Chapter 12: The Key To Everything
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Chapter 12: The Key To Everything
After entertaining Summoners at the grand party, good food and good cheer lifted her spirits. Her depressive mood of the previous match with Zed faded. She succeeded the mission and retrieved a key a Summoner, which she thought led to the vault Thresh talked about. Excited with her find, Akali found her elation short-lived as Shen confronted her.

“Akali,” Shen said.

“Shen…I can explain.”

“You took something that doesn’t belong to you,” Shen chided. “You also exploited an innocent Summoner.”

Akali was appreciative Shen knew Akali wouldn’t truly cheat on Shen, though his calmness and even-tempered demeanor now irritated her. He worried more about the key rather than Akali cheating on him. But that didn’t matter. Shen was too much of a passive observer, he needed to take action. She also needed to do this, despite what he said.

“I need this, Shen,” Akali held the key close to her.

“I suppose Thresh is responsible for your corruption,” Shen thought it over. “You can’t be entirely to blame. But…return the key at once.”

Akali took a deep breath. She wanted to listen to her love. Had Shen ever done nothing but everything all in her best interests? She knew he said this with concern, but she decided to be firm. She wouldn’t relinquish it. He can’t be in the mentor role forever—she needed to make her own mistakes, to fail and struggle and live with the consequences. He couldn’t protect her forever, and Akali needed to spread her wings and fly.

Was this the smartest decision?

Would the truth break her?

Maybe so, but it was her choice, and in the end, Akali went through with her promises. She would find out the truth behind her mother.

“I can’t do that, Shen,” Akali said sadly.

Shen shook his head.

“You’ll regret it, Akali.”

Something forlorn in his gaze smoldered towards her. Like he expected better of her. That stung more than Akali could ever voice, but she didn’t need approval. She needed to find the truth.

It hurt her to do this to Shen, to go against his wishes, to defy his will so openly, but she needed this. If she didn’t, then what did her mother die for? Why was she pursuing this to the end? Because Akali did not give up, ever, and her own goal and motivation was something she wanted. Her mother wanted a different path—Akali chose her path. She went underneath Shen’s tutelage and he guided her faithfully and helped nurture her, but it seemed that she too, would head along another path than what he intended for her. That’s just fine.

“I guess I’ll just have to live with it. Haven’t you wondered why my mother and I looked so alike? What happens when we die on Summoner’s Rift? Or even why the champions don’t seem to age. It should be natural we age and grow up some, don’t we? Something is going on.”

“Give the key back and apologize. The Summoners will forgive you.”

Akali remained firm. It hurt her, and she would sacrifice everything for this. She couldn’t back down. She did so much to achieve this end, and even if it meant defying her mentor’s will and making her own decision as an independent woman, then so be it.

“No, I can’t do that. I must do this.”

“Then I’m very disappointed in you,” Shen shook his head. “You’re betraying the path I set before you as your mentor.”

“I’m sorry, Shen,” Akali whispered when Shen disappeared.

She looked at the key and sighed. This tiny key was a predicament that caused all this. No, it was most likely caused by her meeting Thresh and asking him to see her mother. Speaking of which, he hadn’t permitted her to see her mother yet. Wasn’t she a part of his lantern, or was that another lie the madman conceived to deceive her? Just thinking about being lied to and led on infuriated Akali, and she wondered if she should trust Thresh at all. But the things he said seemed so convincing, and he said all the answers lie behind the key which led to the hidden vault.

Akali waited till the coming night and then slipped in the shadows, prepared to find her answers.

—x—

She entered into the vault alone, preparing herself for what was to come. Guards patrolled there, though Akali slipped through their sight and took them out with ease. She was experienced in infiltration and stealth as a shinobi, and her training did pay off after all. When she took the key to the innermost vault, her hand trembled. Why did she hesitate? Wouldn’t this help alleviate all the questions and heartache she had before? Then why?

