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She felt a prying and invasive sensation come over her.Sivir stood stark still and scowled, eyes slowly scanning the terrain through her mask. It wasn’t unheard of to be attacked by demons, especially so deep in the forest. They scoured for sustenance, entertainment, someone worthy.She took her position as a Blood Moon priestess with immense pride. No one was going to take her life, not without their own blood shedding at her hands.Yet when she took the first step, no move was made against her. No demon—or maybe a foolish human?—stepped out of the shadows of the trees, but Sivir still felt it. Like a pair of eyes were watching her. She sneered and gripped the golden disc, waves of energy pulsing from it as she calmly looked around for whoever had intruded on her space and time.A gasp came from her right and her head snapped to the direction, legs spreading and knees bending to ready herself, but again, nothing made itself known.But she saw it.It was… It wasn’t an it.The humanoid figure tried its best to hide its entire body behind a large tree, but it—her?—eyes were wild and scared, yet something was dug deep in those irises: hunger, predation. Sivir, in a moment of shock and confusion, allowed a shiver to run down her spine, her grip on the disc tightening even more until her knuckles were stark white.The prying sensation came back tenfold and Sivir stumbled back, as if something had knocked her in the stomach. She let out a grunt and narrowed her eyes at the figure. She looked shocked, her hands reaching out to Sivir, still mid-air. She hurriedly clenched her fist and pulled it back to her chest, eyes squeezing shut.Anger flooded Sivir’s bloodstream, but she only grit her teeth and forced that rising heat down.“Do you have a death wish?” Sivir spat out, and she was suddenly glad for the cover of her mask.“Is it better than this?” The voice asked quietly, broken and so far off.Sivir’s expression fell before she quickly recovered, pursing her lips as the figure stepped out again, into the moonlight. Her stomach flipped at the sight, a human girl’s body totally covered in tendrils of red and black, warping around and hovering her. She had never seen anything like this—what demon had sought this girl out, what demon had given this girl this power?“Which demon did you make a pact with, girl?”The girl flinched, but she raised her head. Average height and build, maybe she led a poor life before this—then what was so special about her?“I didn’t. I don’t—I was out with my family. We’re—we were—farmers.” Were. They’re gone now. “And then this thing attacked and it stuck to me and I couldn’t get it off. It still won’t come off.”“How long have you been alone, girl?” Sivir lowered the disc, a part of her reaching out to the lonely girl, her heart breaking at her loss even if she had a stone cold face. Loss was never easy, and she empathized with everyone who had something wrenched away from them so early.“I don’t know,” her voice cracked, and in the moonlight her tears shimmered on the second skin that had made its home on her. “I don’t know. I can’t remember—stop calling me girl. I have a name!”She was loud and Sivir needed to stop this before she attracted anymore attention. She raised her free hand as she walked closer to the girl. That prying sensation was there, but it was pulling her slowly. No longer did it feel threatening, instead it took on a desperate sensation. The tendrils that were so wild earlier had settled, pulled back into itself as the girl ducked her head.“What is your name then?”“Kai’Sa.” A whispered name; it echoed in Sivir’s mind as she reached out to the girl.“There is no need to attract the attention of others in this forest. Come, I will help you deal with this away from the dangers of demons, Kai’Sa.”Kai’Sa raised her head, eyes flicking down to Sivir’s hands before they rested on Sivir’s face. She hesitantly raised her hand and thankfully, she did not send the priestess flying back.“I don’t even know you.”“You don’t have to.” Sivir kept her hand still.“Please, what is your name?” Kai’Sa asked quietly.And when Kai’Sa’s hand rested gently in Sivir’s palm, Sivir gripped it softly and tugged at her to follow.