Permission Denied!
The morning sun painted Ravenhurst in warm hues, the air calm after days of tension. Lux stood near the town’s central square with Jarvan and Garen, who were readying themselves to depart. A handful of Demacian soldiers waited nearby, their horses saddled and restless.
Vi, Caitlyn, Powder, and Ekko leaned casually against a fence, chatting amongst themselves while keeping an eye on the trio. The mood was light, but Lux seemed hesitant, glancing between her companions and the trail leading back to Kalstead.
Jarvan turned to her with a faint smile, adjusting his gauntlet. "Lux, we should get going. It’s just an hour’s ride, and I’d like to handle some matters before noon."
Lux hesitated, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak. "Actually... I was thinking I might stay here a little longer."
Both Jarvan and Garen froze, their expressions mirroring each other’s surprise.
"Stay?" Garen asked, his brows knitting together. "What for?"
Lux glanced toward Powder, who was fiddling with a small contraption she had pulled from her satchel. "Powder and I were planning something, and I... want to see it through."
"Planning what?" Jarvan asked, his tone cautious.
"Nothing dangerous," Lux replied quickly. "Just a small adventure. Besides, the town could still use some help after everything that’s happened, and I’d like to do my part."
Garen studied her, his expression softening. "You’ve grown close to her quickly."
"She’s easy to get along with," Lux said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
Jarvan, however, looked uneasy. "Lux, are you sure? You’re the Crownguard’s heir and..." He trailed off, his eyes darting to the surrounding. "This is hardly a secure environment."
Before Lux could reply, Garen stepped in. "There are guards stationed here, and Vi, Caitlyn, and the others have proven themselves capable of handling worse threats than what this town might face. She’ll be safe, Jarvan."
Jarvan’s frown lingered, but he eventually sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. If you’re staying, just... be careful."
Lux smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I’ll return soon."
With that, Jarvan and Garen mounted their horses, casting one last glance back before heading down the trail toward Kalstead.
As the dust settled, Powder sidled up to Lux, her grin mischievous. "So, you’re staying for me, huh? I must be special."
Lux chuckled, shaking her head. "Don’t let it go to your head."
Powder twirled a loose strand of blue hair around her finger. "So, forest trek? We’re still doing that, right?"
Before Lux could respond, a voice interrupted.
"Forest trek?" Tali appeared seemingly out of nowhere, her ears twitching with curiosity. "What’s this about a forest trek?"
Powder groaned. "Ugh, Tali, do you have to eavesdrop on everything?"
Tali’s eyes narrowed playfully. "I wasn’t eavesdropping! Your voices are just... loud." She tilted her head toward Lux. "Why are you and the princess heading into the forest?"
Powder smirked, her tone turning theatrical. "Well, you see, Lux here is no ordinary princess. She’s a super-powerful mage! She can sense danger from miles away and everything!"
Lux froze, her face turning red. "I—uh—"
Tali’s ears perked up, her wide eyes filled with wonder. "Really?"
"Totally," Powder said with mock seriousness, clearly enjoying herself. "She’ll keep us safe from all the big scary monsters."
Lux turned bright red, waving her hands in protest. "Powder—!"
Tali’s wide eyes lit up with awe. "Really? You can do that, Princess?"
"No!" Lux blurted, laughing nervously. "Powder’s joking. I’m not a mage, Tali. She’s just being silly."
Powder rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Way to ruin the fun."
Tali’s ears drooped slightly. "Oh... well, what’s in the forest, anyway? Can I come too?"
Powder’s expression immediately turned serious. "Absolutely not."
Tali blinked, startled by the firmness in Powder’s tone. "Why not? I’m quick, and I won’t slow you down!"
"Because it’s not safe," Powder said, crossing her arms. "You know what happened in Kalstead. Those assassins came out of the forest, and there could still be more of them out there. I’m not dragging a kid into that."
"I’m not a kid!" Tali shot back, her ears twitching with indignation.
"You’re eleven," Powder said flatly. "That’s basically a baby in assassin years."
Tali pouted, her tail flicking in frustration. "But—"
"No buts," Powder said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You’re staying here, where it’s safe."
