5 days until the Blossom Festival

A chilling gust of wind swept through the air as Saphera investigated her surroundings. It was the darkest point of the night and the stars glimmered and danced in the sky, the Ionian lights swirled around faintly as the starlight glowed through the blues, purples and pinks of it's lightshow. Beneath her feet was cool grass, night dew mushrooms scattered around like water droplets also glowed with a warming blue hue. Saphera's eyes glanced around even more and she found herself looking at the back entrance to the Institute's grand ballroom. Lights from the night illuminated the door ever so slightly, enough for the summoner to see the silver handle. Slowly walking towards the door it opened for her when her legs carried her close enough. However the door opened into an empty, dark room. There was no breeze. No lights. Just the cold, chilling air of the night. He was also there. The tall, olive toned man from the flower shop. This time dressed in much different attire. A long, white-silver cape draping over his left shoulder. Black sleeves covering both his human and copper-metal arm. Saphera felt the grass slip away from her feet, turning to sand then gradually nothing. Her legs wouldn't stop carrying her forward. She now found herself inside the room with him. The door slamming behind her within seconds of her body leaving the safety of it's frame. Her feet were bare, and the icy grip of the room was felt as it slowly slipped up, onto her feet. Crawling between her toes and up her ankles, legs, swallowing her body in an ancient chill. Saph was now frozen to the spot she stand, looking down to only see air surrounding her lower half, but she was still stuck. Her body began to quiver with fear, her hands shaking near violently.

She looked up as a click grabbed her attention. The summoner's focus was now onto the barrel of a strange looking gun. It's barrel black, yet it's decoration crisp white on the handle. One copper crew, that matched his arm in colour, seemed to hold it all together.
"As you know, I like to work in four." His voice, elegant as it was, bounced around the area. Within a room that seemed to have no walls, the sound felt like it continued forever. That ice felt like it was creeping further up Saphera's body, burrowing under her skin and tapping into her blood and bones. The gun was now pointing at Saphera, her mind wanted her to remain strong by looking into his eyes and not at the barrel. But Saph could not help but be fixated on the endless darkness within the barrel.
"One." He called out, in a proud tone. A bullet fired and the summoner flinched. It didn't hit her. But hit the floor by her left foot. "Hrm…" Her attacker growled deeply, taking a stride forward. He was still far away from her, at least two meters. "Two." Jihn repeated in the same tone. The same happened again, but this time the bullet landed by her right foot. Saphera's heart was racing now, small beads of sweat trickled their way down her forehead. The figure took an even bigger stride forward. "This is begging to become fun, you know." He laughed sadistically and raised the gun in line with Saphera's forehead. He was at least three feet away now. He laughed again, this time he giggled the next number. "Three." Saphera closed her eyes tightly, her lungs racing with her heart seeing who could go faster. Another bang followed and she felt a small gust to over her head at lightning speed. "Yes...this is turning into quite the game!" The madman took his last shuffle forward and raised the gun above his own head elegantly swinging it forward and pressing it into her chest.
"FOUR!"
It was hot on her chest and something ripped through her flesh. The pain of everything shattering inside of her body like broken glass.

Saphera shot up from her bed, both of her hand clutching her chest rightly. Nails digging in to the point of drawing blood. Sitting upright Saph opened her eyes and let out an ear bursting scream. It resonated throughout the room and mostly the entire house. She was cold, her body dripping with sweat and the area where she was sleeping damp. When her eyes came into focus again she was met with two, white glowing eyes of something else.. They belonged to Nocturne. His hands were clutching her cheeks and he was trying to shake her into focusing on him. The summoner's breathing was so rapid that it disturbed the shadowy mist that was Nocturne's figure. His voice broke out with a whisper.
"Saphera. Look at me. Saphera. I couldn't get here quick enough, I'm sorry. I let this happen." She blindly nodded and tried to calm herself. Still hyperventilating she looked back at the spirit. Saphera now realized how dry her mouth was, how sore her eyes were. The tears streaming down her face. How her entire body was numb with shock.