“Sivir.”She had left Kai’Sa in the main room, the sliding door open to let air and the moonlight in. With a mumble of words, Sivir had left the room to make some tea and here she stood, angry at herself for getting soft. She owed the girl nothing, but she couldn’t help but take her in, especially since Sivir needed to solve the mystery of this sensation and entity on Kai’Sa’s body.She frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose before quickly taking the pot off of the fire.The door behind her opened and she tensed, doing everything to not attack immediately.“Sivir?” Kai’Sa called out and Sivir calmly turned on her heel.The entity had pulled itself back a lot more, more of Kai’Sa’s body now available for the world to see. Kai’Sa herself looked much more calmer, albeit she still looked nervous. Sivir’s eyes travelled to Kai’Sa’s body, and she clenched her jaw at the sight she saw. Clearing her throat discreetly, she tilted her head to signal Kai’Sa to speak.“Do you have something I can wear?” Kai’Sa fidgeted and tried her best to cover however much skin she was showing. “It’s kind of… Retreating. And I have nothing underneath it.”Sivir only nodded silently and beckoned Kai’Sa to follow her.Quiet footsteps pattered on the wooden floor, another door sliding open so Sivir could scrounge something decent enough for Kai’Sa to wear. She hummed, the sound quiet but deafening in the silent room, and she picked out a layered outfit and a robe, handing it to Kai’Sa. The girl took the robe and stared at it in slight awe and it was then that Sivir remembered: she was a peasant girl before this.“Do you know how to wear it? It’s layered, but it should be easy enough to put on,” Sivir commented and she spotted the slight blush on Kai’Sa.“I do, but,” Kai’Sa flushed even redder and Sivir’s lips quirked up. “Can you help me put it on?”Sivir nodded and motioned Kai’Sa to shrug the clothes on first before she tightened it and tied the sashes for her. She deftly completed her tasks, hands swift as to not betray herself and let them roam. Kai’Sa was beautiful and Sivir could appreciate that much. She knew of priestesses who had taken lovers, but she herself couldn’t care much to indulge in those pleasures.She watched as Kai’Sa pulled the robe on and Sivir tied the last sash, nodding when Kai’Sa was finally dressed decently. The entity had retreated enough so that it barely peeked out from the collar of the first layer. Good, less trouble, less suspicion.“Come, the tea has probably cooled enough.”Kai’Sa took another look at the clothes on her before nodding and following Sivir out.The mask was feeling heavy on her face, and in a moment of exhaustion and carelessness, she pulled it off and rubbed her face. She needed to rest. She needed to stop and lay down to sleep; simply warding off demons was tiring these days, especially as they got stronger. It was getting close to the rise of the Blood Moon, and there was no way Sivir was going to let challengers enter on her shrine. No one was going to defile the ritual.“Is it hard?” Kai’Sa asked, voice ever so soft.“Is it hard to do what?”“Not to do,” Kai’Sa looked up, a newfound intelligence in her eyes, shining in the candlelight. “To be.”Sivir glances back at her, her entire face exposed to the troubled and unknown girl. “It is. But it is worth it.”Kai’Sa only shook her head. “To be merged with a demon, at least the Blood Moon gave you someone worthy.” She winced and looked at her hands. “The Blood Moon… Did the Blood Moon even give me this cage?”Sivir only remained silent.“I promise you, Akali. If you don’t leave, I’ll have to show you the way out,” Sivir stated, no malice in her voice, but a promise was a promise.“I just need to know the location of the next shrine,” Akali said as she sipped her tea. She sat on her knees, back straight as she looked into Sivir’s eyes. “I don’t wish to harm you. I know you deserve none.”“You know my job is to merely protect this one. I have no need to search for another shrine, especially since my ritual.” Sivir waved her hand to the golden disc beside her. “Besides, you’re stinking my shrine with the scent of a demon.”“How rude,” the ellusive voice cried out in mockery.Sivir rolled her eyes as the demon made itself known.And then she felt the pull again.Sivir tensed, raising her hand and turning her head, not fully, but enough to ease the worries of the eavesdropper. She dropped her hand and looked back at Akali, who was curiously waiting for an explanation.