Ezreal's second day at the institute was rather uneventful. He'd done a few games that were scheduled early in the day and spent the second half of the day playing cards with TF. Lux had plans all day so he hadn't had the chance to see her at all. He decided it'd be best to go to bed early that day so he wasn't tired for tomorrow's games.

It wasn't until after his matches were done on the third day that anything interesting happened. After finishing his last game he made his way into the nearby town to grab some lunch. The town, Ivywood, was located in relatively the same forested area as The Estate was. It was surprisingly quaint, given the circumstances. He admired the town's square as he stood in its center, noting the charming taverns and

Eager to get a good meal in, Ezreal hastily chose a comfortable-looking tavern/restaurant and headed inside.

Almost immediately after grabbing his food from the counter, he heard his name being called.

"Ezreal! Over here!" The voice called. Ezreal turned to see Lux with a shining smile on her face. She was sitting at a table accompanied by Akali, Riven, and... Ahri?

Confused, Ezreal and his lemon-roasted chicken made his way over to them, choosing not to question Ahri's presence. "Hey guys, what's going on?" Ezreal said, giving everyone a smile of greeting as he sat down across from Lux and next to Riven.

"Yo." welcomed Akali, giving a brief wave.

Ahri said nothing but gave him a wink and a flirty wave, which made Lux roll her eyes.

Riven gave a small smile. "Hi."

"Fancy seeing you here! Do any of you guys really know Ez?" Lux asked the group as she placed some berries in her mouth.

"We've met once or twice. You're a slippery pain in the ass on The Rift, by the way." Akali said with a grin before digging into a bowl of ramen. Ezreal chose not to question the fact that this tavern apparently sold Ramen.

"I'd like to get to know him a little better," Ahri said, head resting on her hand as she kept her gaze on him. Ezreal felt a shudder run up his spine.

"You and I have run into each other a few times. How have you been, Ezreal? Still adventuring?" Riven came across the friendliest of the three.

"I'm taking a bit of a break, actually. You'd be surprised how boring something gets when you do it non-stop for years." He explained, laughing to himself.

"Try being on the run for years." Riven sighed, her face distant. He quickly choked down his laughter, averting his gaze a bit.

"My bad, Riven." He murmured without looking up, feeling insensitive. No one else seemed to be reacting.

"Ez?" He heard Lux call his attention with amusement in her voice. He looked up at her, now confused. Lux was grinning at him. "She's totally messing with you."

Everyone remained quiet for a moment with Ezreal looking around at all of them. All of them, besides Ezreal, burst out laughing at once. Ezreal smiled to himself timidly, feeling gullible, while the girls enjoyed the moment.

"Sorry Ezreal, it was too easy." Riven tried to ease his embarrassment as the laughter died down.

"That was way too easy!" Akali snorted, shaking her head as she returned to her ramen.

"If it makes you feel any better Ez, they got me pretty often when I first started hanging out with them." Lux offered, smiling at him with some mild sympathy in her eyes.

"You say that like it's any different now!" Riven teased.

"I've gotten better!" Lux insisted, pouting at Riven. They all shared another laugh, everyone digging back into their food. Lux's lunch was made up of assorted berries & some yogurt, which didn't surprise Ezreal in the least. She'd always had a small stomach. Akali had her ramen, Riven was eating what appeared to be pork cutlets, but Ahri had nothing in front of her. She was simply gazing around the room, seemingly people watching. Ezreal figured he may as well try to talk to her.

"No lunch today, Ahri?" He asked her, using his teeth to tear off some meat from a chicken leg.

She turned to him with an odd look on her face and shook her head. "Don't you know?" She gently rested her head on her hand, looking right into Ezreal's eyes. "I sustain myself by absorbing the souls of men." She continued to hold the gaze before breaking it off with a wink. Ezreal's blood chilled at her words. Was she messing with him too? Maybe it was best if he didn't inquire further. Ahri looked away from him, humming quietly as she continued to observe those around them.

Akali's words brought him back to reality. "So Mr. Explorer, you've dropped the hobby. What're you doing with all that free time?" As she asked, she pushed the now empty bowl of ramen away from her and leaned back further into her chair.

Ezreal swallowed the last of his chicken before responding. "Well the plan is to train a lot more, maybe get a better social life." He chuckled to himself. "I guess we'll have to see."

"Well then, I hope I get the chance to spar with you and kick your ass a bit." Akali smirked at him confidently.

He returned the smirk with perhaps even more smugness. "I hope I get to prove you wrong, there. I'm a lot better up close off The Rift, you know."

The Institute had many, many rules. One of which was a restriction on Champions to regulate their abilities. This was to make the more godly figures amongst the roster could have a fair fight against the more ordinary side. Without a rule like that, there's no way Ezreal could hold his own against someone like Nasus or Mordekaiser. Because of this, many champions were capable of much more than what you see on The Rift. For example, though Ezreal is usually limited to ranged abilities while on The Rift, off of it, he was capable of some above average hand-to-hand.

