League Of Legends/Arcane: Earthbound

The damp chill of the dungeon air lingered as the sound of boots echoed down the corridor. Adam stood at the ready, his heart pounding in anticipation. The six-hour wait felt like an eternity, yet now that the moment had arrived, he couldn't shake the knot of nerves tightening in his stomach.

Sylas leaned casually against the wall of his cell, the chains around his wrists clinking softly with each subtle movement. "You look like you're about to jump into a lake, boy," he muttered, his sharp eyes observing Adam closely.

Adam ignored him, staring toward the corridor where the guards would soon appear.

"Have you thought this through?" Sylas continued, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I mean really thought it through? This isn't just about breaking out of prison. This is Demacia. You don't just walk out of here and vanish."

Adam's hands tightened into fists. "I don't have a choice. I need to get out of here. Whatever it takes."

Sylas tilted his head, intrigued. "Ah, desperation. A powerful motivator. But desperation without purpose? That's a recipe for disaster."

Adam turned to face him, his expression hard. "And what's your purpose? Why are you here, locked up like the rest of us?"

Sylas's smirk widened. "I challenged the system. And unlike you, I knew exactly what I was getting into."

The fiery-haired mage in the cell beside Sylas rolled her eyes. "Enough with the cryptic speeches, Sylas. Let the boy do what he wants. If he fails, it's on him."

Sylas raised a brow. "Oh, I plan to let him. But if we're putting our lives in his hands, I think it's fair to question if those hands are steady."

Adam exhaled sharply, glancing around at the other prisoners. Most of them were watching him, their expressions a mix of skepticism and curiosity. He clenched his fists. "This isn't about being steady. It's about survival. And if you want to survive, you'll follow the plan."

Sylas chuckled softly, a sound that was equal parts amused and mocking. "I like you, boy. You've got fire. Let's hope it doesn't burn out too quickly."

The sound of boots grew louder, signaling the guards' approach. Adam took a deep breath, mentally reviewing the plan. It was simple but risky: fake an illness, take out the guards, free the prisoners, and cause enough chaos to cover their escape.

As the guards entered the cell block, carrying trays of slop, Adam dropped to the ground, clutching his stomach.

"Ugh… help…" he groaned, his voice weak and strained.

One of the guards stopped, frowning. "What's wrong with him?"

"Probably faking it," the other guard muttered. "Ignore him."

Adam forced himself to gag, his face contorting in discomfort. A moment later, he vomited onto the floor, the stench wafting through the air.

The first guard grimaced, stepping closer. "Ugh, disgusting. Fine, let me check on him."

As the guard unlocked the cell and stepped inside, Adam acted quickly. He grabbed a handful of his vomit and splashed it into the guard's face. The man recoiled, shouting in disgust, but before he could recover, Adam tackled him to the ground, landing a hard punch to his jaw that knocked him out cold.

The second guard reached for the alarm, but Sylas shouted, "Grab him!"

Several prisoners reached through the bars, grabbing the guard and holding him in place. Adam rushed forward, delivering a swift blow to the man's temple, knocking him unconscious.

Sylas smirked as Adam fumbled with the keys, unlocking the nearest cell. "Well done, boy. Disgusting, but effective."

Adam tossed the keys to Sylas, who caught them with ease. The older man wasted no time unlocking his own cell, the sound of his chains rattling as he stepped out.

The other prisoners poured out of their cells, their movements a mix of eagerness and trepidation. Adam raised his voice, addressing the group. "Listen up! We stick to the plan. Armory first, courtyard second. We cause enough chaos to cover our escape. Got it?"

The fiery-haired mage scoffed. "And what if your plan gets us all killed?"

Sylas stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Then you die free, instead of rotting in this hellhole. Take your pick."

The mage hesitated before nodding reluctantly.

The group moved swiftly through the dungeon's corridors, their footsteps echoing in the stone halls. Sylas stayed close to Adam, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," Sylas said quietly. "But guts alone won't get you far. You'll need more than a plan—you'll need resolve."

Adam glanced at him. "Why do you care?"

Sylas smirked. "Because if you fail, I fail. And I don't plan on staying here any longer than necessary."

When they reached the armory, the prisoners wasted no time breaking in. Weapons and armor were quickly distributed, and Adam felt a surge of relief as he found his sword and bow. His magical ice arrows were intact, but his Gameboy was missing.

"Where is it?" he muttered, searching frantically.

Sylas raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking for?"

"Something personal," Adam said, frustration creeping into his voice.

Sylas shrugged. "If it's not here, it's probably with the officers. Good luck getting it back."

The sound of approaching guards cut their conversation short. Adam turned to the group. "Let's move!"

