Legends of Runeterra

"So what should we do now?" Kassa admitted.

What can you do when your opponent has a thousand answers and you only have one countermeasure?

"You will follow me." The Queen turned and floated through a thick carpet of mutated coral—creatures bowing respectfully along the way. Kassa stood still, watching as her master silently glided through the chaotic chaos of ruins—fragmented buildings, grotesque limbs, stitched-together remains, and pearlescent constructs. It was like a person strolling through their own garden, only the cruelty and strangeness were indescribable.

Awesome, Kai'Sa thought. Even by Void standards, this was incredibly weird.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask," Belvis said, which aroused Kasa's interest.

"Okay. So, first question... what are you?" Kassa followed the Queen closely, her armor now relaxed and moving again. A teddy bear floated over, with a dozen gull wings on its body, struggling to maintain its balance. Kassa resisted the urge to vomit and pushed it aside. "What is going on? Which part of the void are you from?"

"I am the void," Belvis replied. "And this is where we all end up."

Kasa said suspiciously, "But you said you were created from humans. And this city. You said you wanted to become this city?"

"Wrong," Belvis said. "The Void has existed for millennia. We were there before the first star shone in the depths of space. Perfect, single, silent. And then, a voice appeared."

"From that whisper, existence was born. We were imbued with it. We were influenced. Destroyed. Transformed. No matter how hard we try, we can never return to our original state. My ancestors—the Watchers—tried to invade and destroy existence, but were tainted by it instead. From then on, I longed for worship, for enlightenment...

"But overnight, they were betrayed. They were forced to change completely, and were eventually abandoned. Existence has given them unspeakable hatred. They will die for all realities without hesitation."

Belvis reached a bluff overlooking the vast chasm below. Through the false, dappled sunlight, Kassa saw huge holes dotted across the rock face.

The tunnels of the Void creatures. These were the same creatures that devoured Taliyah's people, destroyed Belvis, and devoured the tent cities of southeastern Shurima. Everything the Void devoured ended up here.

"However, their transformation is incomplete. Now is the beginning of their true transformation," the Queen said firmly. "I don't seek a city. We will become you."

Kai'Sa reached the top of the cliff and gasped. What she and Belvis gazed upon wasn't quite a city-state, but rather a vast, bizarre carpet of void coral, its architecture inverted and boundless, Shuriman-style. Schools of void remora swam, and dark creatures darted through the winding, twisting streets.

Everywhere I looked was eerie. Everywhere was sinister. Not a single image was complete, like a painting that had lost its inspiration halfway through. It seemed as if what it desperately wanted was...

"No," Kai'Sa retorted, more to herself than anything else. "The Void wants nothing more than to erase everything. It cannot exist. To complete this, you need... everything."

"That's right," Belvis replied. "It is everything. I am the void. I will devour your world, bite by bite. And I will endure forever, for you have no way to stop me."

The Queen looked at Kassa, her expression grim. She was determined to win.

"Daughter of the Void, I offer you a bargain. My world must emerge, and so yours must end. But to the Watchers who came before us, my existence is an insult. Creation would burn them, and they would be eager to obliterate you, me, and everything else, to end that suffering. If they escape their prison, there will be no chance of averting the tide. When time ends, all things end."

Kasa stared into Belvis's fake eyes, feeling a brutal determination spreading through her. "You want to wipe us out completely. So why should I help you?"

"Help me destroy the Watchers, and I will grant you... your people some time. Perhaps a month. A year. Or even longer. Perhaps, this time will allow you to find a weapon to kill me, or a hero strong enough to stand against me. Though you will fail... you can still try. I'm giving you a chance. It's far more generous than they are."

Belvis finished speaking, then turned and continued to watch her new world gradually taking shape below the cliff. Kassa's anger began to rise.

"What if I refuse? What if I kill you right here?" Kassa growled.

"You can't do it," Belvis declared. "You lack the will, the knowledge, and the ability. I'm your only chance."

Kassa's armor trembled violently with fear, and the jet pod began to heat up. She tried to control it, but the parasite seemed to know something she didn't. She wanted to struggle, and took the opportunity to look away from Belvis, wanting to -

Oops.

The sharp tip of the Queen's wing pierced Kai'Sa's chest, lifting her off the ground. Kai'Sa fought back with all her might, raining down missiles on the Queen. Scorching purple plasma whistled and splashed. Beams that could once tear through void creatures struck Belvis's translucent skin, causing it to twist wildly.

To no avail. No effect at all.

"Daughter of the Void. You must find the Watcher and verify my words for yourself. Otherwise, your candle will be extinguished along with everyone else. This is not a threat. It is a promise."

Belvis released her grip, and Kasa immediately soared high into the sky—a false sky that reflected the strange sea surface of Belvis. The lavender city glowed faintly beneath her, and the edges of each door and window were wrapped in various shapes and sizes of swirling, glowing objects.

Kassa rushed into a tunnel dug by the Void and flew towards the blinding light of the sky. The Queen turned and took another look at the world she dreamed of.

Kai'Sa crashed through the desert floor of southern Shurima and fell heavily on the dunes. The outline of Belvis glowed faintly in the distance, and there was no sign of any known life, only new monsters coming in and out, building their homes that would breed the world - this was the cancer of the world.

The scene was dizzying, with all real experiences spinning rapidly in the wind.