Hello! Going to try and update chapters at least once a week again. I don't have much else to say besides that I appreciate the support that you guys have given me thus far, and hope that you continue to enjoy my story. ^-^

The Summoners appeared quite troubled, for they knew nothing of how this phenomenon occurred. Some disturbances were commonplace, and were inevitable. The Nexus was a fount of magic that was dangerous, if not handled with proper care. It seemed that, even if they were highly skilled, these Summoner's still didn't quite understand the Nexus completely.

All Zed knew was that the Summoner's Rift was a place of magic in and of itself, being the site of many battles where sorcery had been heavily used, and that the Nexus is what helps keep Champions linked to their Summoner's in battle. It also produced the waves of minions for each lane, and powered the spawning area where champions entered the Rift, recalled, or resurrected. However, no one really knew its limits. In fact, this wasn't the only anomaly that Summoner's have faced due to the Nexus:

Nocturne.

Nocturne was a manifestation of nightmares that supposedly arose from the dreams of Summoner's. While there certainly have been many other theories, the nightmares remain a constant after Summoner's were being haunted in their dreams. Some were stricken with insomnia, while others sometimes never even woke up. One particular man, an architect, who worked out in the rift fell asleep one day by the Nexus for reasons unknown. He stopped breathing, and Nocturne sprang forth from the Nexus and began killing anyone and anything it could find.

He was eventually imprisoned within a Nexus Shard and forced to serve as a Champion in the Rift, much to others' dismay at the time. Nocturne was a relentless killer, who unleashed pain and havoc wherever he went when on the Fields of Justice. Quite a few Champions dread having to fight the strange specter, and even being on the same team despite his abilities and skill.

But that was long ago, before even Zed had joined the League.

The Assassin could hear the name being uttered occasionally as the Summoner's discussed quietly with one another, leaving Zed and Minerva alone for the most part.

Minerva sunk back into her seat with a sigh.

"Zed, I know you dislike sharing. I know you dislike speaking with me, even more so. But why didn't you inform me of these… feelings, earlier? My knowing may have kept you from assaulting Ahri. I was told by Matthias that your actions would be discussed here after they had gathered information. Even though Ahri did not report it, the Institute will not turn a blind eye to this." She said to Zed, her tone soft, but serious all the same.

Zed hadn't thought of that.

"It was her magic, that caused this. Punishment is unlikely."

Minerva turned red in the face from anger. "I believe that you deserve punishment, Zed. Your arrogance blinds you from issues that could be taken care of. You foolishly disregard others if they are not important to your goals, even if you bring harm to them. I suggest you stop behaving like a child, and start being an adult. The way you forced yourself on the poor lass and put the blame on her; you should be ashamed of yourself! Her spell may have a hold on you, Zed, but you lacked self control. You let yourself become weak."

Weak.

The word resounded in his brain like an echo, only, it grew louder instead of fading away.

Minerva was right.

He gave in to temptation.

He gave in to weakness.

"You are… correct."

Minerva looked completely taken aback by this.

"What?"

Zed turned his head to meet her gaze.

"Do I have to repeat myself?"

Minerva gave in under his unreadable crimson stare. "No, I heard you," She said, shocked by his response. She was more surprised that he answered her at all. The Summoner cracked a small smile. "And I appreciate it. We'll sort through this, I'm sure. Apologizing to Ahri personally would be a good start."

Zed looked away, rolling his eyes.

Underneath that mask of his, Zed did something that he doesn't do very often:

He smiled.

He felt somewhat relieved. Zed expected Minerva to be livid, yet she quickly forgave him and seemed determined to help. Zed was never fond of accepting aid from others, but he did admire Minerva for putting up with someone like him.

Zed was well aware that he was a cruel man, but he gave his respect to those who he believed deserved it. Either way, he had to be harsh and unrelenting to get what he desired. That's how it has always been, and always will be.

He and Minerva have given each other much trouble in the past, yet she still persists on being his partner out on the Rift. This could be caused by a number of things, but her reasons have always been unclear. She's always been overbearing, like what Zed assumes a mother would be like, but at the same time she can be resourceful.

There could be an ulterior motive. Something that Zed was least expecting, but what? She didn't seem the sort to pry into anyone's business unless it was for their health.

Zed's smile turned into a frown, and decided not to delve too deeper into that subject.

Zed's gaze flicked from one Summoner to another, growing somewhat impatient. They were really taking their time with their petty discussions, and theories.

They always did. He really disliked how they had to take their time to do anything, no matter how small or insignificant it may be.

He was beginning to feel curious, though, about Minerva. He never expected her to be a threat, since she was more of a nuisance than anything else. The fact that she cared at all for his well-being was somewhat strange, if not troublesome. Even his supporters back in Ionia would probably make a grab for power if he were injured, or in a dire situation. But why would she put so much effort into becoming partners? It made no sense.

Zed looked to Minerva from the peripherals of his metallic mask, eyeing her up and down before speaking.

"Why do you always choose me, of all Champions, for battle?"

Minerva peered at him with suspicion. "What a strange thing for you to say, Zed."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Curious." He stated, albeit rather bluntly.

