped she didn't mind his sweaty palm.
The mayor, from the glances Veigar was able to sneak at him, was a very precise looking man. Clean cut beard, wearing a dyed suit which had been tailored to fit, with conditioned hair. He was slim, stylish, and professional in every sense.
"So you are Veigar! I see, I see!"
What do you see? What is there to see?
"Y-yes. That is I."
"It is no wonder, such a mysterious creature was the one to free us from the clutches of that bastard wizard. Tell me if you do not mind; to what do I owe for you to have undertaken such a deed? A person? A request? A job? I'm greatly curious."
The tone in his voice; Veigar recognized it. He recognized this kind of voice. It was music to his ears. It was unearnest, and greedy. The man stood to gain something from all of this praise. Veigar was able to take a deep breath, and regain his composure.
"He did it because-"
"I did it because I'm rotten! More rotten than that pathetic excuse for a magic user could ever hope to be--"
He couldn't help but remember Lauren's scars, if only for a moment.
"Haven't you heard? That I am called Veigar the Terrible. You didn't think that title was just for show, did you?"
While Olivia did not say anything, her younger sister had been a bit surprised. She wondered if her soft, cuddly friend was doing some sort of bit. Maybe to ease the tension?
"Ah, uhm, yes. I had heard about that title."
"So then? What do you seek by calling for my audience? Surely I have not been called here only for praise?"
The mayor began to ease up on his gratuitous act a bit after realizing Veigar may not have been a total fool.
"Well, you see… This is a joyous occasion, of course, and I am grateful for your actions. But that said, I am less interested in today's victories, and am far more invested in this town's freedom moving forward."
"Don't be coy with me, mortal. State your point."
"Then, I want you to become a protector, of sorts, for this town and those surrounding. I will give you an official military title, and you will be paid lavishly, of course."
So they did possess a military after all, Veigar thought. He figured they must have been independent, if nobody had been dispatched to deal with their oppressor for all this time. And yet…
"An independent town possessing its own military?"
"Ah! Well, it's really more of an assembled guard. We are a fairly large trade city, you see, so we have many, including your friend there, Olivia, that we lend out to the neighboring villages. It is actually speculated that Caltherus built his tower nearby because of-"
"So you plan to mobilize your current guard as a military, and annex the cities around you, so that you may nationalize."
There was a single gasp.
"M- mayor, is this true?"
The mayor leaned into his desk, clasping his hands together. He couldn't suppress the ever so slight grin that curled up his cheek, as he focused in on the small creature before him.
"I apologize that I took you for a fool."
His tone was suddenly stern, and honest.
"Yes, it is so. It has been my dream, ever since I first took the reins of this town, to turn it into a booming trade-based nation. But up until now, we had been stuck in a deep pothole. However, you, Veigar, have pulled us free, and now more than ever, in this fresh, booming world that has new nations rising to power left and right, I hold the perfect opportunity in my hands to firmly grasp my dream. And I have decided to put you at the center of my plans."
"But my village would never agree to that! You can't expect to forcefully mobilize us against them, could you?"
"No, he plans to take advantage of their desperation to bribe them."
"Correct. I already outsource the guard to the surrounding villages, so why not offer them an even greater level of protection? At this time, they'll all be desperate to protect the freedom they've only just gained, after all."
"Surely you do not think I am capable of defending your developing nation if another decides to declare war? I am but one mage, no matter how powerful."
"My, but you and I both know that you are not just a mage, Veigar. For you possess a key piece that any developing nation needs to thrive in today's politics."
Veigar went silent.
He knew.
He knew about the rune.
"How did you-"
"Word spreads fast, when you own a merchant's city. That village was one that frequently exchanged goods here, after all."
What was this, blackmail? Was he being blackmailed? Veigar looked to his left, tense and frustrated, at Lauren. She was confused, and clueless. Taking notice of his sudden nervousness, she smiled as if to reassure him that everything would be okay. As if to let him know that she was right there with him. It only piled on more unease.
Veigar didn't want her to find out. He couldn't let her find out. But she was just a lowly human, so why did he care so much? Why did he want so badly to see her smile?
The mayor glanced back at Olivia, who had been looking at him with contempt. She was conflicted about his plans, but more so about his conversation with Veigar. He was good-hearted. She was sure of it. But the man was clearly making him out to be some sort of villain. The air became tense all around.