“Like I said,” Sivir narrowed her eyes. “I have not encountered a shrine since my ritual. I don’t travel too far these days.”“I know where one is,” Kai’Sa spoke up. She stepped out from the other room slowly, carefully making her way behind Sivir, who made no move. “It’s a day’s walk away.”“Do tell, kitten,” the demon purred and Akali gave her a stern look. “Why didn’t we just fight it out of them?”“Because I didn’t know.” Sivir irritatedly replied.“I didn’t know it was a shrine until I was brought here.” Kai’Sa’s second skin was slowly making its appearance on more of her body and Sivir gave her a stern look before giving the same look to her guests. Akali bowed her head in acknowledgement and the demon merely rolled her eyes.“Kai’Sa can tell you of the location,” Sivir started, beckoning Kai’Sa to sit down next to her. “But that is all she can do.”“That is more than what anyone has given us,” Akali murmured. “Thank you.”Sivir noticed things about Kai’Sa.Kai’Sa liked to be out at night, basking in the moonlight. She would cautiously take one step onto the ground, eyes sweeping the surroundings before she snuck out and roamed around. Sometimes she danced slowly, light on her toes as she twirled around in the quiet night, away from eyes—except Sivir’s. Sivir had nothing to make her feel untrusting of Kai’Sa, it was merely a concern for her safety.She was just a protector. That’s what all these feelings were.Sometimes Kai’Sa would disappear deeper into the forest and Sivir only hoped for her safe return because she knew of the dangers, she knew the darkness. She was the darkness of the forest. So when her thoughts were brought to terrible scenarios of what Kai’Sa could have possibly gotten herself into, she waved a hand over the center of the disc, the ring morphing in front of her eyes… And she watched. And her heart stopped speeding with anxiety and instead sped because Kai’Sa was so beautiful, Sivir didn’t understand how she could keep her hands to herself, how she could keep praises off her tongue.“Sivir,” Kai’Sa whispered as the door slid open just a crack.Sivir’s eyes drifted up and she arched an eyebrow. Kai’Sa stepped in delicately, the door slid open only enough for her body to slide through. The robe on her was loose— Kai’Sa didn’t like tight clothes— and she looked like she was only half awake.“Sivir,” Kai’Sa breathed out before collapsing into Sivir’s arms, her breath slow and soft against Sivir’s collarbone. Sivir let out a grunt and held her tightly, worry etched into the creases on her face.“What happened?” Sivir asked and Kai’Sa let out a quiet whimper.And then Sivir felt it.The damp and sticky feeling at the bottom of Kai’Sa’s back. The tangy and horrid smell of blood. Her eyes gazed down and she swallowed a lump in her throat.She hurriedly but carefully laid Kai’Sa down, rushing up to grab something to help slow the bleeding down. She grit her teeth and grabbed a small bottle of liquid, and finally, she returned to Kai’Sa.Her second skin was thrashing, tendrils lashing out at the air. Kai’Sa was breathing heavily and Kai’Sa narrowed her eyes, anger and worry invading her body. She quickly waved a hand over the ring and whispered into it.“You brought it here. Kill it and return to me.”And she went to work to staunch the blood flow with the cloth she had dampened with the contents of the bottle.And for the first time in so long, she was afraid.“It’s done,” Akali curtly said, guilt laced in her words. “I’m sorry.”Sivir only nodded, pulling the cover over Kai’Sa’s sleeping form. That second skin is worth something after all—after it had calmed down, it covered the wound and somehow healed it before retreating back. If Kai’Sa had been anymore wounded, Sivir would have taken her revenge on someone, something.“Who was it?” Sivir stood up, angry eyes landing on the duo in front of her.