....
When Jill entered Raviel's room, she found her fast asleep on the bed, hugging a small blue doll tightly against her chest. The room was quiet and warm, filled with a faint, soothing scent—almost dreamlike.
"Raviel, wake up," Jill said softly, stepping closer and gently calling her name.
"Hmmm… what is it, Jill?" Raviel murmured, her eyes still closed as she shifted slightly. "Is it already time for dinner?"
"No, that's not it," Jill replied. "I just wanted to ask you something."
Hearing that Jill had a question, Raviel slowly opened one eye and glanced in her direction. "What is it? Is it important?" she asked lazily, her voice calm and unbothered.
"Well… earlier, I think I heard something coming from the forest," Jill said. "Do you know anything about it?"
"Ohhh, that?" Raviel answered casually, yawning as she stretched one arm. "It's probably just some intruders trying to get close to our place. I simply asked the spirits of this land to keep uninvited people from approaching."
She turned slightly on the bed, clearly intending to go back to sleep.
"So basically, you set up some kind of barrier around this area?" Jill asked, folding her arms.
"No, Jill," Raviel replied, opening her eyes again and looking at her seriously this time. "I didn't set up a barrier. I asked the spirits to do it. Those are two completely different concepts, okay?"
"Hmmm… alright, alright," Jill said with a small sigh. "In that case, I think I'll head outside for a walk. I'm a bit curious and want to see what things are like out there."
Raviel perked up slightly at that. "Oh, okay then. If you're going out, take this—it'll make getting around easier," she said, tossing a small pouch toward Jill.
Jill caught it instinctively and opened it, discovering fine, shimmering pixie dust inside.
"Thanks," Jill said with a smile.
Without wasting any time, she sprinkled the pixie dust over herself. A soft glow enveloped her body as her feet lifted gently from the ground. Moments later, she flew out of the room, heading toward the outside to check the surrounding area herself.
Raviel watched the direction Jill flew toward and let out a small sigh, shaking her head. She had planned to go back to sleep, but the drowsiness was completely gone now.
"Damn it… looks like I won't be able to fall asleep again," she muttered, stretching her body lazily as she sat up.
Her eyes drifted toward the forest once more, following the path Jill had taken. After a brief pause, a faint smile formed on her lips.
"Hmmm… should I go check on her too?" she said to herself. "Well, it's not like I have anything better to do. And there's no way I'm letting her wander around out there all by herself."
With that, her figure began to blur. Her body slowly broke apart into countless fine particles, scattering like dust carried by the wind. In the blink of an eye, Raviel vanished completely, leaving the room empty and silent behind her.
.....
Meanwhile, Jill was circling the forested area when she soon noticed signs that something had happened there. The ground bore clear traces of a battle—streaks of dried blood, shattered stones, and trees that had been broken or torn apart as if by immense force.
Not long after, she spotted several bodies scattered across the area. Most of them were badly destroyed, crushed beyond recognition. Only one body remained relatively intact—Peter's.
"Are they soldiers?" Jill muttered, her eyes narrowing as she examined the clothing and equipment they wore.
As she looked around more carefully, Jill noticed something else: footprints leading away from the scene. They were lighter and shaped like human footprints however, it is slightly different—footprints that clearly belonged to a Vastaya.
Seeing this, Jill immediately turned her attention in the direction the tracks were heading, moving quickly to follow them deeper into the forest.
Not long after, Jill reached the edge of a ravine. There, she saw a woman dressed in white, with fox-like tails—clearly a Vastaya—slowly approaching a small girl. The child looked to be around the same age as Sherry, but she was in terrible condition. One of her legs was clearly broken, her body bruised and battered.
"Oh my god!" Jill exclaimed.
Without hesitation, she flew down first, landing beside the injured girl.
"Hey—are you okay?" Jill said softly as she checked the girl's pulse.
When she confirmed that the child was still alive, Jill let out a relieved breath.
Suddenly, movement burst from the bushes.
The fox woman Jill had seen earlier leapt out, lunging toward them with clear intent to attack. Jill reacted instantly, dodging her with ease and positioning herself protectively in front of the girl.
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing?" Jill demanded, confusion clear in her voice.