"Ah, my apologies. Do not mistake this for blackmail. A true and proper merchant would never stoop so low. I respect you, Veigar. I simply want to lay all my cards on the table, so that we can better understand one another. I get the notion that you and I can see eye to eye quite clearly, for one reason or another."
The yordle mage grit his teeth. It wasn't a bad offer, as much as he hated to admit it. It would be a smart investment to support this man. Somebody who could secure his well being in a wealthy thriving nation. And if he stayed here, he could continue to see Lauren. But despite all of that, it just didn't sit right with him. Not when it was somebody else's plans.
"I'll think about it."
"I implore you to. This town, as well as my own dream both heavily depend on your decision. Feel free to do what you wish here until your decision is made. I will waive any and all fees you may accumulate until then."
"Do not try to bribe me. I will return to my tower for the time being."
"Are you sure you can't stay with us longer?"
The one asking was the small girl beside him. She had taken a soft hold of Veigar's hand, ready to take his solitude personally.
"I… can stay. Until my decision is made."
"I await your return, Veigar the Terrible."
"Do not raise your hopes too high."
"My, but it's already too late for that. It is my dream, after all."
His dream.
Veigar wondered what the mayor had meant when he said that. What did it mean to have a dream? What was the difference between dreams, and simple ambitions? Did he have dreams of his own? He wondered, as he looked to the night sky above. It was clear enough to see the constellations, and beyond.
"Do you like the stars?"
Lauren, who was now leisurely swaying her legs back and forth, wanted to ponder with Veigar.
"I… don't."
That's right. He could look as far and deep into the cosmos as his eyes would wander, and yet he saw nothing but a bunch of tiny white dots set against black. It was a pointless endeavor to try and enjoy something like that, he figured.
His vision began to lose its focus, as he quickly became estranged from the environment around him. It wasn't real. It wasn't important. Or if it was, he could no longer feel that way about it. It was becoming easier and easier to lose himself, if he wasn't distracted.
"Oh. It just seemed like you had this look on your face, like you were desperately looking for something. Something that you can no longer see."
Veigar turned his head towards the small girl beside him.
What did she just say?
"I feel like that too, sometimes. Ever since that day."
"You… feel it too?"
He could see her clearly, suddenly. She was clear as day, apart from the hazy surroundings.
"Mhmm."
She nodded, reclusing back into a fetal position.
"It's strange. I don't remember anything that happened while I was taken hostage, and yet, I feel like I've changed. Sometimes, I'll put my hand to my chest, and it feels like I've lost something important."
Veigar's eyes widened at the girl's words.
She's like me.
"I… understand that!"
He blurted out, without thinking.
"But when I look at you, I can always see you clearly, even when everything else is blurry."
She brought out one arm, slowly; gracefully; to hold Veigar's cheek with.
"Can you see me like that, too?"
She was glowing amidst the night. Veigar wanted to shout at the top of his lungs that he could; that he could see her clearly too. That she was the only thing he could see at all. But he only nodded, holding his breath as his chest began to tighten.
"Veigar, I don't know about all of that complicated stuff with you and the mayor, but I want you to stay here. With me. But that's too selfish, right?"
He shook his head frantically. He wanted to stay too, by her side. By this person, who he could see clearly. His head began to muddle, with thoughts of life with this human girl. He was nervous, and his heart began to beat faster.
Is this okay? Is it okay for me to stay here?
He could see her clearly, and suddenly had an urge to reach out and touch her.
"Then, stay with me forever. And I'll-- uhm, take you into our family! Olivia already really likes you, so she won't mind! But-- but… not more than me, okay? The mayor will hire you, and then we'll move to the city, where we can live together, and sleep in the same bed together, and play together too! And-- and you and Olivia will work together, so you'll both come home at the same time every night to greet me! And we'll all be happy, with the three of us! Because there's no more bad wizard, and now you're here too, so the world will stop getting blurry, and-- and--"
Veigar nodded over and over again, enticed by every word that Lauren desperately chanted. He could see it in the reflection of her pupils; their life together. He reached his hand out nervously, shaking and shivering, as if to grasp that future.
"Veigar, wake up!"
The helpless yordle started his mornings in Lauren's arms, like a stuffed animal she'd cuddle at night to keep her safe. He hated it. It made him feel like some kind of pet. But, she would be scared to sleep without him, so it couldn't be helped, right?