Lux stepped in, kneeling to meet Tali’s gaze. "Powder’s right, Tali. It’s too dangerous. But we’ll be careful, and we’ll tell you all about it when we get back. Okay?"
Tali frowned but eventually nodded, though her ears remained flattened. "Fine. Just don’t get hurt."
"Promise," Lux said with a kind smile.
Powder let out a relieved sigh and turned toward Ekko, who was leaning casually against the wall. "Alright, Ekko, you’re coming with us."
Ekko raised an eyebrow but didn’t hesitate. "Sure, why not?"
Powder grinned, clearly expecting his response. "Knew you’d say yes. You were with those hunters, so you know all about tracking... and bugs."
Ekko groaned, rolling his eyes. "I was with them for one day, Powder. And that was mostly them telling me what not to touch."
"Exactly," Powder said with mock seriousness. "So you’re practically an expert compared to us."
"Uh-huh," Ekko replied, crossing his arms. "And this has nothing to do with you not wanting to go into the creepy forest alone?"
Powder gasped in feigned offense. "What? No! I just want to share this amazing adventure with my dear friend Ekko, who also happens to know a ton about bugs."
Lux chuckled softly, watching their back-and-forth. "You two are quite the team."
"Yeah, yeah," Ekko said. "Let’s just get this over with."
As they prepared to leave, Powder glanced across the square at Vi and Warwick. Vi sat on a bench, her head tilted slightly as she spoke to the hulking figure beside her. For once, Warwick’s posture wasn’t tense—he looked almost at ease, his massive hands resting loosely on his knees as he listened.
Powder hesitated, her teasing demeanor briefly faltering. "I was gonna ask Vi to come, but..." She trailed off, watching them.
Ekko followed her gaze and gave a small nod. "She deserves some time to breathe. They both do."
"Yeah," Powder said softly, then turned back to Ekko and Lux, her usual grin returning. "Alright, bug expert, princess, let’s hit the road."
After a quick discussion on which path to take, the trio set off into the forest, with Ekko’s hoverboard strapped to his back and his trusty pipe swinging at his side. Powder walked ahead, her crossbow slung over one shoulder, while Lux trailed slightly behind, her eyes scanning the woods with a focused yet distracted air.
The forest was alive with sound—the rustle of leaves, the chirp of unseen birds, and the occasional snap of twigs underfoot. Shafts of sunlight filtered through the canopy, painting dappled patterns on the ground as they moved deeper into the trees.
Powder kicked at a rock, sending it bouncing ahead on the trail. "Alright, forest squad. Keep an eye out for anything cool—like bugs, treasure, or maybe a creepy old cabin."
Ekko smirked, shifting the weight of his hoverboard. "I’m starting to think you’d rather find bugs than treasure."
"Obviously," Powder said with a grin. "Treasure doesn’t crawl, or bite, or have fun little legs. Bugs are way cooler."
Lux laughed softly, her voice light in the quiet woods. "I think you’re the first person I’ve met who thinks that."
"That’s because most people are boring," Powder replied, flashing her a playful smile.
Powder continued to walk ahead, her enthusiasm for the forest evident as she scanned the trees with exaggerated interest. But Lux, feeling an unfamiliar pull, subtly adjusted her steps now and then, as if instinctively sensing something ahead. She shifted slightly to the left, then veered a little right, making small changes to the path as they went.
After a few more minutes of walking, the dense trees suddenly parted, revealing a clearing scattered with a series of metal bunkers. They stood like forgotten structures, their surfaces weathered and rusted, half-swallowed by vines and moss. The heavy air carried a strange hum, almost like the earth itself was whispering secrets beneath the surface.
Lux’s eyes widened as she took in the sight. "Why are there so many bunkers here?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly in the open space.
Ekko stepped forward, adjusting his hoverboard. "Locals say these were built during the Rune Wars," he explained, glancing around. "People needed somewhere to hide from all the chaos—magic, bombs, armies. It was... a lot."
Powder, who had been walking with her usual carefree attitude, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I lived in one for a bit a few months back. Different forest, though. The bunkers there were less... rusty. And there were way more rats." She made a face at the memory, but the faint grin tugging at the corners of her mouth suggested she was remembering the comfort they had provided.
