//The Ring//

  When Isha reached Orion, she shook him roughly trying to get him to snap out of it. I and o the power, she was thrown bato Powder, and they tumbled to the floor.

  Fast footsteps approached as Ekko jumped, ung himself off the ropes and attempting to nd what would've been a straight right hook to Orion's face. But as he closed in, the air shimmered around Orion, and a violent burst of violet energy sent Ekko flying back over the ropes.

  "Agh!"

  Orion, still clutg his head in agony, flickered between locations within the ring, vanishing and reappearing iic bursts- eaent leaving behind faint embers and traces of violet energy.

  Then, in an instant, he broke into a stumbling sprint toward the exit, but even as he ran, his body ed in and out of sight. Each step skipped across the ground as if he were being yanked between locations, slippiweey and something far more unstable.

  "I fug k! We should've kept him at a distance!" Ekko cursed, groaning as Powder rushed over to help him up.

  Isha stood there with a worried expression, watg the lingering violet traces before turning sharply and running over to Powder.

  "Sis, are you okay?" Powder calls worriedly.

  A weak thumbs-up rose from Vi’s id-out form as Caitlyn arched an eyebrow, looking a bit bewildered while tending to her.

  "Nn!"

  Isha’s hands moved in rapid, frantic gestures, ‘Help him!’

  Powder and Ekko exged ghey knew Zaun sign nguage si became onpce retly for uy activities where stealth was required.

  "You 't be serious..." Ekko gaped, watg Powder starting to stand up.

  “It wasn’t on purpose!” Powder snapped, her expression tightening. “And- and this gives us a ake it even. After that…”

  Ekko exhaled sharply, his fists g. “I get that you looked up to him growing up, but look around.” His hand motioo the damage. To Caitlyn and Vi. “And how do we know this isly what Silco wanted?”

  “We don’t,” Powder admitted. She wasn’t na?ve- she knew Ekko had a point. “But I know Orion didn’t want this either.”

  She hesitated for only a sed befng at Isha.

  “Just this once, Ekko. Just oime.”

  Ekko’s jaw tightened. His eyes flickered from Powder to Isha, his frustration and anger palpable.

  “Everyone just got hurt,” he muttered, voice tight and raw with emotion. “And you want to give him a sed ce?”

  “I’ll help,” he finally relented, his voice edged with reluce. “But only because this is a good ce to get answers about Silco’s whereabouts.”

  His gaze flickered to Isha, then back to Powder, before dropping with a tight, flicted expression.

  Ekko turned sharply toward the ring, motioning toward the st traces of flickering violet. “We o move fast if we want any hope of staying on his trail.”

  A groan came from Vi. “Bring him ba one piece so I break him into pieces! Cheating bastard.”

  “Shut up, Vi,” Caitlyn snapped, her patience fraying.

  “Don’t tell me to shut up."

  --------------------------

  //River//

  "What- Who are you?" Orion groaned, weakly raising his head to watch this abomination rise slowly from the water.

  Green, sickly skin, wide as four people, fancy clothing ging to its bloated form, tendrils for a mustache, and an unusually wide mouth with jagged teeth. Somehow, it even had a small top hat melded into the skin of its head too.

  "Excuse my rudeness," it said with a heavy, drawling at. "I am the River King, Tahm Kench."

  The creature leaned forward and Orion recoiled slightly as its breath washed over him- a putrid stench of rotting fish, damp earth, and something else- something sickly sweet, like decayed fruit left in the heat.

  Orio his stomach as he felt the urge to vomit, but swallowed it down. His body was too drained, his willpower running on embers.

  "What do you want..." Orion muttered. The feeling of fear didn't settle on him, but rather, a hollotance of his fate. He was too tired, too exhausted, and in too much pain already.

  "Oh, sonny," Tahm rumbled, its voice thick with amusement. "You've already provided!"

  Saliva dripped from its massive tongue as Tahm grinned widely. Its throat rumbled with a deep, resonating chuckle, as though sav the very taste of Orion’s despair.

  "A delightful appetizer," Tahm Kench ed, his nostrils fring as he inhaled deeply, rolling his shoulders. "But I smell a feast ing from you- a misery so rich, so profound, that it could sate even my insatiable hunger."

  Its massive body lurched forward, inches away from Orion again.

  "Vengeand violence so deep, deeper than what flesh hold," his tongue flicked out again, tasting the air. "The Void? Oh, that's a fvor I've yet to indulge in."

  Orion's weak gaze sharpened and flickered up to meet Tahm's sinister gaze. It's massive fingers drum against its stomach with eager anticipation.

  "We aren't so different, you and I. What are you willing to give, to make that hunger go away?"

  The questioled on Orion with a weight he wasn't expeg. An offer to make this pain and suffering disappear, to release this newfouri he found pced on his body, for a seemingly miniscule price.

  "The Void," Orion hissed. "Take it, and take me to Greyson iurn!"

  A guttural, sinister ugh left the creature as its tongue unfurled, tasting the air with delight again. "That's a deal I will take."

  "But you will not."

  A wind howled through the night, its arrival carrying a voice, a and furious.

  Tahm Kench’s wide, hungry eyes flickered upward in arm. His massive body instinctively recoiled as his mustache tendrils twitched, sensing something beyond his trol.

  His instinct was right- but not in the way he expected as a storm of wind desded with the first gust smming down on him.

  At first, he resisted, his weight keeping it stready as its massive fingers dug into the pier.

  Then the wind howled, strohan before.

  An angelic voice spoke with cold finality. "Maniputing a weary soul into binding itself to yluttonous appetite is no deal- it is theft."

  "You vile wench!" Tahm snarled. "This deal was most certainly signed!"

  "Not here," the voiswered, cold and unshakable. "Not this one."

  Tahm Keneered. "You’d deny a man relief from his torment? Deny him his own, willing choice?"

  "You do not grant relief. You devour."

  Despite the howling gusts of wind- strong enough to ftten any normal creature into a bloodstained mess- Tahm stood firm. His massive frame refused to yield, his jagged grin unwavering.

  Then, with a low, rumbling chuckle, his amusement became undeniable. His beady eyes flickered back toward Orion.

  "Oh, sonny," he rumbled, voice thick with promise. "We will meet again. And the ime, I suspect you'll be far more willing."

  With a final, knowing grin, the River King plunged into the water, vanishih the waves with just a single ripple.

  The winds calmed, and as quickly as the chaos had ensued, it was all over.

  And in the far distahe sound of desperate voices rushed toward Orion's unscious figure.