Before she could open her mouth to reply to him. The door burst open with a loud slam as it hit the wall.
"HOW DARE YOU ENTER HERE. FOUL THING!" A voice howled with deep, spiteful anger. It was Zyra, she stomped her left foot forward and threw her arm out towards the two. Suddenly a sharp vine materialized from her arm and rushed towards Nocturne. He whipped around with a low growl and allowed his own blades to form around him. With ease, he hit the vine away, cutting it as he did so.
"Pathetic." He growled lowly. Zyra's eyes widened, Nocturne dashed towards her and before the mage knew, she was being held at the throat by the dark demon. Struggling for air. "You think you can just appear, and attack...me?" Nocturne's voice was a deep, lion like as he growled, threatening his fellow Champion.
"Ah...I.." Zyra struggled as she tried to raise an arm. But strangely all the energy was draining from her, the night walker tapping into her magical essence. Saphera quickly snapped out of her daze and jumped up, now using her own magic to dismiss the demon. She raised her hand up and ran her fingers in a swirling motion, closing her hand into a fist, she pulled her arm backwards with a jult. Nocturne quickly faded to nothing. Zyra fell to the floor, holding her neck and allowing her breathing to return to a normal pace. Saphera, however, was still at a pant.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should've bust in sooner. This is all my fault Saphera. I didn't think it was Nocturne giving you the nightmare, it wasn't until I heard your scream I really knew something was wrong! Please, forgive me.." Zyra and Saphera where at on Saph's bed above the covers. A candle was the only light source in the bedroom. It was still the darkest point of the night, and the stars glimmered and danced in the sky, the Ionian lights swirled around faintly as the starlight glowed through the blues, purples and pinks of it's lightshow. Everything seemed so familiar. The summoner still felt as if her entire body was covered in ice. Saph tightened her grip around the blanket covering her shoulders, she snuggled into it a little more, then relied to her dear friend.
"No, it's okay Zyra. He wasn't giving me the nightmare...he was trying to bring me out of it." She sighed with a dull expression, Saph felt the bags under her soft eyes sag further as she continued to wake up. As if they were growing bigger. heavier with each breath she took. She looked over, Zyra was looking back with a shocked, confused expression. Who was to blame her for having such a reaction.
"What...What do you mean? You know that was Nocturne right? He kills people in their sleep?" The plant hybrid retorted, pulling her arm up and resting it over Saphera's shoulder, aiding in comforting her. With a weak smile, Saphera replied, nodding her head just before her dry lips parted.
"Yes, we have a small…" She paused and bit her lip, nervous now. "...deal going. He helps me with nightmares, and I protect him from being placed back into a summoner stone to be imprisoned forever within the institute of war and used as a puppet on the Rift." Zyra frowned, pulling away from Saph and looking at her with a deadpan glare, surely she wasn't serious?
"Saphera, you've got to be kidding me. You saw that he just tried to kill me? Right? Surely...you know what that monster is capable of." She was looking down at the summoner, worry deep within her tone. She took a second to brush her red hair away from her face, then took a deep breath. "Alright, even if that is the case with you two. Why not tell me sooner? Why make me barge in here and almost let him kill me like that!?" Zyra questioned, the mage's volume of voice growing louder. This was beginning to feel like an interrogation to the sleepy Saphera. All these questions was brewing a headache.
"Zyra, I know we are good friends now…" She paused, taking a deep sigh between her words, feeling the sudden guilt of not giving her this information beforehand. "It's just, this was personal. I don't think either of us are comfortable with the situation, but we let it … We have a history." The redhead stammered between her last words as the waves of guilt kept splashing over her mind.
"Saphera…" Zyra's voice was now soft as she replied to her friend. "It's alright."

Later that day. Just as the bright Ionian sun faded away with warm hues of red, purple and orange. Saphera found herself looking over her now dusty summoner books. Attempting to find the right spell for teleportation. The small bookshelf in the living room was attracting more dust every day now. Being the mage she was, Saphera was able to cast spells as she pleased. However, following her ban in summing within the League of Legends last year, Saphera became less interested in spells, summoning and magic every day. Yet, times called for it now. She ran her warm fingers over the spine of a book slowly, reading it's inscription with care. This was not the common tongue of mainland Runeterra. It was that of traditional shadow isles tongue, which is the most northerly isle of the continent. This language came from the dark lands in the depths of the isle, where mage could utter a whisper and control any being it came across and make it do their bidding, drag a man's soul from his heart and shatter it before his own eyes, and hear and see things from the void...
Of course, this was an illegal book to own. Magic like this is forbidden, and has been for centuries. With Ionina practically being mage central, this was a very dangerous, not to mention risky book to own. Saphera used her index to pull the book away from the shelf, dusting off the spine with her sleeve. Opening to an already bookmarked page she began reading the lines. She struggled. It's been awhile since she last let her eyes fall upon these inscriptions and it was difficult to read. Saphera persevered anyway, the memory of casting this spell soon returned to her mind. A small wave pride spread her lips to a smile, proud she remembered such a complex spell so quickly. Placing the book down, Saph picked up a small brown satchel and placed it over her shoulder. It was clearly, old, the seams of the cloth were aged, the threads fraying. The top was secured with a leather buckle. Saphera placed the book inside. Then wrapped her summoner robe over her shoulders. Making a bow with the string, she secured it on shoulders.