The fox woman paused, clearly surprised that Jill had blocked her so effortlessly.
"I'm Ahri. And who are you?" she replied, tilting her head. Then her gaze shifted back to the injured girl. "Hmmm… could you hand her over? She's going to die soon anyway, so it shouldn't matter if I eat her soul."
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Jill stiffened, shocked by Ahri's words.
"My name is Jill," she replied, tightening her hold on the unconscious girl. "But I'm sorry—I can't give her to you. And why would you even want to eat her soul?"
Ahri blinked, then answered simply,
"I'm just hungry."
As she spoke, a thin line of drool slipped from the corner of her lips, her eyes locking onto Jill with unmistakable hunger.
"Well then," Ahri continued, her tone shifting as if making a reasonable offer, "how about I take a little of your life force instead? Don't worry—I'll only take a small amount. I'm really starving."
She studied Jill more closely now, her eyes glinting. To Ahri, Jill looked like an endless well of life force—so abundant that even if she fed until full, it felt like it would never truly run dry.
Jill was about to protest.
"W-wait, what do you mea—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Ahri suddenly lunged forward. Moving with swift, predatory grace, she hurled a charm spell straight toward Jill.
But just before the magic could reach her, a shimmering magical barrier formed in front of Jill, blocking the attack completely. The spell dispersed harmlessly against it.
"What—?!" Ahri gasped.
In the next instant, her body was yanked downward. A metallic clang echoed as a chain suddenly wrapped around her leg, emerging from a dark portal that had opened behind her. Losing her balance, Ahri slammed into the ground headfirst.
"Ahhh!" she cried out in pain as her forehead struck the earth.
Her body was then lifted into the air, suspended against her will. A familiar figure appeared beside her.
Raviel.
She stood there calmly, as if the struggling Vastaya weighed nothing at all. Ahri tried to fight back, twisting her body and attempting to free herself—but another chain appeared out of nowhere, binding her arms and completely restraining her movements.
Jill stared in shock.
"Raviel… so you were following me this whole time?" she said. Her surprise was clear, yet there was undeniable relief in her voice as well.
Raviel glanced at her with a small, casual smile.
"Of course," she replied lightly. "There's no way I'd leave my sister wandering around this forest all by herself."
"Hey—let me go, gugh!" Ahri shouted, still struggling violently against the chains that bound her.
Raviel turned her gaze toward the fox Vastaya, watching her thrash about for a moment before sighing softly.
"Hey," Raviel said calmly, her voice firm but not harsh. "Could you stay still for a second? If you behave, I promise I'll let you go."
Ahri froze mid-struggle. Her golden eyes widened slightly, and the fox ears atop her head perked up.
"R-really?" she asked, her tone suddenly cautious but hopeful.
"Yep. I promise," Raviel replied casually. Then she leaned in closer and whispered near Ahri's ear, her voice dropping just enough to sound tempting.
"And if you don't do anything strange and listen properly… maybe I can give you some food so you won't be hungry anymore."
The effect was immediate.
Ahri stopped moving entirely. Her body went completely still, her tail no longer swaying, as if a switch had been flipped. In an instant, she looked less like a dangerous predator and more like a fox that had just been offered a treat—quiet, obedient, and intensely focused.
"Clever girl," Raviel said, and in her hand, an Orb formed, brimming with vast memories and life force.
"This is your reward for obeying," Raviel murmured, bringing the Orb to Ahri's lips.
Ahri, seeing it, eagerly sucked it in without hesitation.
"Ah... ah... ahhh," Ahri moaned as she consumed the Orb, her body shuddering with sudden ecstasy—and then she pissed herself. Of course, this was because Raviel had filled the Orb with memories of her and Allen when they were making love together.
So Ahri felt every sensation and relived every moment of what they had done.
Jill blinked in surprise at the sudden shift, especially seeing Ahri lost in euphoric bliss, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.
"...That worked a little too well," she muttered under her breath. Jill was certainly a little curious about what her sister had actually given her to make her the way she was now.
Jill suddenly remembered the girl she was still holding in her arms—the one whose condition seemed to be worsening by the second. Her skin looked unnaturally pale, her breathing shallow, and streaks of blood stained her clothes.
