Arcane: Twin Cities Mechanic

The moment the name "Erlok Grael" was uttered, Thresh, who was gripping his chain with his right hand and swinging his scythe, froze in place. The ghostly green flames on his body flared even more violently. 

"How... do you know that name?" His skeletal jaw shifted slightly, producing a voice laced with decayed magic.

Thresh was no demon; he didn't fear having his true name revealed. Yet he had long erased all records of himself from the Shadow Isles. Even the souls he hunted, tortured, and imprisoned knew him only as the "Chain Warden" or simply "Thresh." 

And yet, the man standing before him—a man clad in armor brimming with boundless energy, as though a mighty automaton had been hollowed out and compressed to fit a human frame—knew his real name?

Li Lin smirked and shook his head. "Not only do I know your true name, Erlok Grael, but I also know exactly what you've done. The Shadow Isles are the way they are because of you. 

"It was you who guided the Ruined King, Viego, to place his queen's corpse into the Waters of Life. You knew exactly what would happen." 

Thresh fell silent for a moment before letting out a chilling, sinister chuckle that grew into full-blown laughter. He doubled over, shaking with amusement. 

"Interesting. This is far too interesting!" His laughter abruptly ceased, his tone turning icy. "Perhaps if I claim your soul, I can learn even more fascinating secrets."

"Too bad for you," Li Lin replied with a calm smile. "Not even the primordial demon Fiddlesticks can claim my soul. You, a mere Mistwalker of the Shadow Isles? Don't even bother."

Infuriated by Li Lin's bold claim, Thresh lashed out with his scythe, the chain extending far beyond its natural length as it sought to reach him. But before the blade could even touch the energy shield around Li Lin's armor, a brilliant golden light descended from the heavens, striking Thresh's location in an instant. 

The chain stopped mid-air, disintegrating into gray-green particles that faded into the mist. Thresh's presence vanished entirely, replaced by an overwhelmingly powerful aura—one imbued with divine, holy energy. 

As the dust settled, a towering figure—four to five meters tall, with broad wings and an imposing form—stood before Li Lin. Even the countless anguished souls that had suddenly appeared around them dared not approach him.

"Aatrox, General of the Ascended, stand down! These are the tortured souls Thresh has harvested," Li Lin called out.

Aatrox paused, lowering the massive sword he had drawn, and returned it to his back. "I wasn't going to do anything. I ran into an undead army on my way here and got tangled up."

Li Lin blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "An undead army?"

"The fools thought they could use their funeral dirge to cloud my mind. Pitiful." Aatrox scoffed. "They've all been thoroughly cleansed."

Ah, so it was Karthus, the Deathsinger, who had led his wretched undead army to stop an Ascended being—currently the most powerful among their kind. The strength of a being like Aatrox, whose power came from the Sun Disc and rivaled even the Celestials, was far beyond the comprehension of mere undead. For him, annihilating them was as easy as raising a hand.

Thresh had been erased entirely by Aatrox's descending purifying light. The fleeing wisps of gray mist and escaping souls were the remnants from Thresh's lantern.

Aatrox stepped closer to Li Lin, peering into the chasm torn open in the ground. "So, this is the source of the Ruinous Curse?"

Li Lin didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on the gray mist, within which a flickering emerald flame danced. It wasn't long before the flame coalesced, forming the figure of a dark-skinned woman.

"Hmm?" Aatrox turned, his divine senses sharpening as he glanced at the figure. "A Mistwalker breaking free of the mist?"

The woman, her emerald-green eyes wide with shock, stared at the two unusual figures before her. She quickly recovered, reaching behind her to draw a weapon from the swirling mist. A large firearm, assembled on the spot from sacred stones, materialized in her hands. It was a unique weapon, capable of channeling both light and shadow energies—crafted from the remains of fallen Sentinels of Light.

"Wait… something feels off," Aatrox muttered, his crimson eyes narrowing. "You're not a Mistwalker. You've freed yourself from the Black Mist."

"I've taken control of it," the woman replied, as the escaping gray mist surged into her body. "Though it's only a portion, it's enough to save these souls."

Noticing Aatrox's curious expression, she added, "My name is Senna. I'm a Sentinel of Light, sworn to combat the darkness. Two years ago, I landed on the Shadow Isles with my husband, Lucian. Thresh ambushed us, and I… I was killed.

"My soul was imprisoned in his accursed lantern. But while I was there, I uncovered the true nature of the Black Mist…"

"Life," Li Lin interjected, catching Senna off guard. She turned to him, startled.

"The Black Mist originates from the Waters of Life," Li Lin explained. "Its power is derived from the World Runes."

"This… this can't be…" Senna stammered, her mind reeling.

The knowledge passed down from the Sentinel elders in the lantern had told her of the origins of the Ruinous Curse and the nature of her own affliction. But no one had ever mentioned the involvement of the World Runes' magic.

"I can sense it as well," Aatrox confirmed. "The Black Mist carries an essence that stems from the same primordial source as the World Runes. But it's been corrupted."

Senna took a deep breath, trying to process the revelation. She then glanced at Aatrox and Li Lin, a flicker of realization crossing her face. "You're one of Shurima's Ascended, and your equipment… it resembles the Hextech power armor from Piltover. Are you… Li Lin?"

Li Lin's visor became transparent, revealing his face. "So, you've heard of me. Yes, I'm Li Lin of Piltover. A lot has changed in the two years you've been trapped by Thresh."

Senna rubbed her temples, clearly overwhelmed. "I've also heard rumors about the Sun Disc rising again from the sands of Shurima. Are they forging Ascended warriors once more?"

Li Lin cast a sidelong glance at Aatrox and chuckled. "That's a long story, but now isn't the time for it. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

He gestured behind him, where streams of ruinous energy seeped from the ground.

Senna's green eyes flared suddenly, a voice echoing from deep within her soul "The Ruined King… Viego…"

"We must stop the Ruined King from returning!" she exclaimed.

"Why do you think we're here?" Li Lin retorted.

"Don't drag me into this. I'm only here to help you out as a favor," Aatrox chimed in, his playful tone shattering Senna's preconceived notions of the celestial Ascended.

"You two…" 

"I'm searching for one of my comrades," Aatrox clarified. "His essence is sealed in a weapon somewhere on this island. While I'm at it, I might as well assist Li Lin in dealing with the Ruined King."

(End of Chapter.)