Heartsteel: The Price of Fame (A League of Legends story)

Chapter 18: Desperate Measures

The night was thick with tension as Akali made her way to the treatment hospital where Kayn was being held. The building loomed ahead, a modern monstrosity of glass and steel, with security cameras dotting its exterior. Akali knew she had to be careful. Silco's men would be everywhere.

She'd managed to get her hands on a staff ID card from a contact who owed her a favor. Slipping it around her neck, she walked in, feigning the confidence of someone who belonged.

Ahri, her ever-reliable friend, was using a communication link to guide her through the facility, recalling a time she spent there recovering after experiencing a breakdown following her initial solo endeavor as a pop star.

"Alright, superstar," Ahri's voice crackled in Akali's ear, a hint of amusement evident. "Take the staff elevator down to the basement level beneath the hospital."

"Wait," Akali paused. "There's a secret basement floor?"

"It's how they keep celebrities out of the public eye," Ahri replied.

Akali found the idea of a hidden basement unsettling but pressed on. The elevator descended slowly, deepening her unease. "This place gives me the creeps," she whispered, nervously twirling the ID card around her finger as she waited for the elevator to come to a halt.

"It's designed for privacy... but there's something off about it," Ahri admitted, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and recollection. "Be careful, Akali."

Exiting the elevator, Akali found herself in a dimly lit corridor, the silence oppressive.

"You're on your own now," Ahri's voice instructed through the earpiece. "Try not to knock anyone out unless absolutely necessary."

"No promises," Akali replied. She moved stealthily from room to room, navigating the dimly lit corridors, quietly nudging doors ajar and peering inside. Each room was empty. Eventually, doubts crept in. What if someone caught her? What if Kayn wasn't even here?

Reaching a locked door, Akali paused, considering. It was the only locked door she'd encountered. "This has got to be it," she thought, picking the lock with her hairpin. "Who needs keys when you've got style?" she whispered to herself, a small smirk on her face despite the situation.

There was a soft click and she was in. The room was dim, and there, bound to a bed surrounded by ominous-looking equipment, was Kayn. His face was a mask of pain, but his eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Akali?" he rasped, surprise evident in his voice.

"Who else would brave this creepy underground lair for you?" Akali shot back, hurrying toward him while trying to conceal her growing fear. She eyed the metallic devices attached to his temples and removed them with careful hands, wondering what they were for, but too afraid to ask.

As she worked to free him, Kayn seemed to relax, his voice holding a hint of his usual sarcasm. "Took you long enough. Thought I'd have to save myself."

Akali rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. I wanted to give you a fighting chance to escape on your own. Clearly, I overestimated you."

Kayn chuckled weakly, but his laughter was cut short as his face contorted in pain. "Seriously though... Silco did something to me..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "Rhaast... he's still here."

"It'll be fine," Akali assured him.

"No. You shouldn't have come. It's too dangerous." Kayn's gaze darted around the room, as if expecting the demon to materialize at any moment. "I could snap, lose control again. I might even..." When Kayn looked at Akali, his words hung in the air, the terror in his eyes speaking volumes. It was a look of vulnerability, a raw, unguarded fear that Akali had never witnessed in Kayn before.

Akali's playful demeanor shifted instantly, her eyes filled with determination. "Trust me, I can handle it. We're getting out of here. Then we'll deal with Rhaast together."

As she carefully removed the final binding from Kayn's wrist, her gaze was drawn to his unsettling red eye. It seemed to flicker with a sinister intelligence, analyzing her every move. A shiver ran down her spine. She remembered Rhaast's painful grip as he tried to capture her back at Silco's mansion. Was Rhaast lurking, waiting for a chance to strike?

Kayn, feeling the restraints give way, flexed his wrists and slowly rose to his feet. Akali's instincts kicked in and she recoiled from him, her heart racing. The ever-present threat of Rhaast's sudden takeover cast a shadow over her resolve.

A flush of embarrassment tinged Kayn's cheeks, mixed with a hint of understanding. "You sure you're up for this?" he asked. "I won't hold it against you if you bail now..."

Akali's response was swift, her voice firm despite the unease she felt. "No, I'm staying," she asserted, locking eyes with him. "I can handle it. Just... a little on edge, that's all."

Kayn nodded, a wry smile touching his lips. "Alright then," he said, his tone light but his eyes serious. "Let's get moving. We don't want Rhaast crashing our little escape party."

But as they made their way out of the room, they were cornered by three men in lab coats. Akali shifted her stance, ready for a fight. "You guys really want to do this? Trust me, it won't end well for you."

Kayn stepped in front of her, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, you're about to find out why they call me the bad boy of Heartsteel."

The men hesitated, their confidence wavering under the intense gaze of the duo. Seizing the moment, Kayn sprang into action with predatory speed, dispatching two of them with swift, precise strikes. Akali, in perfect sync, darted forward, her movements a blur. She swept the legs out from under the last man, his head hitting the floor with a thud, rendering him unconscious.

But the sound of approaching footsteps warned them of more adversaries. Akali exchanged a glance with Kayn, both understanding the odds. They needed to escape, and fast.

"Let's go!" Kayn shouted, grabbing Akali's arm and pulling her along. She felt the urgent grip of Kayn's fingers, slick with sweat, intertwining with hers.

They ran, weaving through the corridors, narrowly evading the guards that prowled the facility as Ahri's voice guided them on a round-about route towards the elevator. But as they neared their destination, a sudden, violent tremor racked Kayn's body. His grip on Akali's hand faltered, his fingers slipping away as he fell to the ground.

Akali's heart pounded in her chest as she watched in horror. "Kayn!" she cried out. She dropped to her knees beside him, trying to steady him, but the man who looked back at her was no longer the Kayn she knew. His eyes, now a sinister shade of red, locked onto hers with a ferocity that sent a shiver down her spine. Rhaast was fighting for control.

"Fight him!" Akali cried.

A dark, sinister voice echoed from Kayn's lips. "He's mine now. And soon, you will be too." Rhaast's sinister laughter filled the air as he grabbed Akali's arm. His fingers dug into her skin, his nails almost breaking the surface.

"Kayn, fight him!" Akali shouted, struggling to free herself from his grasp.

Kayn's face twisted in a grimace, a silent war waging behind his eyes. For a brief moment, the red in his eyes flickered, revealing a glimpse of the friend she knew. "Akali... leave me...!" he gasped, his voice strained as if fighting against an invisible force.

Rhaast's grip tightened further, and he lunged at Akali, his other hand reaching for her throat. Akali stumbled backward, barely evading his grasp. She could see the torment in Kayn's eyes, the internal struggle between his true self and the malevolent entity that sought to dominate him.

"Kayn, please!" Akali pleaded, dodging another lunge. "You're stronger than him!" Desperation filled Akali as she heard the sound of reinforcements drawing closer. But she wasn't about to give up. Not without a fight. Akali leaned in, letting Kayn's hands close around hers, locking eyes with him. "Remember the park? The music? Our dreams?"

Kayn's eyes flickered, the red receding as he fought back against Rhaast's influence. His grip loosened and his body slumped, the strain of the internal battle evident on his face.

Akali caught him before he could fall,supporting his weight. "You did it! Now hold on, just a littlelonger," she whispered, her voice steady despite the fear that gripped herheart.

Together, Akali and Kayn stumbled towards the elevator, their escape withinreach. "Stay with me," she pleaded. "Kick that guy out of your head."

Rhaast growled in frustration, but Kayn's voice was stronger now. "I'm trying,but this isn't exactly a walk in the park."

"It's okay. We made it," said Akali, heaving Kayn into the elevator. "Now,let's get out of here before our fan club arrives."