Flynt was standing in the woods that bordered the capital of Prentice. It was cold enough for snow to crunch beneath his feet as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. He was standing in front of someone with a look of desperate disbelief on her face. Her hands were covering her mouth, and she seemed frozen in time, like she was taking an eternal step away from him. Her hair was just as red and as long as he remembered, and she stood slightly shorter than he did, though the difference was made dramatic by her reaction to him. Molly.

The scene before him began to pick up it's sense of time as Molly began to complete her retreat. Time soon began flowing like normal again as Molly began to speak.

"No…" she uttered. "Impossible. The Thrall is dead."

A dream?

His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed his dream-self approach Molly from behind him.

"I'm telling the truth, but that doesn't change who I am." Flynt summoned a small dark flame to prove his point.

Molly backed away further. "Are you kidding me!? Do you even know what you've done to this kingdom? To the people? To me!?"

Flynt approached her again with open arms. "Yes, I know the stories, but that's not how things went down. I can explain everything, I promise."

Molly pushed him away. "You can't explain anything! How long were you planning to keep up this charade, waiting in the dark for the right moment to destroy the kingdom once and for all!?"

"I didn't-"

"You destroyed the lives of innocent people! You killed people who did nothing to you! You betrayed your masters and went on a murderous rampage! You-" Her ferocity faltered. "You're a monster." She turned quickly to make her way back to the capital.

Flynt grabbed her arm. "Molly wait!"

She screamed and punched at his arm. "Let go of me!"

Despite what Molly wanted to communicate through her punches and yelling, what Flynt saw in her eyes wasn't anger, it was fear. She was afraid of him now. He made a mistake.

"Please!" She pleaded.

Flynt obliged and watched her sprint back to the capital.

Flynt hadn't dreamed in six years. Waking up was a list of tests to make sure he returned from his dreaming state. Staring at the slowly rotating ceiling fan for a long time was one of them. After all this time of him being unable to dream properly at night he suddenly had a dream after his near-death experience. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he had more pressing issues on hand.

Where am I?

The room he was in was slightly dark, there were curtains covering the windows, but he could tell that the wall next to him was painted a soft blue color. Flynt took his eyes off the ceiling and looked to the far wall. The large comfortable looking chair that was in the corner of the room caught his attention first mostly because it contained a sleeping woman sprawled across the arms. Flynt guessed that she was his host, the woman who dragged him off the beach the previous day. To the right of the chair was a stone fireplace built into the wall, perfect for setting a certain mood, or simply for traditional heating. The ashes on the polished hardwood floors told him that the fireplace was either recently used, or due for a cleaning.

Flynt was alive, that's what was important. He didn't know where he was, but he was alive, and he planned to stay that way. Maybe he was on a remote island, or another land far away from his own, somewhere where his story hadn't yet reached, but there was a possibility that his host knew exactly who he was and was simply keeping him here until the proper authorities showed up. This possibility was his motivation for leaving. It would be better to stay cautious than to just assume things that he'd regret later. Upon sitting up, he noticed unsurprisingly that his arm no longer screamed in pain whenever he moved it. Even if she was a random person waiting to turn him in, he owed her a thank you for letting him heal for the night. Even though Flynt had dreamed for the first time in six years, his body hadn't lost its ability to heal and repair itself rapidly during his sleep. He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, making sure he didn't wake up his host. In his haste to leave, he didn't notice that he was leaving his sword behind until he was out the room and in the main hall. He turned around to find it when he found himself face-to-face with his host.

"Good morning." she said in a soft, smooth tone.

She was captivating, and apparently she was more than Flynt first thought. She had beautiful features he'd expect to see on royalty. Two black, pointed canine ears stuck out from under her long hair of the same color. Three whisker marks were present on each cheek, and her smile displayed nearly human teeth with slightly elongated canines. Her eyes were by far her best feature. They glowed a warm gold directly contrasting with the darkness he'd experienced the previous day. The warmth in her eyes gave him a comfort unlike any he'd experienced before. He could stare for hours.

Something's wrong.

Flynt forced himself to look away, choosing the floor as a welcome target for his attention. The silence that resulted was more than awkward as Flynt continued to stare at the floor to escape her captivating eyes.

