It is the end.
Chapter 37 - The Void.
-I am The Outsider, the Master of the Void - The man with dark eyes claimed with a smile.
-You... The Master of the Void? Impossible... You are just... You are a simple...
-Human? - He interrupted - I might look like a human... But that is simply one of my desires... You see, they usually trust me if I look like this.
-Then... What are you?
-I am like you, Vel'Koz.
-A voidling?
-Oh... I see you have forgotten.
-What did I forget?
-Don't worry, there is plenty of time to talk about that... This is our long-awaited meeting... Let's enjoy it.
-I can't waste any more of my time with you... I have to find my friends and close the portal... And I have to find...
-Her? The young Veliza?
-How... How do you know that?
-Because the stories might change... But the ending is always the same... It never ceases to amuse me... No matter what path you take... Here, in the end, is just you and me.
-I... I don't understand...
-Neither do I... I have watched you for eons... I have seen you in thousands of worlds... And yet, I can't see your destiny... No matter how hard I try... Your future is a mystery for my eyes... It's fascinating... I can even see the end of my days... But you... You are... Exceptional... Just like you were in the beginning.
-What do you mean?
-Ah... Dear Vel'Koz... If you could only remember... But telling you the truth wouldn't be fun... Let's play a game instead...
-I can't waste my time here, I have to...
-How many Seekers are in the Void?
-How many...? It is impossible to count them, they are...
-Have you ever seen them?
-Yes, of cou... I... I have... I... I can't remember... I... There are many... I...
-There is only one Seeker in the Void... You.
-N... No... That's impossible... The knowledge we have gathered of the worlds we visited...
-You have gathered that knowledge.
-No... It is impossible... I couldn't have... I don't even...
-Remember? But it's the truth... Have you ever wondered why are you so different from the other voidlings? All of them seek to consume and destroy... And yet... You want to know more... You can learn... You can understand... You can think... The Void couldn't possibly create a creature like you... No... You are different... You are not a voidling... Well, you weren't in the past.
-What do you mean?
-In the past, there was a race of powerful beings made of light... They sought to eradicate the shadows and bring forth an age of peace and balance... Just like the Celestials... But these beings were born even before them... They were called the Arclights.
-The... Arclights? I haven't heard...
-They disappeared centuries ago... The cowards ran away when they universe needed them the most.
-What?
-A long time ago, before Runeterra was born... Something dangerous began to consume and destroy the worlds in the multiverse... An entity as ancient as the time itself... He didn't have a name... We simply knew him as the Titan of The Dark Star... A monster born in the oblivion... His only purpose was the annihilation of every living thing... He destroyed many worlds... He was unstoppable... No one stood against him... Aurelion Sol was an arrogant brat who refused to fight him... Nagakabouros was too young... Zilean chose his destiny a long time ago... Chaossess never cared about anything else but his deviant obsession with creation... And there were those hypocritical cowards... When the defeat was obvious, they decided to escape to safety and left the universe to die... Such weak-willed beings... But one of them chose to fight... One of them chose to stand against the eternal darkness... A single and small Arclight... A creature designed to study and explore new worlds... A Seeker.
-Wha... I can't...
-I have always been interested in you... I can see everything... The past, the present and the future of every being in every universe... And yet... You are a complete mystery to me... When you decide to take action the future changes and I can't see it... I couldn't see you going against your superiors... I couldn't see you rushing towards the destruction and the death... And you know why?
-...
-There was an insignificant planet in the universe... One of many... The denizen of such world had predictable and boring lives... And yet, you chose them... You fell in love with the human race... You were fascinated with their potential... I watched as your learned from them... You became even more wonderful... Yes... You rushed towards that small and boring planet... You fought against an undefeatable entity for a young race... But you failed... In the end, the planet was destroyed... And everything began... You glowed with the power of millions of suns... Your wrath illuminated the abyss... And in a single beam of light... The Dark Star was gone... You should have seen yourself... You were a God... But... You cried... You cried even though you won... Because the planet you loved so much died... Your friends betrayed you and left... Your precious humans were gone... And you cried... But in the middle of the nothingness, you did something I never expected... Something that no one ever dared to do... Do you remember?
-...
-Come on, the answer is simple.
-... I... I called for you...
-Yes... You said my name... You were so desperate you would call me, The Master of the Void, for help... I was completely entranced... And then... We made a deal... You gave me your soul and in exchange... Runeterra was born.
-That... That is...
-Impossible? Vel'Koz... I am a God... Not good neither evil... I simply wish for amusement... You, whose future was a complete mystery to me... A planet was a small price for your soul... I wanted to give you my kingdom... My powers... My legacy!... But the only thing you wanted was your precious humans... On that day... You became the Eye of the Void... Your unlimited powers... Your knowledge... Your memories... You gave me everything... A great deal, if you ask me.
-...