“Some lowlife demon,” Akali’s companion supplied. “There won’t be another problem with it again. I’ve made sure of that.”Sivir grit her teeth, but nodded. She clenched her fists and looked back at Kai’Sa, who looked so peaceful.Yet just moments ago, she was fighting for her life, labored breathing combined with sweat and blood.She picked up her disc and looked at Akali with fierce eyes. “I want every single demon in close vicinity of this shrine dead.”And Akali only bowed her head again before she followed Sivir out to the bloodshed they were about to wreak upon those who dared to get so close to the shrine.She wasn’t sure what drove her to the massacre she had let loose. She had narrowed it down to two explanations: No one trespasses onto the shrine and gets away with it. No one hurts Kai’Sa, a girl who has never intentionally caused harm to anyone.She couldn’t ignore that it was mostly the latter.Kai’Sa had shown nothing but kindness and curiosity, no malicious intent could be sensed from within her at all, even with all the tragedy she went through. Sivir couldn’t understand why she didn’t just kill Kai’Sa the first time they met until today, when her eyes stung with tears as she kneeled in front of Kai’Sa sleeping.Until Kai’Sa woke up and cupped Sivir’s face, thumb brushing a tear with a tired smile.“Don’t cry,” she murmured.Sivir cupped Kai’Sa’s hand delicately and brushed her lips against her knuckles, closing her eyes and breathing in slowly.“I won’t let anyone hurt you again,” Sivir whispered and Kai’Sa let out a quiet hum. “Never again.”So she didn’t.Kai’Sa slept in the same room as her every night, first separately, until Sivir would pretend to sleep whenever she felt her shift. Kai’Sa would slide under the covers next to her, barely an inch of space left between them—and even then, that inch disappeared when Kai’Sa gave up and ended up somehow cuddling up to Sivir. Sleep would come to both of them easier when she did and Sivir always woke up with a protective arm loosely around Kai’Sa’s torso, her eyes closed as she simply laid there and soaked in the presence of her now bedmate.When the Blood Moon descended, they would both stay up that night, eyes and ears open to keep each other safe. Nothing was done alone; patrols were always the two of them and even though it took longer to clear out the demons, it was worth knowing that they were both safe. Coming back home, they’d stay up that night and Sivir’s arms would wrap around Kai’Sa’s torso, her front pressed against Kai’Sa’s back, the girl in her arms resting gently against her.Kai’Sa liked to talk and sometimes she would grab a random book and read it aloud. Sivir didn’t mind it. Her voice was melodic, always pleasant to her ears; something to anchor her to reality, something to keep her emotions her own. At least when she felt the affection rise in her chest, she knew it was her own feelings—when she had the urge to bury her face into the crook of Kai’Sa’s neck, at least she knew that this was what she truly felt.Sivir didn’t know if that hunger was hers.So she pushed it deep down, resisted every urge to trace her lips across Kai’Sa’s skin, resisted the intense possessiveness that wound itself into every contact they made.“Kai’Sa.” Sivir’s voice was hoarse and she cleared her throat after the name escaped her lips.Kai’Sa hummed and marked the spot in her reading, tilting her head to look back at Sivir. “Hmm?”Sivir opened her mouth to speak, but closed it soon after. Her arms tightened around Kai’Sa’s waist and she furrowed her eyebrows.Sometimes that possessiveness won.She sighed and hid her face in Kai’Sa’s neck, breathing softly against the pale and exposed skin. She felt Kai’Sa’s body tense before it relaxed, her head resting on Sivir’s. Her fingers traced circle’s into the back of Sivir’s hand and she hummed quietly, stoking the flame of affection in Sivir’s chest.“Do you want to leave?” Sivir murmured against Kai’Sa’s skin. “Do you want your freedom from this shrine?” She licked her lips and pulled away slightly. “From me?”The silence killed her. Kai’Sa uttered no noise, made no movement—not a muscle in her body moved. The silence couldn’t have been more than two seconds long until she recieved her answer.“No. I am free here.”Kai’Sa pried Sivir’s arms away from her and fervently pressed their lips together and soon, Sivir’s hunger won out too.Hands gripped at Sivir’s biceps as she pulled Kai’Sa closer, lips moving in a desparate dance as they tried to get impossibly closer.Closer, closer, closer.“Don’t let go,” Kai’Sa murmured against Sivir’s lips and Sivir obliged, their breathing heavy against each other’s lips.“I won’t.”She didn’t know how long they had. She didn’t know what the world—what the Blood Moon—held in store for them.But she’ll be damned if she let anyone take what they had away without a fight.