"Look at me." The words flowed through his ear and tickled his brain. It was more of a command than a request, a command that really seemed like common sense when he thought about it. After all, it was only good manners to look at someone while speaking to them.

On his way back up to her eyes, Flynt caught sight of what he previously thought to be a blanket of sorts, but was a group of white tails originating from behind his host. He was now staring at the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen wearing t-shirt and shorts. Her eyes seized him once again, but this time he felt their full power. He grew tired and stumbled backwards until his back hit the front door behind him. His legs failed him, and he sunk to the floor. He couldn't think; his mind was butted by a thick layer of fog, and the only thing he could see clearly was her. His host smirked and began walking towards him. She kneeled down and placed a hand on his head, stroking his white hair.

She spoke, in the same semi-commanding tone used previously. "You're a very interesting man, aren't you?" Her smile seemed almost predatory, showing those sharp canines that were now associated with her power rather than her beauty; it sent involuntary shivers down Flynt's spine. "I'm curious, since it's not everyday I get a meal delivered to my doorstep, who are you, and where did you come from?"

"Flynt." He said in a daze. "My name is Flynt." He took a moment to sort out his thoughts as he navigated his way through the fog. "I… I should be dead. I don't know where I am. I was fighting in Prentice… and then I died to kill someone. Now I'm here with you."

"Who were you fighting?"

"Everyone."

"What?"

"They all hated me. They found out and grouped. I fought them all. I think I lost. Prentice won."

His host raised an eyebrow "I've never heard of a Prentice. What city-state do you come from?"

"I don't know what that is. I come from Prentice. It's a kingdom."

She raised the other eyebrow, and smiled a little. "So you're not from here then. You've never heard of Piltover? Ionia?"

Flynt just shook his head.

"Huh. Interesting."

Flynt saw his vision come back into focus, and was able to break the stare between them. At the same time, his head began to ache and the world began to spin. He groaned before allowing his head to rest in his palms. "What did you do to me?"

The woman stood up from where she was sitting. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Stand up."

Flynt glanced up and took in the sight before him. His host was still beautiful, but for some reason it seemed less impactful, as if whatever she did to him altered his perception of her. He didn't trust her, he needed to leave now before she had a chance to do whatever it was she did again, but he needed answers to his burning questions, and he had a feeling that she had them, so he followed her into the room in front of them. "Who are you? What just happened?" He glanced around. "And where am I?"

She sat on the shorter of the two couches that occupied the space while Flynt took the longer one. "I suppose it doesn't matter that you know who I am, seeing as you don't come from here. My name is Ahri, and you are in a land called Runeterra."

"I don't understand. That's impossible. What's today? How long was I asleep?"

"It's December First, a Saturday, and you were asleep for the rest of yesterday and up until now, so maybe nineteen hours?"

I was in that void for an entire month?

Flynt stood from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Ahri asked.

"Away. Thank you for taking me in for the night, but I need to leave."

"Oh that's a good idea." As she stood up too, her eyes seemed to shine brightly for a brief second, and Flynt lost himself again. "You have no idea where you're going, where you are, or if there's anything or anyone for miles. How about you stay here for the day. I promise I'll make it worth your while." The corner of her mouth drew in a sly smile as she suddenly approached him, bringing her lips right next to his ear. "Or you could come with me." Her hand brushed lightly against Flynt's cheek, the aggressive smile returning to her face.

Flynt saw her eyes flash pink for a brief second, and that feeling returned, only with much more intensity. His heartbeat increased while his breath was cut short. He nearly fell to his knees as the back of his mind that told him that he was in danger. Just as he was about to collapse, the feeling vanished completely. He found his breath, his heart began pumping at a steady beat, and he closed his eyes. He could feel his chest growing warm. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that his pendant was glowing a soft black tone, and was the source of the warmth against his chest. Ahri seemed not to notice.

He took a second to find words. "No, I'll wait here."

He returned his gaze to her and noticed a look of confusion and disappointment on her face. "Fine. Your loss." She chuckled as she walked past him and out the front door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, he sighed and threw himself onto the couch.

I should go. I need to leave. This woman is dangerous.