-Ever since... I decided to exploit your full potential... There were millions of stories... I could see the end of each one of them... But, when I allowed you take part of the story the future disappeared... The future became a mystery... The future became something amusing... Yes... Among all the possessions I have, you are the most valuable of all... You have been in a thousand of worlds... But... There is always a constant... I may not be able to predict your actions... But there is a fixed point in time... An event that will happen without a doubt... You... Me... The Void... And her... Each time, you will appear in a world... Each time, something terrible will happen... Each time, you will return to the Void... And the cycle would repeat itself... And this time... Is no different...
From the mist, a small figure appeared surrounded by a dark aura, it was Veliza.
-You see... She shouldn't have touched the portal... The disturbance caused the portal to collapse and saved Runterra from the invasion of the Void... But the girl will pay the price... She has absorbed the raw power of the Void... But, unlike the Prophet or the Rift-Walker, she wasn't destined for this... So the Void will consume her soul... And she will become a pitiful and weak creature that will most likely die in the Void... She is doomed.
-No... She isn't...
-What do you mean, Vel'Koz?
-You can save her.
-Yes, I can - The Outsider answered with a smile - But, there is a price...
-I will pay it.
-I know you will... But first... You have to tell me what is it.
-What do you mean?
-Your soul is mine... Your powers are mine... You are mine... I can do as I please with you... You are my pet and I am your Master... What could you possibly give me as a payment?
-I... I don't know... I've never done this be... No... I have done it before... You said, "Each time"... I have done this before... but I can't re... I can't remember... I can't remember because that was the payment... I paid with my memories...
-Exactly - The Outsider said with a wide smile - You have been in many worlds... You have taken many roles... Sometimes you are an ally, sometimes you are a foe... Sometimes you are a hero, sometimes you are a villain... Sometimes you are a friend, sometimes you are a lover... Sometimes you are a father... And sometimes... You ARE a mother.
-What?!
-Come on, Vel'Koz! Don't look at me like that... I told you... You have been in many worlds... Many possibilities... The fact that you gave birth is not that strange...
-I don't even know how human babies are born!
-But you do... You simply don't remember... Yes... You paid with your memories... You gave them to me in order to save her... She is always different... But she always appears... And you choose to save her... Over and over again... I will ask one last time... Are you sure this is what you want? Are you sure you want to forget everything you learned? Are you sure you want to forget everyone you loved? Are you sure you want to become a voidling again?
I watched as The Outsider studied my form... Inside my core, I could feel a storm... So many questions... So many worries... Vi... Soraka... Sarah... Kalista... I don't want to forget them... I don't want to let go... I want to see them again... I want to be with them even if they are afraid of me...
...
...
But...
-You already know the answer.
-I always do.
Veliza began to glow with a white light and the mist swallowed.
-She will awake in Icathia... The army of Demacia will find her... She will return to the arms of her beloved one... Her enemies will disappear and she will live a happy life... And in the end... She will die... Like any other human... Why would you sell your precious memories for a single human soul?
-Because she was... She is my friend.
-I see... If that is your desire...
I felt a sudden pain in my core... I could see the memories disappear in my mind... Everything... Piltover... Freljord... Zaun... Demacia... The Shadow Isles... Ionia... Noxus... Icathia...
I could see how their faces began to vanish in the mist... Shana... Caitlyn... Heimerdinger... Rumble... Ziggs... Orianna... Blitzcrank... Braum... Ashe... Nami... Gangplank... Wu'Kong... Ahri... Karma... Zed... Shen... Akali... Thresh... Karthus... Yorick... Hecarim... Mordekaiser... The Ruined King... Illaoi... Sona... Garen... Jarvan IV... Poppy... Kassadin... Jinx... Viktor... Ekko... Skarner... Katarina... Swain... Veigar... Cho'Gath... Rek'Sai... Kog'Maw... Kha'Zix... Malzahar... Veliza...
Vi...
Soraka...
Kalista...
Sarah...
...
...
...
Who...?
Who are they...?
Where am I...?
Curious...
I can't remember...
But...
...
I do remember my objective...
Consume...
Knowledge through...
Disintegration.
The Outsider watched as the small purple gem glowed on the ground...
-I have to say... I almost thought you would choose another way... But I guess despite everything, it's still you... And now... It's time for another story...
He gave it one last glance before he picked it up and examined it...
-Maybe I should have told you... She will never be the same... She gazed upon the Void... I am afraid the Void still lives in her... And one day, her true powers will be unleashed... Ah... What a wonderful creature she will be... Someone I can call a rival... But for now... She will suffer... She will see me in her dreams... She will walk knowing you sacrificed your soul for her... She will remember you... And someday... She will remember the Void... I will be waiting for you, Echo of the Void.
The Outsider walked until he was at the edge of the cliff, he gazed into the mist and watched... He smiled in delight... He found an interesting world down there, he left the gem fall from his hands into the mist and watched it disappear into the Void.
-Well, Vel'Koz... I don't know about you... But I had a lovely time... The drama, the mystery, the comedy, the romance and your sacrifice... It was everything I expected from you... You certainly know how to amuse me and I hope you can show me a great time in the next story... Because if there's something you and the readers should know by now is that endings are simply new beginnings...
But that's another story for a different time...