"I guess we'll have to see." Akali stood up from her chair. "I'm looking forward to it." She told Ezreal with a nod before turning to the others. "I'm off. See you guys back home." She threw up a wave as she started to move away from them. Everyone called their goodbyes after her.

"Do you guys have any more matches today?" Ezreal inquired as he finished off his sandwich with a swift bite.

"I have my last one in like, 20 minutes." Lux replied. "You too right, Riven?" The exile nodded.

"I'm all done for the day." Added Ahri.

"Would any of you wanna show me around today? I wanna see what Ivywood has to offer."

"I'd love to." Lux accepted with a smile.

"I'll tag along." Riven offered.

"I would, but I've got a date tonight." Ahri said. "But make sure to check out the arcade."

"Better believe I'm checking out the arcade. You guys wanna meet up after your game?"

"Sure! Meet us by the town's park entrance?"

"Sounds good to me." He agreed as he stood up. "In the meantime, I'm gonna go check out the Library. I'll see you guys later!" He waved his goodbye to everyone, threw his trash away, and left the tavern, heading for the center of town.


As it turned out, the library in town was better than he expected. It was nothing when compared to the library at The Institute, but it served a different purpose. The Institutes' library had an endless supply on items Ezreal could search for, as well interesting histories and legends. Ivywood's smaller library on the other hand provided a number of more niche books.

As Ezreal strolled down each isle to view the selection, he saw several books full of legends local to the area, as well as a lot literature that was a bit "below standard" for The Institute. Satisfied in knowing all of his bases would be covered in terms of reading material, he gave the library an approving nod. He decided he'd pick something up on local legends to bring back to his room for later.

As he made his way to the area holding them, he noticed a familiar hooded figure.

"Drak! What's up man?" Ezreal's greeting was maybe a bit too enthusiastic, as he was immediately shushed by a nearby summoner. "Sorry."

Drak turned to him, looking a bit startled. "Oh, Ezreal. Hello." He greeted back with a meager wave. "Forgive me, I wasn't expecting to see you." He offered a friendly smile.

"Don't sweat it man. What brings you here?"

"The library? I'm, uh- researching." Drak seemed a tad fidgety in his response.

Ezreal noted it mentally but chose not to press. "Guess I should've figured, haha. What're you looking into?"

"Oh, nothing special. Just some spells." He avoided Ezreal's gaze as he spoke.

I know this guy's awkward, but what's his deal right now?

"What spells does this place have info on that The Institute doesn't?" Ezreal asked skeptically.

Drak chuckled awkwardly. "I mean, there's some local stuff I wanted to check out. Unique versions of other spells and stuff."

"Oh. Alright, well I hope you find some good stuff. See ya, Drak." Ezreal offered a wave and started to move past the summoner.

"Uh, yeah. See you, Ezreal." Drak replied before stalking off to the other side of the Library. Ezreal watched him walk away, puzzled.

Well that was weird.

He just shrugged and made his way over to the books he was seeking out in the first place. He found a couple different books compiling legends from the area, some legendary creatures or heroes as well as some records of supposed artifacts located in the region. After grabbing the books, he headed up to the counter.

"Ah! Interested in the region's history, are we?" The Librarian asked the explorer as he checked out the books. An old man with circular frame glasses, he wore a tweed jacket and a polite smile. Ezreal was reminded of a kind professor he'd worked with in the past.

"Oh yeah, I can't help but sink my teeth into info like this when I'm staying somewhere." Ezreal replied with a smile. "Anything particular I should read up on?"

"As a matter of fact, have you heard of the Tofra-Diamant?" His face shone with enthusiasm.

"Sounds familiar, what's the Tofra-Diamant?"

"It's a a gem of sorts, quite powerful." He leaned on the counter as he spoke, talking more closely to Ezreal. "It's never been found, but it's widely reported to be somewhat close to town. A ton of youngsters have stayed in town while they look for it, even before The Institute gave us all the extra attention."

"What makes it so powerful?" Ezreal's interest were as piqued as possible, he was big fan of powerful gems.

"Well supposedly, if the Tofra-Diamant is in the hands of a mage, it takes their magic's capabilities to the next level."

"How next level are we talking?"

"Hard to say, given the uncertainty around it. But if what's said about it is true, very next level."

"Huh. Do any of these books mention it?" He gestured to the three books he'd grabbed.

The old man rested his hand on top of Ivywood's legends, past, and secrets. "This one right here talks about it in some good detail."

"Thanks a lot sir, I'll read up on it tonight." Ezreal offered the man his hand, wearing a bright smile on his face.

"Oh it was no trouble son, hope it suits your intrigue." The man returned the smile and shook his hand. Ezreal said goodbye to him, piled the books into his bad, and made his way to the library's exit. As he approached the doors though, he saw Drak once again. This time, however, he was talking to someone. Someone Ezreal was sure he recognized.