"I need to make breakfast for you and Olivia, but I can't do that if you hold on to me so tight like that!"
She giggled a bit. Her playful nagging was his favorite thing to hear, first thing in the morning.
"I was not!"
"Come on, you don't want to be late for your work, right?"
"Right right, I'm getting up."
He left his bed, piloting his half-asleep body to his closet. He donned his cotton garbs and garnished cloak, which served as his regular working attire as the chief of his nation's military. The mage was still getting used to the idea of piloting an entire army under him, seeing as he had only ever done things by himself, but he knew that he would eventually get used to the job. Besides, as long as he flaunted his rune-embedded staff around town pridefully, nobody would be so foolish as to attempt an attack or declare war. They were thriving, after all, and had few rivals, seeing as many of the surrounding nations wanted their goods sold at what was now one of the biggest trade exporters in Runeterra.
After a fulfilling breakfast made by his best friend, Veigar trotted off to work with Olivia, who was feeling as sleepy as ever.
"Where do you get that happy go lucky attitude from? Aren't you supposed to be a military commander?"
"Shut it, lieutenant. Nobody asked for your opinion on my attitude. And I am not 'happy go lucky'!"
"Must be Lauren's breakfast again, huh? She sure loves to pamper you."
"That's not true!"
"Well, make sure to do a good job for her today as well."
"You speak as if that girl is all I live for! Where do you get off mouthing to your superior like that?!"
Olivia giggled at Veigar as she teased him. She couldn't help it, since he was such a small, easy target. Yeah, she was a little jealous of how much of her adorable little sister's attention he was stealing away, but in reality, she respected him a lot. He must have known that too, she figured.
"So when's the wedding?"
"She's a human, you know! That's disgusting!"
Olivia let out a chuckle, making her enjoyment clearly visible to the little furball that walked with her. The two of them bickered like this all the way to the army's barracks, which they lived quite close to. Though most of their ranks lived in-house, they chose not to subject Lauren to such an environment. Neither of the two wanted her anywhere near a weapon.
Upon entry, the staff all stood up straight, and greeted their superiors with two arms crossed over their chest, followed by a salute. It was a common gesture made to show respect.
"Good morning, Commander! Lieutenant!"
"At ease."
The lieutenant waved her hand, as everybody returned to what they had been doing previously.
"Look at all these respectable people, saluting a goofball in a coat of fur."
Veigar stayed silent, as he ignored the wide grin on Olivia's face. They both returned to the meeting room, where lots of boring paperwork and meetings were taken care of, followed by rounds around the barracks to check on posts and training. Veigar hated his job. He had few opportunities to do battle, nor use his magic even. Though, he didn't miss that much, either.
What he missed much more, was Olivia's cooking, which he hadn't been able to enjoy for almost a full 10 hours, before returning home to have it again. The three of them talked about nothing in particular, with Olivia teasing Veigar as usual, and Lauren coming to his aid.
After dinner, Veigar returned to his study, where he read for a while. Back in bed, he talked with his companion some more.
"You know, you've begun to smile a lot more since I first met you."
"Nonsense. A warlock doesn't smile."
She couldn't help but let out a giggle at the serious comment, said with such vigor and confidence.
"What the heck? That's stupid."
Veigar blushed a bit, feeling embarrassed at how little he was being taken seriously.
"No, really. Come on, let's go look in the mirror together. You went and spent all that money on it, after all.
"I need to look my best at all times, is all! It was a necessary purchase!"
"Yeah yeah, I get it. I use it too, so don't feel bad, okay?"
Veigar was silent again. Instead of continuing his clearly futile protest, he gave up and let Lauren usher him to the mirror, where she kneeled down and presented to him his own face.
"Can you see it? How different you look."
"I…"
Veigar stared real hard. His face; his scarred body; his stale, limp cheeks; what was different about them? But then, he saw his eyes. He saw them, open and shining, like big yellow beads. He could see his own reflection in them, they were so shiny. It made him smile, though he didn't quite know why.
"Are you finished?"
An unfamiliar voice.
"Who's there!?"
Veigar turned around, but the girl who had been resting her hands on his shoulders had ceased her presence.
"L-Lauren?"
"So you're still at it then, I see."
There it was again. Where was it coming from? Veigar thought to himself.
