Red mist leaks out from the base of the sphere as its pure, brilliant white darkens to a sickly purple.
The air felt heavy, suffocating. Orion felt like his head was underwater with water filling his ears, distorting reality as purple tendrils spread out like an infection.
Gradually the ground's shade changed from its once natural colors to darkened purple and red with any semblance of life from grass to a stray flower withering. When the tendrils touched the nearby metal stairwell, it creaked ominously before snapping away, blackening and curling toward the orb as if it had life.
Folding in on itself, the orb flashed brilliantly before creating a large, circular oval with a clear view to the other side.
Orion breathed heavily as he opened his eyes, squinting as he spotted familiar figures through the portal.
"Ahahaha! Come on, sister," A maniacal laugh broke through the portal followed by an intense series of gunshots and explosions. "Thought I would fall for your delusions again?!"
Weakly stepping forward, the voice sent chills through Orion. It was familiar- too familiar. His eyes widened as the details came more into focus and the entire rear of the factory collapsed.
Large creatures with tendrils, arachnid creatures, danced through the city cutting down enforcers and people fighting back on the bridge. Screams echoed out with hollow, eerie noises resonating back in return.
Vander, his body completely stripped of its organic form. His was merely a husk of metal and wires with pulsing veins of corrupted purple running through his figure. Eerie purple mist danced out of his eyes as he charged forward across the factory floor.
Jinx was laughing maniacally, her eyes tinted purple while her Hextech gun emitting violent shades of purple and shaking violently with every burst of gunfire. And Vi... she was locked in combat with her sister and Vander, her eyes burning with desperation and guilt.
"What the hell is this," Orion whispered, stepping closer as his heart raced and a cold sweat gripped him.
A chilling voice hissed through the air.
"The results of your efforts, Orion. But you need not let this pass. Embrace the Void, or be consumed by it."
Vander, or whatever abomination he had become, let out an animalistic roar as his massive, corrupted frame crashed through debris. He swung a jagged, metal-enforced arm at Vi mercilessly.
She barely ducked in time, her gauntlets glowing with cracked energy as she tried to fend him off.
"Stop, Jinx!" Vi screamed, but Jinx wasn't listening. The haunting echo of her giggle reverberated in Orion's chest.
Orion's hands trembled as he reached out toward the portal, not knowing if he wanted to reach through or push it shut forever.
"Is this... my future?" he whispered, disbelief turning into a spiraling pit of dread. His voice cracked. "No- this can't be real."
The voice that had hissed at him returned, louder this time as if the mist itself was alive and creeping into his mind.
"It is real. Every choice you make leads you here. Piltover burns, Zaun crumbles, they all die because of you."
Orion shook his head, stepping back but the weight of the air was suffocating. Feelings of guilt clawed at his chest, doubt consumed his mind, and the pull of panic invaded his mind.
"I- no!" Orion clutched his head as a splitting headache flared between his temples.
"You were never strong enough, Orion. And you never will be."
Jinx's laughter pierced through him again. Visions of her younger self replaced her corrupted form as she whispered. "Orion, join us. You can save us. Wield the Void. We can rewrite this future!"
Temptation laced every word, buzzing with power and authority. His legs, which were already weakened, buckled as the decision weighed on him.
But he knew what this was. He wasn't completely ignorant of the Void and its impact on Runeterra. Something was off with the air surrounding him, invading his mind with hostility and altering his thoughts- he felt it.
Gritting his teeth, Orion shook his head violently and whispered, "No... I know what this is- what you are. I won't give you the satisfaction."
The ground beneath his feet cracked with purple veins as the mist thickened. Vander roared again and for a split second, his gaze flicked toward Orion as though he sensed him through the veil.
'What do I do?!' Orion's thoughts raced. He could feel the Void's power crawling through his skin, tempting him to act, to embrace its strength and rip everything apart.
If he left it open and ran, who knows what would happen. If he tried to destroy it, would it risk pulling him in?
Clenching his jaw, Orion knew this was becoming a split decision he would be forced to make.
Yet another act of this world that would bring him pain, and the savior never recognized.
With one final breath, Orion stood back up and extended his hands, surging arcane energy crackling to life. His voice shook with a mixture of fear and defiance.
"I've made my mistakes. But this isn't one of them."
He unleashed a torrent of arcane energy toward the base of the portal. The remaining factory surrounding him that had yet to collapse shook as the portal rippled violently with blue and purple energies, destabilizing with high-pitched screeches.
The force knocked him off his feet, slamming his back into the ground.
Struggling to lift his head, the last thing he saw through the portal was Jinx's maniacal face turning toward him as if she could truly see him through the barrier.
When the portal hissed and collapsed in on itself, the final explosion sent Orion's body skidding further back into the factory. Half of the factory facing the city was completely gone with the other half bent outward toward Zaun.
When the mist dissipated and the noise settled, Orion slowly sat up.
Everything was silent, but his ears were ringing and body was shaking. The portal was gone, but the vivid imagery remained etched in his psyche like a scar.
Somewhere in the distance, footsteps echoed, accompanied by the faint whistle of the Enforcers closing in. It was time to move.
But as Orion staggered to his feet, haggard and weak, one thought lingered in his mind.
'Was that a vision? Or was something reaching through, waiting for him to slip?'
Grunting, he pushed himself forward, shuffling as quickly as possible toward the nearest street, entirely unaware of the faint trace of purple energy seeping into his feet.
------------------
Everyone stood outside as a violent surge of energy shook the ground and a pillar of purple light erupted into the sky, blasting the smog away and giving a clear view of both the desolate, worn down city and the distorted magic.
It's during times like these when kids, despite all of their anguish and problems before, falter. Vi and Jinx stood behind Vander, sharing expressions of awe and unease.
Vander's expression was grim, knowing this wasn't natural or right. It was occurring inside the Undercity, which also meant a wave of problems for him and the kids.
This reaction was shared by many throughout the Undercity and Piltover, but more tilted toward the feeling of fear. It was unnatural, and the energy- or vibe- it gave was unfriendly.
One creature was truly haunted by the sight.
Heimerdinger, standing in the towering Piltover Academy, stood horrified. His voice was high pitched, shouting to everyone at the top of his lungs.
"Send every able body over there! Find the source, hurry! Don't let the culprit get away!"