Akali took a few calming breaths before she felt another presence watching her. It couldn’t be anyone else except one person, who was just as an expert at stealth and camouflage as she. Zed.

“Zed, what are you doing here?” Akali called into the darkness.

Zed materialized from the darkness, glaring at her.

“I’m going to be needing that key,” Zed said before Akali clutched the key closer to her breast.

Akali’s heart thumped in her throat. How was Zed showing up at the most inconvenient of times? Right now everything turned worse. Now Zed was here to possibly steal the key from her or stop her. Did Shen somehow bring Zed into this odd alliance of theirs even though they’ve been at odds with one another? She didn’t know. Akali grew firm again, and she would forget about the past. She would cut ties with the past which held her back, remembering the memory of a Zed that no longer was.

“You’re not taking this key away from me.”

“I will take it from you by force if I have to,” Zed said, brandishing his blades, while dressed entirely in his ninja gear, armor and all.

Akali took out one Kama and threw it at Zed. Zed knocked it aside with his blade, though Akali disappeared into the shadows when Zed snuck behind her in a sneak attack. She wouldn’t be outwitted this time, she experienced far too much in their last battle to be undone now.

Her heartbreak over going against Shen’s wishes flared the anger inside of her towards Zed, and this anger made her stronger. It was a volatile strength though, as it can also be her undoing. Though this was the cold calculating anger that spurred her into motion and invigorated her to dodge every move. She shadowed his moves and blocked all his swipes and slashes with her kama.

“If you’re not going to stand down,” Akali said. “Then I will fight you, tooth and nail.”

“You’re going to lose,” Zed murmured before another person emerged from the shadows.

“I don’t believe so. She has me now by her side.”

Zed turned and saw Thresh appeared after following Akali through the darkened corridors and hallways. Thresh looked pretty comfortable being there, emerging from the shadows as though he were a mere wraith that materialized at will whenever he wished. Thresh spun the sickle on his chain, twirling it thoughtfully while eying Zed with the hollowed-out eye socket of the flame enshrouded skull that comprised his head. Standing in front of Akali like some undead savior, which was ironic, considering his nature and the hoops and hurdles Thresh put her through probably for his machinations. Though Akali thought it immensely satisfying to see a radiating bloodlust from Zed.

Zed’s eyes narrowed towards Thresh. ‘You.”

Thresh chuckled. “Ah Zed, you’re another wild card factor I haven’t considered in my calculations. But no matter. As long as I’m with Akali, then we could both take you down.”

Zed remained silent for a few moments, trying to calculate his moves. He knew Thresh was a cc champion, and as an assassin, he could get fucked over by that very cc. Akali watched Zed carefully, making sure that he didn’t use his shadows or trickery to escape. He would not escape this time and then take away the key while they were distracted. They went too far for this to happen, and Akali remained extra vigilant.

“Thresh, this is all your fault,” Zed said, holding out a blade towards Thresh, not as an attack, but as a mocking gesture. Zed was still arrogant as always, confident in his cunning and whiles, though Akali thought that Zed met his match, with Thresh sharing the same cunning and wits as the Shadow Master.

“Quit your posturing, Zed,” Thresh said. “We all know that you lost this match. So stand down. Or else do I need to do something to persuade you to leave?”

Zed glared at Akali, then at Thresh, before conceding his defeat. He slunk back into the shadows, though Akali felt as though she were still being watched.

“Well then,” Thresh said. “Shall we look to see what’s inside the vault?”

Akali’s heart thumped in her chest, though every cell in her body screamed she should resist the temptation, that Thresh lied to her, and he led her to suicide. And yet…Akali couldn’t ignore the implications Thresh told her either. She needed to find the answers, whether or not it led to her downfall. Whether it disillusioned her, or whether it would kill her. The Summoner’s secrets unraveled here.

“Let’s go, Thresh.”

Thresh led the way to the deeper corridors, his lantern glowing eerily in the darkness.

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