"Where's Lauren!?"
The voice ignored him.
"Have you at least figured it out yet?"
The mirror. The voice was coming from the mirror. Upon turning back to look, he could see the same colorful eyes from before, but they belonged to a smaller, black furred yordle child. They belonged to his younger self.
"F-figured out what?"
"The difference between a dream and an ambition."
"I… haven't really thought about it much since then."
"So you're still reaching for it, then? Your ambition."
All of a sudden, Veigar was nervous. Something was wrong. Something felt wrong.
"My… ambition?"
"That's right. You've already found your dream. So now you need to find your ambition."
"But, what's the difference?"
He was shaking now. But, his surroundings weren't getting blurry. No, they were clear as glass. Too clear. Veigar looked around, suddenly finding himself in the middle of town square. Everybody in the vicinity stopped to feed him praise.
"Hero!"
Many even gave him a salute.
"Commander!"
Suddenly, Lauren was in front of him again.
"Veigar, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay, because you're here for me."
"N- no! Stop it!"
He was being bombarded.
"Praise the Hero!"
"Mr. Hero, I picked you some flowers."
"But Veigar, you're my savior, aren't you?"
"No! NO NO NO!"
Too sharp. Too real. Too normal. Don't look at me like that. Don't praise me like that…!
Veigar fell to his knees, trying to block out the overstimulation. He didn't understand why, but he was about to lose his mind. This was everything he had asked for, so why? Why could he suddenly not stand it?
"I'm not your hero! I'm not your commander!"
He turned back to the younger version of himself, desperate for an escape. But he had no words. He could only plead with a hopeless face.
"You really still don't know?"
Veigar shook his head.
"Then reach out. Reach out and grab your ambition. You remember it, don't you?"
"My… ambition?"
"Yes, your ambition. Our ambition. Don't make me repeat myself."
Veigar looked back at Lauren. He looked back at her, and everything else went dark. The shouting and chanting distorted, becoming naught but voices in his head. Younger Veigar wasn't there anymore either. It was only the two of them; him and the girl he couldn't save. He began to reach his hands out once again.
His breaths became quick and exasperated. He was losing air.
Do it. Reach out.
The voices told him, over and over again.
Reach out and grab it. Take it. Grab your ambition.
"My ambition."
Your ambition.
"I need to grab it."
Take it.
"I need to take it."
And as his hands reached her; as they reached Lauren, who smiled at him innocently; she wasn't Lauren anymore. If only for a sudden, split second, she became somebody else. Somebody short, with soft, fluffy purple fur, and a big round face. A girl who wore a thin sundress and a big hat. And she smiled, mouthing a single word to him.
"Goodbye."
Veigar opened his eyes. He was completely calm back under the night sky, and the voices in his head had all left him, along with his tension. As he slowly removed his hands from Lauren's neck, his arms stiff from how tightly he had squeezed, her body slumped towards him. Illuminated by the dim light of the moon, her face was still. So still, the fresh tears which still trailed down her face didn't seem like they belonged. So Veigar wiped them away, leaving only her smooth, pale skin.
He wanted to pick her up and lay her body down properly, but he was so little compared to her, so instead he moved her downward right where the two had been sitting, slipping his hand over her face to close her eyes.
He took a deep breath, then got up and began to walk away from her. With her, he left behind all of the goodness, and all of the praise she had given him.
"Where are you going now?"
A figure, standing off in the distance; one who had seen the entire scene unfold; moved in towards the yordle murderer.
"I am heading back to the city, to go burn it down."
"Why?"
"You ask too many questions."
"Then ask me something, too."
"Are you going to try and stop me?"
"No, of course not. I'm simply here to watch. That's all they sent me to do, after all."
The Black Rose. The organization owned by the one who had betrayed him. Veigar had known from the start that this man had been sent to monitor him. Ever since he had awoken in the hospital. He wasn't pleased about it, but he knew Rose wouldn't dare lift a finger against him, either, so he let it be.
"I'm leaving to go and chase my ambition. I just remembered what it was, so feel free to come watch."
"Your ambition?"
"I once promised somebody that I'd become the greatest mage ever to grace Runeterra."
"Who… did you make that promise to? A friend?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Veigar grinned at the mysterious man, who was clad in a long wool coat and feathered hat, which hid him from plain sight.
"I made that promise to myself."