A cruel reality.

Aatrox was standing atop a pillar which was facing the horizon, he was confused, unsure of what was happening.
He should've been on a battlefield fighting, the reason for the fighting didn't exactly ring a bell to the Darkin.
Aatrox thought about it for a while and remembered.
A girl, he was fighting to save a girl.
How out of the ordinary for the fallen angel, how noble of him.

But what was he doing here? Aatrox looked around and at himself and discerned that he was clad in white and gold armor, similar to what he used to wear during the glory days. He also saw a house that he didn't recognize but he felt something familiar exuding out of the house, nostalgia.

He carefully entered the house and saw, well, exactly what he should've seen. A regular house meant for 2 adults to reside in. A kitchen where a meal was already prepared. A bedroom and well, a toilet.
"What is the meaning of this." He thought.

Outside, the garden was fully flourished, roses and daisies were to be noticed, next to them, was a wooden chair.
Aatrox decided to enter the garden, he then removed his armor and placed them next to him, this all seemed like an illusion, a cruel reality...
But what was there to even care about, this is perfect,- Aatrox thought.
"Finally." The Ascended thought, after years of carnage and horror, he yearns for this, no, he deserves this!
Peace.
After closing his eyes for what seemed seconds, Aatrox turned around and gazed at his sword, perhaps now, out of all the times before, would be the perfect one.
The opportunity to end it all, finally.
"I shall finally rest and watch the sunrise on a grateful world."
He closed his eyes and dug the sword deep inside his stomach.
"This endeavor will be my last joy."

The end.

Or so the darkin had hoped.

His consciousness returned and he discerned himself on the battlefield, as it should've been.

"A cruel illusion, yet again by this damned mind of mine."
Aatrox looked at the girl who was still staring at him, he scoffed and turned around to continue the rampage only to discern that there were barely any foes left.
On the day Aatrox came to help, was the day a foolish Noxian noble decided to take part in a skirmish. The noble was a young, arrogant and overall piece of a shit human being who found joy in torturing and murdering innocents.
The Noble stepped down from his horse and walked towards Aatrox rather quickly. The noble was half expecting the soldiers to stop him, but who was he kidding? The soldiers didn't even like him.
Was it the fact that he was scared that he walked that fast? Or stupidity, Aatrox couldn't tell.

"I-I am the son of the duke who governs one of the major cities in Noxus! H-How dare you to attack us?! T-To defends these dirty vermins?!"
The boy took another step, a foolish move.
Irelia finally got out of her frozen state and now looked at the boy who was approaching the stranger.
Irelia was ready to behead him,
"None may talk as such with a fellow Ionian, at least I think he is Ionian," She thought.
"Do you know who I a-!"
Before the foolish boy could finish the sentence, Irelia came forth only to be interrupted by Aatrox's left arm, which held her back.
She looked at him in a confused manner until Aatrox calmly placed his sword on the boy's right shoulder and spoke in a deep voice.
"Sovereignty means absolutely nothing in front of me."
Aatrox then proceeded to swiftly cut the head of the Noble.

Aatrox gazed at the beheaded body that was on the ground in a disgusted manner, "To have the audacity to point a blade towards my only pride. How asinine." Aatrox then turned around to check on Irelia, he looked at her rather awkwardly, everything appeared to be fine, she looked back at him and Aatrox could discern that she tried to say something, but before she could do so, the screams of the Noxians interrupted her.

The Noxian troops looked in horror as the noble's head fell on the ground. The remaining troops ran away in anguish but unfortunately for them, they died in vanquish as Aatrox leapt from afar and slaughtered them, without any speck remorse given.
To Irelia and her troops, this looked rather supernatural. The way he moved with the blade he wielded, the speed, the ferocity, the malice, and the brute strength surprised Irelia, but it also gave her a sense of safety. "To have someone of this skill on our side, it calms my heart," Irelia mumbled.
But she also had to look at the figure from a different point of view.
The wings he soared, the pulse on the sword; It couldn't be, right?"