Lux gazed at the bunkers thoughtfully. "That’s... intense," she murmured. "And now, they’re just... here. Forgotten?"
"Seems like it," Ekko said, his voice distant as he examined the corroded metal. "But you’d be surprised what people leave behind when they’re running for their lives."
Lux’s gaze flickered from one bunker to the next, her fingers twitching as if itching to explore. "Well, let’s check one out, then."
Powder perked up, pointing at the nearest one, its metal door still mostly intact. "That one looks solid. I say we start there."
But Lux didn’t follow her finger; instead, she pointed to another bunker deeper into the clearing. "No. That one."
Ekko raised an eyebrow, eyeing the structure Lux had chosen. "You sure? That one looks like it’s about to cave in."
Powder looked between them, the playful gleam in her eyes softening as she shrugged. "Well, you’re the guest, princess," she said with a grin, her voice light but respectful. "If you want that one, I guess we’ll head there."
Lux smiled, though there was a flicker of something strange in her expression. She felt it now, a faint hum under her skin that tugged her forward. It wasn’t just curiosity—it was something else, something she couldn’t explain. She looked at the bunker she had pointed to, and for a brief moment, the magical energy felt almost palpable.
Powder didn’t notice the shift, but Ekko, with his sharp senses, gave Lux a questioning look. "I don’t know about this... that one looks way worse than the others."
Lux hesitated, then met his gaze. "Trust me, I just feel like it’s the right one."
After a beat, Ekko shrugged. "Alright, if you say so."
Powder, with a mischievous smirk, followed Lux’s lead. "Alright, princess, but if we find a bunch of creepy crawlies or hidden treasure, I’m calling dibs on the bugs."
As they moved toward the chosen bunker, the strange pull Lux had felt grew stronger, almost as if the very air around them thickened with magic. She could sense it now, a raw, untamed energy that seemed to pulse from beneath the ground.
Unbeknownst to Powder and Ekko, they were headed straight for the source of the mysterious force. The metal door of the bunker loomed ahead, cracked but still standing, as if waiting for them.
As the trio approached the metal bunker, the air around them grew heavier with each step. Powder reached for her light, a small, flickering orb she’d always carried in her pack. She pulled it free and activated it, sending a soft glow cutting through the darkness as she pulled open the first door.
The heavy creak of the metal door echoed in the stillness, and they stepped into the shadowed space beyond. But as they moved inside, their eyes widened in disbelief. The room was bathed in an eerie purple light that seemed to pulse from the very walls. It was coming from a large, glowing gem embedded into the half open door of a second room ahead of them, with some white light spilling out of the gaps.
Lux’s heart skipped a beat. "What... is that?"
Ekko narrowed his eyes at the gem. "That doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen before. Doesn’t exactly scream ‘safe’."
Powder, ever the adventurer, shrugged. "Safe or not, it’s cool. And it’s glowing!" She pushed ahead, curiosity driving her steps as she gently pulled open the second door entirely.
As the door swung inward, a stark contrast hit them—this new room was illuminated by a brilliant white light, harsh yet pure. But there was something else in the mix, a faint red hue flickering through the space like bloodstains beneath the surface. The room was vast, cold, and impossibly quiet.
"What is this place?" Lux whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the magical energy swirling in the air. She took a step forward, entranced by the odd combination of lights, when her gaze was drawn to something far across the room.
At the farthest wall, a massive lever stood, its dark metal surface glinting in the strange lights. Next to it, a woman’s statue was carved with flawless precision, her head bowed low in supplication. She knelt on both knees, her palms pressed together and extended outward, as though begging for something unseen. The sculpted details were so lifelike that it almost seemed as though the woman might move at any moment.
But the most disturbing part was the inscription above her, glowing faintly in the eerie red light. The red veins of light across the walls pulsed softly, but it was the bold, unsettling message that dominated the space. Above the statue, in large, jagged letters, the words gleamed in vivid red:
"Permission Denied! Unless you're me!"
The message hung in the air, its meaning cryptic and foreboding. The starkness of the words contrasted with the cold, quiet room, leaving a chilling impression that reverberated in the silence.