The Shadow Isles.
They stood upon the sea, hidden within the Black Mist. To the people of the world, they seemed to exist somewhere between reality and illusion.
And when the day came for them to reveal themselves to the world once more, the Black Mist would inevitably sweep across all of Runeterra.
The islands were shrouded in an eerie green silence. From time to time, spirits drifted past, producing strange, chilling sounds as they floated through the air.
Deep in the heart of the Shadow Isles lay a field of broken stone and shattered walls, the ruins of what had once been a grand palace. Only a charred, ruined throne remained, and standing before it was a long blade glowing with ghostly green light.
The Blade of the Ruined King.
Absolute silence filled this place.
Even the wandering dead outside did not dare approach and disturb it.
No one knew how many years this silence had endured.
Then, suddenly, a skeletal wraith approached at an unhurried pace.
In one hand, he carried a lantern radiating an eerie glow. A chain and hook hung from his waist, while his body was wrapped in broad, ancient robes. In his other hand was a small black parasol.
It was Thresh.
The closer Thresh came to the throne, the more respectful his steps became.
When he was roughly ten feet away, he slowly stopped and lowered himself onto one knee. Carefully setting down his lantern, he raised the black parasol with both hands.
"Great Ruined King, I have brought you what you requested."
He stretched out the words, sounding every bit like a devoted servant before his sovereign.
As his voice faded, the Blade of the Ruined King planted before the throne trembled slightly.
Suddenly, the surrounding Black Mist surged inward and began condensing into a tall figure.
Before Thresh's eyes, a pale-skinned, handsome young man gradually materialized, a spectral crown floating above his head. His expression was cold, and his dark green eyes carried an indifference toward everything in existence.
Only when his gaze fell upon the parasol, or rather, upon the one thing within it that still mattered to him, did a trace of emotion finally appear.
"Isolde..."
The Ruined King stepped forward and gently took the parasol.
The instant his hand touched it, the remnants of the soul attached to the spiritual parasol emerged.
They drifted aimlessly like jellyfish in the depths of the sea before slowly moving toward another place under the Ruined King's guidance.
Several other fragments already floated there.
They all belonged to the same person.
And each carried a piece of the longing the Ruined King had endured for a thousand years.
"Not enough... nowhere near enough."
The Ruined King's gaze rested on the fragments.
Before his eyes seemed to flash the image of a beautiful woman, every moment they had shared, every smile, every flash of anger, every sadness and every joy upon her face.
His love, his grief, and his suffering were like a river that would never run dry, gradually gathering into the boundless Black Mist that existed today.
"Find them."
The Ruined King turned back, his icy eyes settling upon Thresh.
"Find every last one."
Thresh remained kneeling respectfully.
"My king, all of us born from the Black Mist remain bound to these islands. Beyond them, the Sentinels of Light have continually fought against the Mist. We have spent all these years searching throughout Runeterra, yet these are all the fragments we have managed to recover."
"Your servant also discovered that one fragment of the queen's soul had attached itself to a Sentinel of Light. I intended to bring her here, but another Sentinel intervened along the way. After a difficult battle, I was unable to overcome the two of them together."
As he spoke, Thresh lifted his lantern and displayed the hole that had been pierced through it, looking almost as though he had suffered a terrible injustice.
Viego sat upon the throne and quietly listened to Thresh make his excuses, without the slightest change in expression.
Only after Thresh had finished did he raise his eyes.
"The Sentinels of Light... so they are the ones who have been obstructing me all these years?"
Most of Viego's consciousness had spent those years asleep.
But even in sleep, his longing for Isolde had never ceased.
The Black Mist spreading from the Shadow Isles across Runeterra was itself an extension of that longing.
Thresh immediately answered, "Yes. The Sentinels have fought the Shadow Isles from the very beginning. Using sacred relics taken from the Blessed Isles, they are able to drive back the Black Mist."
Viego listened in silence before saying, "So be it. Before long, I will break the shackles left behind by the Blessed Isles. When that happens, I will deal with these Sentinels personally and bring Isolde back to me."
His memories of what had happened before and after the fall of the Blessed Isles were hazy.
But he no longer cared.
All he knew was that those islands had imprisoned him.
Now, however, he was close to breaking free.
Once the seal was shattered, neither he nor the Black Mist would be restricted any longer.