Minerva gave a smile at this, small dimples appearing at her cheeks.

Zed hadn't noticed those before. Probably because he never paid her much attention.

"I find you intriguing." She said.

"What a strange thing for you to say, Summoner."

Minerva only laughed, but her cheerfulness didn't last long.

"They won't let you participate in any matches, if they can't fix this right away." She said, somberly.

Zed did feel a tinge of dread upon hearing this. That would mean he'd be spending quite a bit of time training, and trying to fend off any unwanted thoughts of Ahri.

He inhaled sharply as his brain began to buzz once more. Before it could intensify, he shook it off hurriedly.

Minerva watched him as he shuddered, frowning. "Is it bothering you?"

Zed growled irritably. "It's as if my mind is not my own, anymore."

Minerva found herself reaching out to rest a hand upon his shoulder guard, but quickly retracted it.

The Master of Shadows took no notice of the empathetic gesture, being much too bothered by his own mind.

The Summoner's began to quiet down, and return to their seats.

Pastellien took a moment to clear his throat before speaking, making sure he had everyone's attention.

"Unfortunately, this is a predicament that we are completely unfamiliar with. It will require testing, but how much testing is unknown at the moment. For now, you are forbidden to take part in any upcoming matches in the Fields of Justice. Temporary confinement has been considered to keep you away from Ahri, and to prevent any more accidents caused by the Nexus. We most certainly do not want another Nocturne. However, we know not of how confinement will impact your health if we must keep you stowed away for a long period of time. But it's the only way to keep you under our complete observation, and study in a controlled environment."

They're going to isolate me? Use me as some… test subject?

Zed was livid. His blood boiling at the thought of being trapped, and restrained by another. It brought back memories that he'd rather have forgotten.

Minerva turned pale as Pastellien considered locking up the Master of Shadows, standing up before the Councilor could continue.

"Do pardon me, sir, but is confinement really that necessary? Surely there is something else you could do?"

Pastellien shook his head. "He has already assaulted another Champion, and we won't risk that happening again. Consider this the consequence for his actions."

"You are neglecting that Zed is not the source of the problem here. Yes, such actions are unforgivable, and I understand that you wish to keep the order within the Institute. But there must be another way. Zed's mind is affected by Ahri's magic, but the Nexus itself is the cause of this predicament. Aren't you going to do something about it first, so no one else is potentially harmed or maybe even killed?"

Pastellien raised his hands defensively, his gaze narrowing at Minerva.

"I assure you that we will exercise caution, Summoner Minerva, but we know not if Zed will be able to control himself."

"Not control himself? He's not trying to get out of here to go after her, is he? No! He's sitting there, enduring both the Nexus' magic, and the remnants of Ahri's charm in his mind while we're sitting here solving no problems whatsoever!"

The two continued to debate like this for quite a while.

Minerva had begun to lean very heavily on the desk, her form trembling from the effort of yelling, and remaining upright.

Many of the other council members appeared fearful, as if Minerva could fall over at any given moment as she and Pastellien's bickering only intensified. She was beginning to look quite ill again, seemingly from the stress.

Zed was quite fed up with this non-sense, and having someone fight on his own behalf when he could be doing it himself.

He slowly rose to his feet.

Upon doing so, both Pastellien and Minerva ceased. The breathless Summoner sank back into her seat, completely relieved to be off her feet once more.

Pastellien was very irritated, and Zed was unsure if the man would even listen at this point.

He decided to give it a go, regardless.

"I do not particularly like the idea of being put away, Summoner. If I have to stay within my own quarters for the majority of the time unless you're trying to remove the residual magic from my mind, then so I shall; I will not, however, be caged like an animal. Find another solution, or I will become very unpleasant to deal with."

The large meeting hall remained quiet, even when Zed sat down.

A short, somewhat stocky Summoner stood, although they seemed quite hesitant to do so.

"Might I offer a proposition?" They asked, looking to Pastellien, who appeared very uncomfortable, and very eager to get out.

"Proceed." He said, partially a groan.

The young Summoner was surprised by this, and eagerly shared his idea.

"How about desensitization? Like how one would get over a phobia? With supervision, Zed could sit in a room with Ahri. That is, if she is comfortable with doing so. Zed would be forced to adapt to the affects of her charm on his mind, and thus, we won't have to worry as much about that issue anymore. It would be good for research, and we can focus on the remnants of energy from the Nexus, the Nexus itself, and then we can take care of Ahri's charm."

"Preposterous!" Pastellien boomed, causing many to flinch at his outburst. "What if he becomes immune to her magic altogether? If they were to both compete against each other out on the Fields, Zed would be put at an advantage over Ahri. This hardly qualifies as punishment, anyway!"

The Summoner was put down by this, immediately sitting back in her chair dejectedly.

Minerva chortled somewhat. "I beg to differ. Zed despises just about everyone in this room. I'm sure he dislikes the Nine Tailed Fox just as much as he dislikes anyone else. Put him in a room with the right people, and I'm sure that would compensate for what he did just fine."

Zed gave her a look, once she finished speaking.

You must be joking.

She only smirked in return, the kind that said she was up to something.