Leaving her home just as the sun was in the final stages of setting, a gust of cool summer air blew at Saphera's feet. Her grey eyes looked around, checking for bodies walking the streets. It was clear. Crickets began to sing, and the night's songbirds joined in like a chorus. An owl hooted intermittently. The cool summer air turned cold, causing the leaves of on the trees shiver with every gentle gust. At first, Saphera was following the main path that lead further out of the city. But quickly, she made an effort to pick up the pace. Turning corners, and before she knew, there was a beaten path ahead, leading into the darkness of a forest. The summoner followed the path well, as if she had walked here many times before. Knowing when to step over certain rocks, and hop over a ditch that was hard to distinguish from the path in the low light. A few more turns and she was faced with a large rock. She pulled a crow's feather from her satchel. Holding it like a quill and began writing in the air. Muttering the inscription quietly, with closed eyes. In her mind she pictured a place, very detail she could imagine. Saphera opened her eyes suddenly, stopping her chant and threw the feather like a dart at the rock. The second the feather touched the rock, what looked like a vertical puddle materialized onto the rock's surface. Her destination blurred by the movement of the water. With haste, she walked forward, grabbing the crow's feather and stepping into the puddle. With the motion you feel when you fall, Saphera passed through the portal. Yet her momentum continued, she hadn't done this in such a long time she forgot how to catch herself.
"Oof" Saphera fell face first into a bed of soft grass with a hard hud.

"Graceful." A voice spoke, seeming disappointed and judgemental. It was muffled, as if it's owner was behind something, or even wearing a mask. Saphera looked up with one eye closed from the pain of face planting the floor. Her eyes were looking up to Zed. Who had crossed arms and was looking back down at Saphera.
"It's been a while since I last used magic...give me a break." A sigh was heard from the man above her. Zed turned her back to her and began walking forward, away from the summoner.

"Pick yourself up, child, you're late as it is." Zed huffed with annoyance. Saphera eventually clambered to her feet and dusted robe off, then adjusted the satchel on her shoulder.
"I have my reasons." She attempted to explain, taking large strides to keep up with the much taller Zed. The dark ninja wasn't really that tall, but Saphera lacked the trait of height, this meant her short legs needed to take two steps for every one that Zed took. Noting this, he smiled softly under his mask - she was unable to witness his expression. He slowed his space slightly for her. Saphera didn't notice, because she still had to put more effort into walking in order to keep beside him regardless. Saphera took a deep breath to speak again quietly.
"I know we discussed for us to meet here. I know my way around this area, so why do I need to be here. The ball isn't for another night…" She seemed skeptical. Saphera looked around at the grounds of the institute of war. This was the place the spell took her. An arranged meeting place that was agreed the other night. The two were in a partly hidden field behind the main garden of the ballroom. Locally known as 'The Guard'. Light was escaping from the tall glass windows, most of the inside was visible. But the light allowed anyone from outside to witness the glory of the tall, white pillars that held onto a smooth red roof, they appeared proud to support it. The warm glow of the light reflected on the golden laced bottoms of the pillars. Making them seem all the more magnificent. From the distance, the inside was visible but the finer details were hidden. But the bright crystal chandeliers threw out light and made the ballroom seem magical. It was a massive building, like that of a fairytale.
Once Saphera laid eyes on the ballroom, she became slightly breathless. It was a beautiful work of architecture. Zed pressed his gloved hand onto her shoulder, pulling her attention towards him.
"I don't approve of what Shen wants you to do. That man broke us, and his annoyance of a father. You cannot let him get into your head. Do not let him break you Saphera you have to promise me." Zed gripped her shoulder, this was a strange side to his personality that Saph didn't think existed. He was a cold, unforgiving man, he was a killer. But now, he showed what most likely was a rare emotion of concern. He seemed genuinely worried about Saphera. She was ...cared?
"I promise." Saphera replied softly, her natural kind tone showing through. She smiled at him, placing her hand onto his own and pulling it away from her shoulder, letting it return to his side. "Thank you." Zed sighed through his mask, then faced the ballroom too. "You need to lure him outside, this is where me and Shen will help pin him down. Hopefully it will be that easy. Last time it took-"
" Four years I know." Saphera interrupted. "Let's go inside, it will be easier to plan out how we are going to do this."

The two then began walking through the field towards the ballroom, hopefully where they would be able to plan out their capture of Khada Jihn, before the Blossom Festival takes place. Before anyone gets hurt.