Given his exalted status, once the shackles were broken, such matters could easily have been left to the spirits beneath his command.
But he intended to act personally.
Because Isolde was worth it.
As the years passed, his love and longing for her had not diminished in the slightest.
Instead, they had only grown more intense.
"We have all been waiting for that day."
Thresh sounded almost excited.
"Leave me."
Viego waved his hand with weary impatience, dismissing him.
"Yes, my king."
Thresh rose and continued facing Viego as he backed away step by step.
Only after retreating roughly thirty feet did he finally turn and silently leave.
A faint smile seemed to curl across his face.
Once Thresh was gone, Viego looked back toward the soul fragments.
He waved a hand.
The air rippled like the surface of water, and within it appeared a flawless, beautiful young woman. A gentle smile rested on her lips, and her lovely eyes seemed to gaze at him with endless affection.
But after only an instant, the image disappeared.
Viego instinctively reached out as though trying to stop her from leaving.
His hand closed around nothing.
"Isolde... why haven't you returned to me yet?"
Viego's eyes flickered as he murmured to himself.
Soon, his gaze hardened once more, radiating icy determination.
It would not be much longer.
For Isolde, he was willing to sacrifice everything.
Even if all of Runeterra had to pay the price.
Piltover.
The City of Progress stood near the heart of Runeterra.
With the development of hextech and the opening of the Hexgates, the city had effectively become the heart of the world.
At the Hexgate transport terminal, a brilliant blue magical light rose from bottom to top and enveloped the entire tower.
With a low hum and a flash of blue light, an airship transported from another station had already arrived.
From entering the station to completing the teleportation, the entire journey had taken no more than ten minutes.
This invention had sent the wheels of progress rolling forward at astonishing speed.
Even from a historical perspective, its significance was immense.
Once the transport airship settled into its designated position, the passengers began disembarking.
Among them walked a man and a woman side by side.
Lucian and Senna.
Senna stared at the surroundings that had changed completely in the blink of an eye, unable to hide her astonishment.
"Has the world really changed this much in the two years I was gone?"
What exactly had they just ridden?
It had transported them across such an enormous distance almost instantly, and judging by everyone's reactions, this had already become completely ordinary.
She had only been imprisoned for a few years.
Anyone who did not know better might have thought an entire century had passed.
Then there was the stone-like device Lucian had used earlier, something that allowed him to communicate with people over great distances.
That was incredibly convenient too.
The world was developing so quickly that Senna was struggling to adjust.
Lucian smiled.
"Actually, most of this only entered widespread use about six months ago. The first time I traveled this way, I reacted exactly like you."
Senna nodded slightly.
The two continued talking as they walked toward the exit.
Before long, Lucian spotted Luke standing among the crowd outside.
He was difficult to miss.
Luke smiled and walked over.
"It's been a while."
Lucian smiled as well.
"It has, Your Highness. This is my wife. I've told you about her before, Senna."
At that, Senna immediately inclined her head respectfully.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Your Highness."
"No need to be so formal. It's good to meet you too."
Luke smiled at her.
They had already contacted each other through the Secret Key two days earlier, and Luke had learned that Lucian had finally rescued his wife, Senna.
He had also learned about the situation involving the Shadow Isles.
"We were only waiting for you two. Come on."
Luke looked at them, then turned and led the way.
Lucian and Senna immediately followed.
The three traveled without obstruction and soon arrived at the foot of a tall building before heading inside.
They took an elevator directly to the twelfth floor.
When the elevator doors opened, a spacious conference hall surrounded on all sides by large windows appeared before them.
Many people were already waiting inside.
From Demacia, Tianna Crownguard, Jarvan IV, Garen, Xin Zhao, Lux, Fiora, Sona, and many others were present.
There were also representatives from Piltover and Zaun, including several councilors, Heimerdinger, Jayce, Viktor, Caitlyn, Vi, Jinx, and Ekko.
From Bilgewater came Sarah Fortune and Illaoi, along with trusted members of each woman's crew.
Ionia's delegation was led by Karma and Irelia, with Akali, Ahri, Master Yi, Zed, and Shen all among them.
In addition, Taliyah, Kai'Sa, and Katarina were present.
Yes, Luke had invited Katarina as well.