Like Drak, the other person was hooded. His face was well covered but what caught Ezreal's eye were the comically-large chains hanging from the man's sleeves. The only way those chains would make sense is if they belonged to another champion. One by the name of Sylas, whom Ezreal had never seen outside of the rift.

Despite his curiosity, he chose to ignore the odd scene and keep on walking. As he took his final steps out of the building, he shot a last look at the two of them and caught a brief glimpse of frigid blue eyes beneath the hood. Jerking his head back, Ezreal pushed past the door and back into the town square.


Wanting to take it easy after their games, Ez, Lux, and Riven decided to take a stroll through the park and take in the surrounding nature. Despite being distracted by his recent encounter, he was initially captivated by the sights and pushed his worries to the back of his mind. The path they followed led them alongside a crystalline lake with gleaming freshwater fish gliding through the transparent water below, most of its perimeter guarded by vibrantly emerald trees. The gorgeous scene was made even more enchanting by the various creatures who inhabited the park, both those scurrying along the ground and scrambling through the tree tops.

As entranced as the explorer was with the nature around him, it was becoming more and more difficult to contain himself. Inevitably, he eventually cracked and brought up the odd spotting of Sylas in the library. He'd hoped they would've known something about Sylas's presence, and that he was just being paranoid. But to his surprise, his breaking the silence was quickly met with worried bewilderment.

"Sylas? Are you serious?" Lux asked Ez with sprinkles of concern in her eyes.

"Do you know anyone else who uses shackles to accessorize? It was definitely him." Ez quipped, falsely hoping he could ease her worry with humor.

"I haven't heard anything about him coming to The Estate, isn't that kind of odd?" Riven pointed out. "Everyone knew that you were moving in, Ez. Why wouldn't we hear about him?"

"Are we even sure he's moving in? He could've just been- I dunno, visiting?" Lux added.

Ezreal knew why Lux was particularly hopeful for that to be the truth, given her history with Sylas. Some time ago, when Sylas had been held prisoner in a Demacian cell for murder, he'd befriended Lux. She visited him from time to time, accumulating more and more sympathy for the man. She'd considered him a friend, but that was before he stole her power to forge his own escape, killing many in the process.

Ez remembered the day she'd told him everything. Her unfeeling expression accompanied by silent tears. He tightened his fist.

"Regardless of why he's here, I don't trust it." Ezreal spoke firmly, the image of a broken Lux driving his certainty.

"Me neither." Riven shook her head, crossing her arms. "Since he joined the league I keep hearing he's changed, but I don't buy that for a second."

"What about the summoner he was talking to?" Lux pointed out. "You said you recognized him, right Ez? What do you know about him?"

"I know he's a fairly new summoner, and that his name is Drak. That's about it." Ezreal admitted. "He seemed cool when I met him, but he was acting pretty sketchy in the library today."

"Was he trying to meet Sylas in secret, maybe?" Riven suggested. "Why would a champion need to meet with a summoner in secret, though?"

"Also, why would either of them use Ivywood's library instead of the one in The Estate?" Lux pointed out. "The only reasons to come here instead would be if you're looking for something niche."

"It's definitely fishy. I don't think there's much we can do now, though." Ezreal eyed the sky and noticed it was nearing sundown. "Let's finish this walk and enjoy ourselves for now, but try asking around about Sylas later. Someone's gotta know something."

Lux gave a small nod. "Okay. Let's keep an eye on it."


A deep sigh escaped Ezreal's lips as he entered the Marksman's Quarters. It'd been a long day for the explorer, and his legs ached faintly. His mind was occupied with warm thoughts of his bed for just a moment before someone's voice snatched his focus.

"Ezreal, hey." The voice belonged to Kai'sa, who was now standing in front of him timidly.

Ez blinked, puzzled for a moment. "Hey Kai'sa, what's goin' on?"

She opened her mouth to respond, then hesitated. She cleared her throat after a moment and spoke again, avoiding his eyes. "I was actually wondering if you wanted to catch up. We haven't really talked since what happened in Shurima."

Once again, Ezreal was bewildered. From the awkward exchange they'd shared on his first day, he hadn't expected this offer. "Sure, that sounds like fun." He finally responded after realizing he'd been quiet in thought. "But I'm not feeling up to it tonight, would you wanna go somewhere in Ivywood tomorrow?"

For a brief moment, she stiffened. Ezreal guessed she was expecting a different response for some reason. After a pause, she flashed him a rare smile. "Okay, yeah. Let's do that tomorrow." She agreed. "I'll let you get some sleep though. Goodnight, Ez!" She gave a small wave as she retreated back to her room.

He returned the wave as she disappeared and called back. "Goodnight!"

Still a bit baffled by his second surprise interaction of the day, he shook his head clear and went back to his own room. He flipped his lights on as he stepped through the threshold and swiftly shrugged out of his jacket, flinging it onto his nearby desk chair.

Falling back onto his bed, he was met with the now familiar sight of his plain white ceiling. He stayed like that: thinking about Sylas and Drak, Lux, and Kai'sa for quite some time.