Encounter with the Burrowing Worm

"This is the 'lake' you spoke of? 'Abyss' might be a more fitting term."

Before them yawned an abyss, a nexus between two worlds, a gateway from the Void to the material realm.

Its shape mirrored Kane's altered eye, as if a cyclopean eye lay beneath, peering into the overworld.

The sight of the abyss sent a shiver through Kane.

Kai'Sa's words sparked a wild thought—had his eye become a portal to the Void? He dismissed the notion quickly; he couldn't possibly contain such vast power.

As Kane rubbed his eyes forcefully, a surge of dread enveloped him.

Within the abyss, countless soulless black pupils coalesced out of thin air, gazing upward.

Spirals of pallid matter took on nauseating forms, solidifying into grotesque embryonic creatures.

Their hunched spines flattened, swollen limbs stretched and elongated, and hooked claws formed from the liquid insanity of the abyss, birthing translucent monsters that issued their shrill, newborn cries.

Only now did he sense the threat because these beasts were freshly spawned!

Witnessing the birth of the voidlings, Kane felt a furnace-like heat emanate from within. Kai'Sa, standing beside him, quivered, equally affected.

Thousands of skittering creatures emerged from the sea of madness, striving to draw near.

Born from the depths of the earth or some deeper nether, they scurried through the crevices between worlds, climbing ever upwards. Driven by an insatiable urge to kill, they tread ceaselessly on a path of disintegration and ruin.

"Run!"

This time, Kane pulled Kai'Sa, breaking into a sprint to distance themselves from the perilous abyss.

After gazing into the abyss, Kane realized that the voidlings they had encountered before were not entirely stationary.

Each had a purpose.

Their relentless digging had riddled the underworld with holes, and the maze of tunnels they traversed was a testament to their handiwork.

The subterranean world was far more treacherous than they had imagined!

The scraping sound of rock grew louder, the creatures closing in.

Kane looked back, his unique vision paralyzing them momentarily, then turned and bolted.

But his telepathic control had limits—once out of range, the beasts would act again, pursuing them relentlessly.

They dove through several passageways, yet the creatures invariably followed.

Kane had not sensed this when he was the hunter, but now, as prey, the ability felt hauntingly omnipresent.

Another fork in the dark beckoned, and they prayed it would offer an escape.

Traditionally, Kane had been the pathfinder, his senses steering them clear of lurking danger. But exceptions existed, like now, when he sensed the peril too late, right upon the trap.

In a startling move, Kane released their clasped hands mid-sprint and shoved Kai'Sa away. The counterforce sent him sprawling to the side.

In a split second of inattention, a massive creature larger than both of them burst from the ground, its gaping maw snapping shut where they had just been.

Kane's premonition had saved them—if he hadn't acted, one of them would surely have perished.

Kai'Sa fell, her shoulder struck by flying debris. The injury was mild compared to what might have been.

She rose swiftly, her claws raking furiously across the creature's chitinous armor, scoring deep grooves yet insufficient to reach its heart.

Seeing Kai'Sa's claws unable to breach the burrower's carapace, Kane retracted his own.

If her darkened armor couldn't damage it, his attempts would be futile.

He urged Kai'Sa to circle around to him, but the swarm was upon them.

As Kai'Sa moved, the burrower's head dipped menacingly, its eyeless visage dominated by a ghastly maw, the abyssal throat lined with rows of fangs, its tubular tongue seeking entrance.

The monster snapped viciously, forcing Kai'Sa to fall back, narrowly evading its teeth.

But the delay was costly—the swarm had her surrounded.

"No!"

Kane's eyes blazed with fury, his abyssal eye sending ripples across the swarm, freezing the voracious creatures in their tracks.

The hunger agitated them, but he calmed them, directing some to assault the burrower.

While he could control the voidlings, the mightier burrower defied his influence. It blocked the passageway, a leviathan barrier preventing their reunion.

The frenzied voidlings descended on the burrower, their teeth etching the armor. The beast writhed, flinging off its assailants.

A golden opportunity!

As the voidlings distracted the burrower, Kai'Sa seized the moment Kane had created, attempting to skirt along the wall and return to his side.

But just as she neared success, the burrower's carapace flipped open, revealing an array of slender but sharp spikes that pierced the walls like bolts, barring her path.

For the first time, she saw the creature had eyes—black orbs studded along its body, watching her and Kane, ready to strike with lightning speed at any sign of approach.

The obstacles between them grew, and Kai'Sa's tears fell freely.

Suddenly, she noticed the burrower's spindly legs seemed fragile. A surge of determination rose—she would tear through the obstruction and reunite with Kane.

But at her advance, Kane stopped her.

"Don't be foolish! It's too dangerous!"

He knew the voidlings couldn't kill the heavily armored burrower. It stood as an insurmountable barrier between them, and with a heavy heart, he gave the order.

"Kai'Sa, run. Head to another passageway. I'll hold them here until you're safe, then I'll make my escape. Don't worry, I'll find you again with my abilities."

As he spoke, a path cleared through the swarm.

His power was depleting rapidly. Without swift decision-making, neither would survive.

"But you won't escape the swarm!"

Kai'Sa was no fool; she understood Kane's tactic would leave him in a relentless chase—perhaps not his intention, but the outcome was foreseeable.

"It's the best way! You escape successfully, and I might not be caught."

Tears blurred his vision, his eyelids heavy as if weighted with tons, threatening to close.

But he dared not blink—not even for an instant...

He feared that in the bat of an eye, the berserk swarm would tear Kai'Sa apart.

As fate hung in the balance, Kai'Sa made her choice.

"I won't! I won't leave! I want to stay with you!"