The stories she had been told as a child struck her mind like a bullet.
The dreaded and profaned Darkins, accursed beings who rivaled the power of the gods, but they were a fairy-tale, right?
They must've been.
Because why would a Darkin, help someone like her, in a small village located in the south of Ionia? She pushed the thought away and approached Aatrox, who was staring at the horizon.
Before she could close in, a troop under her command interrupted her.
The man looked at her straight in the eyes and said. "I shan't stop you but as a shaman, let me tell you this." The man closed in on Irelia's ear. "He reeks of death and despair, I beg thee to take care."
"I know your worries." Irelia responded, "But I must at least thank him."
The shaman nodded and left.

Aatrox who was still gazing at the horizon, felt someone appear behind him.

"Um." Irelia hesitantly started.
The darkin looked to the side and saw a girl, who was rather small compared to him, but then again, many were.
He stood 2 Meters 72cm tall, she appeared to be 1.75m, so there was quite a size difference between the two.

"Yes?" Aatrox responded but the reply seemed to be hesitant, as well.
"On behalf of everyone here, we thank you for your noble actions a while ago."
"It was nothing, I did what I had to."
"Something you had to?"
Aatrox looked down at her and said, "Simply a fool's task, none of your concern."
"I-I see." Irelia looked down and seemed to be lost of words. Something then struck her, a name!

"May I please know your name? I am certain that the placidium back home would like to know your name!" Irelia said as she smiled.
Aatrox's eyes grew large, for he, had the name of a killer, a destroyer.

"Uh." Were the words the mighty Aatrox could muster in all his glory.
"Uhm, uh?" Asked Irelia, could it be that you're not from Ionia?
"Ah, no."

Aatrox had to think hard and fast. A name, how hard could it be to think of a name?! After some hard thinking, he remembered the name of a friend from a time long past.
"Azazel," The Darkin said. The name always engulfed Aatrox with bittersweet feelings, their past has always been convoluted, but Aatrox would rather let the past be buried, for all eternity.

"Azazel? That is a beautiful name," Irelia replied, "I know not of the origin of that name, where is it from?" She asked in a curious tone.
"The name originates from Shurima."
"Oh, Shurima!? What brings you to Ionia?"

Aatrox then turned away from her and gazed into the horizon once more, he sighed and said.
"Fate."

"I understand. Where does your journey take you from here?" Irelia decided to ask as she put her remaining blades back into her bag.

"I."
Aatrox looked around the village and thought for a while.
"Do not know."

Irelia decided to ask 'Azazel', whether he would want to come with her back to base, to give him food and shelter, as repayment of sorts.
"Would you like to come to the base with us? We have food and a place where you could rest."

Had this been Aatrox a couple of days ago, the deal would've been instantly declined, hell, no one here would've even been alive.

But the Aatrox now was lost and confused; he has no destination and no final goal.
"Wherever fate leads me," Aatrox mumbled.

"Lead on," Aatrox said as he picked his sword up from the ground and proceeded to follow the dark blue-haired girl.
He followed with, "Your name."
"Pardon?"
"What is your name?"
"My name is Irelia, pleased to make your acquaintance."

Aatrox nodded and looked straight ahead. The lives of these people, he saved them, this girl, he saved her.
He suddenly remembered a quote from a book he used to read so many years ago, *He who saves one life, saves the world entire*.
Aatrox at the time had no idea what the quote meant, but now, after all these years, he finally understood it.

If even one person shows humanity towards another, he demonstrates the continuing existence of humanity in society, something utterly void in the actions of the Darkin during the wars.
For society to continue, selflessness and kindness must exist: as long as one good person exists, good still exists in the world.

This optimism lasted only for a second, because Aatrox, suddenly heard someone laughing.
He looked around and saw nothing, the voice then laughed again.

"You think this redeems you?!" The unknown voice said. You think all those innocent people you've slaughtered forgive you? That the lives of 40 equal to thousands?"

"Get out of my head," Aatrox demanded.

"Remember your place, world ender. You are profaned and unloved. Murderer."

"I know my place, but I shall be a monster, no more.
Now, begone."

In the world beyond tarnished, ichor fills the crumbling skies. As souls withered to nothing. But I refuse to fade, Aatrox. I carved my kingdom in your mind beyond the ashes of nothing. No mortal, not even gods will stop me from claiming what is mine.

"What is it that you seek?!"

"That what you seek, Aatrox!"
The voice then paused for a second.

"The end." The voice then disappeared and Aatrox's mind was left alone.

Aatrox looked at the sky and proceeded to ponder and think about his wish, once more.

Chapter 4 coming soon!