Pastellien stroked his finely combed beard, looking towards the two, but as if he were peering right through them as he considered all of this. The man seemed desperate for any solution now, if it meant that he could leave.

He can't be serious.

His shoulders sagged as he gave a weary sigh. He clasped his hands together as he rested them at his desk, taking one more moment to think before coming to a conclusion.

"The Council will discuss this in private. For now, we ask that you both wait in the lounge until we come to an agreement. We will send for you when the time comes."

Zed abruptly stood, turned about, and strode out of the room. Minerva, very much used to this kind of behavior, followed shortly after.

When they had entered the lounge, they saw that Sona had gone, but Matthias was speaking with a rather short, hooded Summoner. Their face was hidden beneath the shadow of said hood, and, due to their heavy robes, their form was hidden. Whether they were male or female was a mystery.

They were talking in hushed tones, and somewhat hastily. When Minerva had begun to approach, the other Summoner turned tail and rushed away.

Minerva watched the strange Summoner's departure with confusion before she looked to Matthias.

"Who was that, if I may ask?"

Matthias shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Ah, they are new to the Institute. They were a little lost, and in a hurry, so I gave them directions to their destination."

Minerva looked the young man up and down, very much doubtful of this.

"Really, now. What is their name?"

"Afraid they never told me. Why do you need to know?"

"Curious as to why you'd talk with shady figures, is all. Is there something that you're hiding from me, Matthias?"

"Nothing at all, Minerva. You know I'd never keep anything from you, of all people. I never can, anyway."

Minerva's lips curled into a wry smirk. "The latter is true, dear Matthias, but it hurts that you're even trying to cover up whatever it was you were doing with our mystery Summoner. Zed, what do you think of all this?"

When Minerva hadn't gotten a response, she looked about the room to find that her and Matthias were the only ones within the lounge.

"Where did he run off to? They could ask for us to come back at any moment!" She exclaimed.

Zed had snuck away whilst the two were busy. He and a number of his own shadows were following the strange Summoner as they weaved through the many halls of the Institute. Zed kept to the shadows, never too far behind but never too close. If he needed, he could switch places with a shadow to close the gap and go for the kill. Luckily for the Summoner, however, Zed had left his weapons back at his quarters. Something seemed very off, about them. It was the way they seemed to blend in with the others who donned the iconic purple robe, and vanished in one spot and appeared in another without anyone noticing. It all seemed to be a magic trick.

A magic trick.

Leblanc.

Why would Leblanc dress up as a Summoner? Why would she speak with Matthias so openly?

…could she just be trying to draw him in? But for what purpose? Zed has no affiliation with Noxus, and neither does he really desire to. All they want is power, and they would only take it from Zed if they ever got the chance. He wouldn't let that happen. What if it was something else entirely? What if it wasn't even Leblanc at all?

Zed had no time to think about this. He grew excited over the chase, but he wouldn't let the thrill control his awareness.

He was about to turn down the same corridor that the strange "Summoner" had taken, only to collide head on with Ahri. Her shocked features taking up the entirety of his vision before everything turned white, his mind and ears ringing from the blow to his head.

Ahri fell onto her back, sprawled on the cold, stone floor. This was the second time her poor head had suffered a blow of some sort, and it was starting to bother her very much. Cursing her luck, she rubbed the white, blinding stars from her eyes before looking up at Zed with a deep frown.

"Is this going to become a habit of yours? If it is, leave me out of it. I have had enough of you and your damned angst and… and… mysteriousness!" She chided the Assassin, baring her pearly white fangs as she spoke.

The masked man held a hand to his head, recovering from their sudden collision. He stared right through her momentarily before he appeared to have come to.

His form began to shudder, his crimson gaze turning into a fierce glare.

"You fool." He growled deeply, his gloved hands curling into tight fists.

The Master of Shadows was about to speak once more, only to be cut off by a familiar, but very annoying voice.

"Dammit, just make-out already! Show me some action, man!"

Both Ahri and Zed turned to look at none other than Jinx, who stood across the hall from them. She wore a big, goofy grin on her incredibly pale face, waiting eagerly for one of them to make a move. Pressing her hands against her cheeks, she mockingly pursed her lips together, and began to make sloppy kissing noises.

A few passerby looked over at the three, very much puzzled. Some even came to a stop to watch.

Ahri felt a pit open within her stomach, to be filled up with a sense of dread.

Not again…

She took a step back, conjuring up her magic to form a blue orb that hovered close to the palm of her right hand. The Nine Tailed Fox refused to let herself be taken advantage of again, if he had come back for more. While Ahri is seen as a somewhat promiscuous figure, she has her own boundaries and refuses to be used for ones desires.

Zed glanced down at the bright blue orb, though his gaze quickly returned to her face.

"I have something to say to you, Gumiho." Zed spoke, though, from the slight tremor of his voice, it sounded as if he were being restrained. As if he were holding something back.

Ahri peered at the Master of Shadows warily, not trusting him whatsoever.

His form had begun to tremble, and Ahri had become unsure of this. Zed seemed very unstable right now, and it only continued to get worse. The Assassin took a deep breath, before saying a rather startling thing that Ahri most definitely was not expecting.

"I… am sorry."