The courtyard erupted into chaos as the prisoners clashed with the guards. Adam's ice arrows froze enemies in their tracks, while Sylas fought with a brutal efficiency that was both terrifying and impressive.

"You fight well for someone so young," Sylas remarked, cutting down a guard with a stolen sword.

"Thanks," Adam replied, his focus on the battle.

As they neared the edge of the courtyard, Adam hesitated. Something pulled at him—a sense of unfinished business.

"I'll catch up," he said to Sylas.

Sylas frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Just go!" Adam snapped, turning back toward the main building.

Sylas hesitated before nodding. "Don't die, boy. I'm not dragging your corpse out of here."

Adam retraced his steps, dodging guards and slipping through the shadows. He made his way back to the corridor near the cells, where he found Garen waiting for him.

The commander's expression was grim, his massive frame blocking the path. In his hand, he held Adam's Gameboy.

"You're persistent," Garen said, his voice steady.

Adam unsheathed his sword, his eyes narrowing. "Hand it over."

Garen didn't respond. He simply drew his own blade.

Before they could clash, Sylas appeared behind Adam, his chains rattling softly. "Well, well, the mighty Garen Crownguard. Fancy meeting you here."

Garen's expression darkened. "Sylas. I should have known you'd be involved in this."

Sylas spread his arms mockingly. "You should thank me. I'm giving you the chance to prove your loyalty to Demacia once again."

Adam glanced between the two, tension crackling in the air. "Can we skip the history lesson and focus on the fight?"

Garen's grip on his sword tightened. "You're not leaving this place, Sylas. Not again."

Sylas's smirk faded, replaced by a cold glare. "You can try to stop me, Crownguard. But you know how this ends."

The fight was brutal and fast-paced. Sylas and Adam worked together, their attacks coordinated and relentless. Garen fought valiantly, his strength and skill evident in every swing of his blade.

"You've always been blind, Garen," Sylas spat, dodging a strike. "Blind to the tyranny you serve. Blind to the suffering you cause."

"And you've always been a traitor you and your exiles," Garen retorted, countering with a powerful blow that sent Sylas staggering back.

Adam saw an opening and struck, his blade disarming Garen with a swift maneuver. Before Garen could recover, Adam delivered a hard blow to his head, knocking him out.

Sylas wiped the sweat from his brow, his smirk returning. "Not bad, boy. Maybe there's hope for you yet."

Adam retrieved his Gameboy from Garen's pocket, slipping it into his bag. "Let's go."

They rejoined the chaos in the courtyard, where the prisoners were flooding into the city. Near the edge of the city, Lux appeared, her staff glowing faintly.

"Adam," she said softly. "Why are you doing this?"

Adam hesitated, lowering his sword. "I'm just trying to get home."

Lux's eyes shifted to Sylas, her expression conflicted. "And you… why are you helping him?"

Sylas stepped forward, his tone sharp. "Because this boy has the courage to act. Something you and your brother seem to lack."

Lux flinched, her grip on her staff tightening. "You don't understand—"

"I understand perfectly," Sylas interrupted, his tone sharp. "You think you're protecting Demacia, but all you're doing is preserving its lies."

Adam stepped between them, his voice calm. "Lux, please. Let us through."

Lux looked at him, her eyes searching his. "Are you really… not a bad person?"

"I'm not," Adam said honestly. "I just want to go home."

Lux hesitated before stepping aside. "Go. Before I change my mind."

As they climbed over the wall, Adam turned back, meeting Lux's gaze one last time. "If I ever come back, I'll take you on that date."

Lux's cheeks flushed, and she looked away.

Adam smirked, waving as he disappeared over the wall with Sylas.

The city of Demacia was in chaos. The echo of alarm bells thundered through the air, mingling with the sound of clashing steel and frantic shouts. Prisoners surged through the streets, fighting with guards and soldiers, their desperation fueling their aggression. The once-pristine city was now a battlefield, its white stone streets stained with blood and littered with broken weapons.

Garen Crownguard stirred in the courtyard of the prison, his vision blurry as he forced himself upright. His head throbbed where Adam's blow had landed, but he pushed through the pain, gripping his sword tightly. Around him, the elite guards of Demacia fought to regain control, their formation tightening as they pushed back against the horde of escaping prisoners.

"Secure the gates!" Garen barked, his voice booming over the chaos. "Do not let them escape into the city!"

The elite guards, clad in their shining armor, obeyed without hesitation. Shields clashed against crude weapons as the prisoners fought desperately to break through. Among them, the three imprisoned mages were causing the most trouble, even without their magic.

"Take them down!" one guard shouted as the fiery-haired mage swung a stolen halberd, cutting through the ranks of soldiers.