Since the matter concerned the Shadow Isles, he considered it necessary to inform her.
The remaining attendees were the Sentinel companions who had separated from Luke in Bilgewater last time and left to continue their search.
They had arrived in Piltover ahead of Lucian and Senna.
Essentially every trustworthy person Luke had befriended over all these years had gathered here.
There were so many of them that they nearly filled the entire conference hall.
It was, without exaggeration, one of the most impressive gatherings of influential figures Runeterra had ever seen.
Everyone wore a serious expression.
They all knew that whatever came next would not be simple.
As Luke, Lucian, and Senna entered, the scattered conversations around the hall gradually died away.
"Everyone, I'll skip the pointless pleasantries. Look around and you'll find yourselves surrounded by friends. There will be plenty of time to get acquainted afterward."
Luke stepped into the center of the conference hall as he spoke.
"I believe everyone already knows why I gathered you here. What we're discussing today is the Shadow Isles."
"For many of you, this is not the first time you've heard about the Shadow Isles or the Black Mist that devours the living. The threat it represents is becoming increasingly urgent. We need to confront it before it is too late."
"The two people beside me have brought crucial information to share with all of you, information that will be vital in our coming struggle against the Shadow Isles."
Luke looked toward Senna and Lucian before taking a small step back and giving them the center of the room.
Even Luke would not claim to understand the Shadow Isles better than these two.
Senna felt every gaze in the hall turn toward her.
Even someone who had experienced countless dangerous situations could not help feeling a certain pressure beneath the attention of so many extraordinary people.
But she knew these were the people who might soon be fighting beside her.
And if they were going to stand against the Shadow Isles, she needed their strength.
Senna exhaled slowly and stepped forward.
"My name is Senna, and I am a Sentinel of Light. Our primary duty is to fight the Shadow Isles and the Black Mist."
"Many years ago, Lucian and I fought a spirit from the Shadow Isles. During that battle, I was imprisoned inside a place filled with nothing but death and torment. But because of certain unusual circumstances, I not only survived, I also learned a great deal about the Shadow Isles."
As she spoke, Senna raised a hand.
Black Mist emerged from her palm.
It slowly drifted upward before spreading outward in a circle.
Within the open space at its center, images appeared as though reflected across the surface of water.
"First, there is the Black Mist itself. Its origin lies in a curse born from love. And the one responsible for unleashing that curse is the man I'm about to tell you about, Viego."
As Senna spoke, the image within the Black Mist changed.
A young man wearing a crown appeared.
"To understand the truth behind the Shadow Isles, we have to begin a thousand years ago, when they were still known as the Blessed Isles."
Senna began recounting everything she had learned, piece by piece.
Long ago, before the Shadow Isles existed, the Blessed Isles lay hidden behind mist and sea.
A mysterious order lived there, dedicating themselves to safeguarding Runeterra.
Beyond the islands stood a powerful empire.
One day, the empire's heir suddenly died in an accident.
The young second prince unexpectedly inherited the throne.
But he had neither the desire to rule nor the ability to govern, and he cared little for the crown that had fallen into his hands.
His mediocre rule caused the once-powerful empire to begin showing signs of decline.
That changed on the day he married his queen.
She had come from the lowest ranks of society, a poor seamstress, yet she was both extraordinarily beautiful and kindhearted.
The king gave her the finest things he possessed, along with all of his love.
The two became inseparable.
With the queen's help, the young king gradually restored order to his declining kingdom.
Everything seemed to be thriving again.
Then disaster struck.
During a banquet, a conspiracy that had been brewing against the king for a long time finally moved into action.
But it was the queen who paid the price.
Innocent and unaware, she drank the poisoned wine intended for the king and collapsed on the spot.
The young king froze.
Then his shock transformed into uncontrollable rage.
He immediately ordered the hall sealed and demanded that the one responsible for the poisoning be found.
He did indeed uncover the culprits.
One of his royal uncles and several ministers had conspired together.
They had coveted the throne for years, never expecting that the queen would take the poisoned drink meant for him.
Consumed by fury, the young king had them executed on the spot.
Blood stained the banquet hall red.
Through ruthless action, he had protected his throne.
But no amount of power could restore his queen's life.
Even after he obtained the finest medicines and summoned the greatest physicians he could find, they could do nothing more than keep the queen barely clinging to life.