He flipped himself over and held his pendant up to examine it. The glow had disappeared, and it looked the same as it had since he'd received it. The smooth, polished stone shined in his hand. It was one of the last remaining things from his childhood. The polished black stone was carved in the shape of an S with a line splitting it horizontally. It was a gift from his father, and his only remaining form of identity as a Shade. He'd worn the pendant for as long as he could remember, and the only other time he could recall his pendant heating up like that was apparently one month ago, when he broke free from the binds of Garrison. His father had probably saved his life twice with whatever magical properties that were embedded in the stone.

Thank you.

He glanced at the door, and resolved to take his chances. Maybe Ahri was right, he had no idea where he was or who was outside this cabin, but he felt confident in his ability to handle whatever it was as long as he had-

My sword!

He reached for his hip, but the familiar handle was absent from its place. It had to be here somewhere in this cabin. Maybe it was close to where he landed. Flynt sprinted out of the door, making his way to his landing zone.

Flynt trudged back to Ahri's house defeated. He spent so long searching for his sword that he didn't notice that the sun was beginning to set. As soon as he opened the door he was met with the aroma of cooking, and the sound of pitch-perfect humming. When he closed the door, the humming stopped, and he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Ahri was in front of him within seconds.

She smiled. "Back so soon?"

Flynt glanced at her and was thrown into a state of disbelief and annoyance. She was leaning against his sword, using it like a cane. "That… is mine."

"I assumed as much."

"Give it to me."

Ahri smiled. "I don't know. I wouldn't feel comfortable with you having a weapon in my house. Especially since I have no weapons of my own to defend against whatever you might be planning."

Flynt sighed. "If you don't give me the sword, I'm going to break you in half and then take it."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now. You can have it later."

Flynt furrowed his brow and yelled. "Give it to me!" He lunged at Ahri and grabbed hold of the scabbard.

Ahri pulled back, and yelled as well. Flynt could plainly see her irises glowing a fierce pink as she spoke. "Let go!"

He was almost compelled to follow her commands, but he felt the same cleansing sensation as his pendant began to heat up once more. Flynt smirked as he grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled it out of it's sheath. He backed up and raised his sword. "And the scabbard please. I just want to leave."

Ahri laughed and three blue flames were summoned by her side. Flynt couldn't react in time as one of them flew into his chest. His pendant grew hot; it couldn't absorb the flame. Instead the fire slammed into an invisible barrier, expanding rapidly on impact. The barrier re-directed the massive fire around him. Despite the magic barrier, Flynt still felt the immense heat; it was far hotter than any normal fire. Thanks to his pendant blocking the majority of the flame, he recovered in time to anticipate the second and third flames, dodging them accordingly despite the lingering burn of his protective pendant against his chest.

"My turn." He said to himself as he leaped into the air, spun once, and slashed his sword in her direction.

Ahri's look of confusion turned into a look of alarm as Flynt's seemingly out of range strike emitted a wave of dark energy in her direction. It collided with her and sent her into the living room floor. As the dust cleared, Flynt approached Ahri who was laying in a break in the polished wooden floorboards.

She blinked and winced as she sat up. She now stared at Flynt with a look of bewilderment. "Who… what are you?"

Flynt smirked as he picked the scabbard up from where it landed. "A pissed off shade. Pleasure meeting you."

As he walked out the door, Ahri stood up and began slowly following him. "How did you do that!?"

Flynt ignored her and continued out of the house and onto the beach. Once there, Flynt stood still and took a deep breath in preparation for a spell. This teleportation spell was the very first spell he'd learned from the Elders, and it had come in handy quite a few times. He closed his eyes and began channeling the spell; a black sphere began to form around him. It was slowly gaining opacity, and upon becoming completely opaque, it would initiate the teleport and take everything within it to the location desired.

"Wait! Stop!" He heard Ahri's voice and opened his eyes to see her running at him with no intention of stopping. If she interfered now, she would probably end up being cut in half by the spell.

She was running at him like she wanted to push him away, and she wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. If she succeeded, it was possible that they would both end up dead from the same spell. Flynt did the only thing that came to mind. He reached out and grabbed her arm as soon as she was close enough. Flynt pulled Ahri in close, taking care to also pin her tails to her back so that they would both fit in the sphere.

"Hey! What are you-" Ahri was cut off as the sphere disappeared from the world, leaving behind a missing chunk of grass.

GG