Memories of the World Above

In the days, or rather, the indefinite stretch of time that followed, Kane led Kai'Sa through a dance of evasion and pursuit, forever sidestepping threats and seeking prey.

In the perennial darkness, time had blurred. What year was it even?

They sometimes attempted to climb the tunnels upwards, but the lack of proper tools and Kai'Sa's still-developing body rendered steep ascents impossible.

"Better to wait until we're fully cloaked in Void carapace before we try to ascend to the world above," Kane thought.

Under his strategic guidance, Kai'Sa's carapace developed rapidly.

Watching the armor slowly extend from her forearm to her shoulder, Kane mused, "If she masters her balance, carrying me single-handedly for miles wouldn't be a stretch."

Now, he hesitated to hug Kai'Sa, fearing her burgeoning strength might inadvertently break his ribs.

As it stood, Kai'Sa was a powerhouse. Yet, when compared to the myriad Void creatures, her strength was negligible.

They had once returned to the ruins of their village in search of an exit, thinking the collapsed settlement must surely have one above.

Instead, they found the ruins overrun with voidling swarms.

Witnessing a voidling dislodge a boulder several times its own size to retrieve a frozen corpse for feeding chilled them to the core. These creatures were indiscriminate—fresh or rotten, flesh or bone, anything organic was fair game.

Seeing the desecration of their people's remains, Kai'Sa's fury propelled her into a futile skirmish with a goat-sized voidling. Her armored arm was deflected by the creature's powerful limb, even sustaining injury.

Feeling the oppressive presence of the swarm, Kane swiftly pulled Kai'Sa away, never to return.

From that day, Kane understood their altered bodies, no matter how evolved, could never match the might of the true denizens of the Void.

Their bodies were but "packaged" in Void essence, unable to alter the human essence within.

If the factors limiting the size of the void creatures—like oxygen and nerve transmission—were removed, could humanity still reign supreme in nature's hierarchy?

Clearly, intelligence did not compensate for the despairing gap in strength, speed, and durability.

This was likely why most Void entities took the terrifying forms of insectoid creatures.

However, Kai'Sa was never meant to be a mere brute. Once fully armored, her remarkable speed would eclipse these voidlings, leaving them in her dust.

Her evolution was complemented by formidable ranged capabilities.

In time, her carapace would evolve to spew specialized flames and plasma, scorching the Void creatures into oblivion.

This was the primary reason Kane had funneled resources into her development.

Kai'Sa's trajectory was clear and pragmatic. As for himself, his reliance on mental control over brute strength meant he could afford to take the back seat.

"Kane, I'm starting to forget what the sun looks like."

They wound through the bioluminescent violet tunnels, Kai'Sa chattering away whenever Kane allowed.

He listened silently as she spoke of the world above.

"Sometimes I forget what the sun looks like, how we used to tell time by the shadows."

Born in the desert, yet forgetting the sun—it brought her to the brink of tears.

In her recollection, the sun reflected off the water, a golden orb in the sky, its warmth seeping into every breath.

Kai'Sa inhaled deeply, yet the air lacked the scorching heat from above.

Kane had no words—these memories meant nothing to him. Other than the remnants left in his body, he could only imagine the sun of Shurima through her stories.

He had never experienced the world above, awaking only to find himself buried below, with no chance to see the sun.

Her tales planted a seed within him, a longing to return to the surface that began to sprout.

During their banter, Kane noticed a change in the patterns of light and temperature perceived by his left eye.

Kai'Sa, less sensitive, realized something was different after they had walked a bit further.

Light filtered from ahead, brightening the dark tunnel, agitating the carapace.

Kane sensed no danger, yet felt an inexplicable pull towards the source.

Was it a trap or an opportunity?

After weighing the risks, Kane concluded that the underground held no fortune.

The Void only takes; it does not give back.

He wanted to leave, but Kai'Sa insisted on investigating. Her immense strength made resistance futile.

"What if it's daylight from above?"

Hope filled her eyes. Could it be so coincidental that after speaking of sunlight, they could stumble upon it?

Stubborn by nature, Kai'Sa was not easily swayed once she'd made up her mind.

"Very well."

Kane reasoned their safety was somewhat assured with him by her side, certainly more so than if she were alone.

He also conceded that facing danger could be beneficial—knowledge of one's limits and the true terror of the unknown could be enlightening in this perilous subterranean world.

"I'm not against going; just slow down, be cautious."

Kane's gentle acquiescence slowed Kai'Sa's approach.

At the tunnel's exit, they observed the surrounding rocks emitting a faint glow, resembling the reflective sheen of a subterranean lake's surface.

The light rippled subtly, indicating the source was not static; something stirred the light, and they were ignorant of its nature.

Still detecting no Void creatures, Kane advanced and halted abruptly at the threshold.

—He found himself on the brink of an abyss.

The boundary between two realms fluctuated like the tides of the Saon Sea. The purple abyss shimmered menacingly, a whirlpool of dissolution and rebirth never ceasing.

Waves of mighty energy churned within, occasionally manifesting into monstrous forms reminiscent of the leviathan beasts said to dwell in ocean depths, creatures of tales and legend.

"It's not sunshine..." Kai'Sa leaned in, peering into the abyss, "But it feels familiar."

A sudden recognition flashed, and she grasped Kane's face, locking eyes.

In his gaze, she saw a reflection of the abyss.