Garen's eyes narrowed as he spotted the chaos. He raised his sword and charged forward, his powerful strikes cutting a path through the prisoners. When he reached the fiery-haired mage, she turned to face him, her eyes blazing with defiance.

"You'll never win," she spat, raising her weapon.

Garen didn't respond. His sword met hers in a clash of sparks, his strength overwhelming her as he forced her to the ground. "Surrender," he commanded, his voice cold.

She glared up at him, blood trickling from a cut on her cheek. "Never."

Before Garen could deliver another blow, a bright flash of light erupted nearby. Luxanna Crownguard stepped into the fray, her staff glowing with radiant energy.

"Garen!" she called out, her tone urgent.

"Lux, what are you doing here?" he asked, pulling her behind him as a group of prisoners charged their position.

"I came to help!" she said, firing a beam of light that knocked the prisoners back. "The city is in lockdown. The magic users are heading for the outer gates—they're trying to escape into the countryside!"

Garen gritted his teeth, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield. "We can't let them get away. I need you to secure the gate with the elite guard. I'll handle the prisoners here."

Lux was about to leave but hesitated she turned back to her brother, her grip on her staff tightening.

"A-Adam and Sylas escaped."

Garen's expression darkened. "I'll find them once this is all over for now make sure the gates are secured."

Lux nodded reluctantly, her heart heavy as she turned and sprinted toward the gates.

The streets of Demacia were a war zone. Prisoners and guards clashed in every corner, their fights spilling into shops and alleyways. Some of the escaped magic users, stripped of their powers by Demacia's anti-magic material, fought viciously with stolen weapons. Others tried to blend into the chaos, slipping away into the shadows as the guards were distracted.

At the center of the chaos, Jarvan IV, the Crown Prince of Demacia, arrived with reinforcements. His golden armor glinted in the moonlight as he raised his spear, rallying the guards around him.

"Push them back!" he commanded. "Do not let them take the gates!"

With the prince's arrival, the tide began to turn. The guards fought with renewed vigor, their disciplined ranks cutting through the disorganized mob of prisoners. The sound of horns echoed through the streets as reinforcements poured in from the barracks.

The battle raged on, but for every prisoner recaptured, another slipped through the cracks. Among them, the three magic users fought desperately, their movements coordinated as they made their way toward the edge of the city.

Lux intercepted them at the gate, her radiant barrier cutting off their escape. "Stop!" she demanded, her voice firm.

One of the mages, a tall man with a scar across his face, sneered. "Out of our way, little girl."

Lux's eyes hardened. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

The mage lunged at her with a stolen blade, but Lux deflected the attack with a burst of light. The fight was fierce, but Lux's precision and skill eventually overwhelmed them. When the last mage fell to the ground, unconscious, Lux exhaled shakily, her heart pounding.

Meanwhile, in the forests beyond the city, Adam and Sylas ran through the underbrush, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The distant sound of bells and shouts echoed faintly, a reminder of the chaos they had left behind.

Adam clutched his bag tightly, his mind racing. He had escaped, but at what cost? The prisoners he had released were wreaking havoc on the city, and Lux… he couldn't get the look in her eyes out of his mind.

"You're quiet," Sylas remarked, breaking the silence.

Adam glanced at him. "I'm just thinking."

Sylas smirked. "About the girl, I assume? Luxanna"

Adam's cheeks flushed slightly. "That's none of your business."

Sylas chuckled. "You've got a soft spot for her. Cute. But don't let it cloud your judgment. She's a noble, and the hierarchy can't be trusted."

"She let us go," Adam pointed out.

"Did she?" Sylas countered. "Or did she let you go because she fancies you?"

Adam didn't respond, his jaw tightening.

Sylas sighed, his tone softening slightly. "Look, boy. I know you've got your reasons for doing what you're doing. But don't let sentimentality get in the way. It'll only get you killed."

The two continued in silence, the forest growing darker as the night deepened. Adam's thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions—guilt, anger, relief. He had escaped, but the journey ahead was uncertain.

As they reached a small clearing, Sylas stopped, his gaze scanning the surroundings. "We'll rest here for the night. The guards won't search this far yet, but we need to be ready to move at dawn."

Adam nodded, dropping his bag and sitting against a tree. His body ached from the fight, but his mind refused to rest. He stared at the stars above, their light piercing through the darkness of the forest canopy.

"Do you think… Lux will be okay?" he asked quietly.

Sylas rolled his eyes, sitting down across from him. "I know her she's a Crownguard. She'll be fine as long as that will of her still burns. Worry about yourself, boy. You've got bigger problems than a pretty face."

Adam sighed, closing his eyes. The weight of the night's events pressed down on him, but he knew there was no turning back. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: his journey was far from over.