"Raviel… can you help me stabilize her?" Jill asked anxiously. "She's lost a lot of blood. She doesn't look like she'll last much longer."
Raviel glanced at the girl for a brief moment, then shook her head slowly, her expression flat—almost bored.
"Jill, you've been deceived," Raviel said calmly. "That girl has been perfectly fine this entire time." Her gaze hardened slightly. "How long do you plan on pretending, hmm? Haven't you toyed with my sister enough?"
Jill stiffened, confusion flashing across her face. "W–What…?"
Before she could react, the girl in her arms suddenly stirred.
"Heh… clever girl," the child said, her voice no longer weak, but sharp and amused. "So you noticed after all. I thought I could fool you completely—but it turns out you were only pretending not to see."
Dark mist began to seep from her body.
In an instant, the fragile frame twisted and expanded, bones reshaping as black smoke swallowed her form. The illusion shattered as her body grew into that of an adult woman, shadows coiling tightly around her like living ink.
Jill gasped in shock, her grip loosening instinctively. "What the—?!"
Startled by the sudden transformation, Jill recoiled, nearly throwing the figure from her arms as the truth revealed itself before her eyes.
Yet the woman did nothing. She neither attacked Jill nor Raviel, simply standing there in silence, as if observing them.
"Who are you?" Jill demanded, her voice tense. "What do you want?"
The woman smiled faintly, amused.
"My apologies," she said calmly. "It seems I forgot to introduce myself, Sister."
She took a graceful step forward, folding her hands neatly over her abdomen as she spoke.
"My name is LeBlanc. I come from Noxus." Her tone was smooth, practiced. "And I am here to extend an invitation—to welcome you into my organization."
As she spoke, she walked past Jill with measured elegance. In the blink of an eye, her presence vanished—
—and suddenly, she was standing behind Jill.
Jill spun around in alarm, but LeBlanc was already gone again.
This time, she stood behind Raviel instead, her smile unchanged, her eyes gleaming with quiet amusement—like a shadow that moved wherever it pleased.
Meanwhile, Raviel remained utterly relaxed, showing no sign of viewing LeBlanc as a threat. Her attention stayed fixed on Ahri, who was still eagerly consuming the life force Raviel had given her.
LeBlanc noticed this, of course—but she said nothing. Instead, she remained silent, patiently waiting for the women to respond. Her golden eyes, sharp and raven-like, watched with elegant focus. She was wary now. From her perspective, Raviel was clearly the core of this group—the one the others revolved around.
Once Ahri finally appeared satisfied, no longer able to take in any more, Raviel calmly reclaimed the remaining fragment of the orb, drawing it back into her palm as if it had never left.
"Ahh… thank you, Raviel," Ahri said softly.
It was as though she already knew Raviel—familiarity born from the memories and experiences she had absorbed. Her hunger was gone now, completely sated, and with it any trace of resistance. She stood obediently, like a wild creature that had been fully tamed.
Still, a faint blush crossed her face, embarrassment flickering through her expression at the realization of what had just happened.
"You're welcome," Raviel replied gently, reaching out to stroke Ahri's fox ears with a calm, affectionate motion.
Raviel turned her gaze toward LeBlanc, her expression relaxed, almost amused.
"Well," Raviel said calmly, "my sisters and I have no interest in joining your strange little organization."
She let out a soft chuckle. "Besides, if you truly traveled all this way, isn't it rather disrespectful to speak to us through a clone?"
LeBlanc frowned, genuine confusion flashing across her golden eyes. "What do you mean by clone?" she replied confidently. "I am the original."
That confidence was absolute—after all, every clone LeBlanc created believed itself to be the real one.
"Oh? Is that so?" Raviel replied softly.
In the next instant, her voice whispered right behind LeBlanc's ear.
"Are you certain… that you're the original?"
Raviel's fingers gently touched LeBlanc's shoulder.
LeBlanc reacted immediately, attempting to slip away and activate her magic—but nothing happened.
Her spell fizzled out before it could even form.
For the first time, true surprise crossed LeBlanc's face.
Her magic… was not responding.