The club's rhythm throbbed on, unrelenting, but something in the air had changed.
Cole stepped back into the glowing haze of the rooftop lounge, Ahri beside him—calmer now, shoulders relaxed, the color returned to her cheeks. She wasn't healed. But she was steady.
Progress.
Kai'Sa spotted them immediately and raised her glass in a silent you good? motion. Ahri nodded. Akali, from the DJ booth now, shot Cole a small thumbs-up without breaking her flow.
"Back to it," Ahri whispered.
Cole gave her a gentle nod. "You lead. I'll back you."
She smiled faintly and slipped into conversation with a designer from Piltover. Cole lingered behind—half in the scene, half scouting it.
That's when Ekko found him.
"Yo!" A hand clapped Cole's shoulder. "You're Cole, right? Manager guy?"
Cole turned and met the flash of Ekko's trademark grin, his white jacket lit up by blue circuit-threading.
"Yeah," Cole said, shaking his hand. "Didn't expect to meet you tonight."
Ekko shrugged. "Didn't expect to be here either. But you know how it is—industry never sleeps."
Behind him, Qiyana and Senna trailed into the conversation. Qiyana looked Cole up and down like sizing up a rare artifact.
"So you're the one babysitting K/DA now," she said, sipping from her martini glass.
"I call it managing. Slight difference in tone."
Qiyana smirked. "Cute. You might survive this scene."
Senna's voice warmed. "You haven't cracked from all the attention."
Cole blinked. "It gets easier the longer you're around them."
His gaze flicked to the True Damage table. Yasuo sat with his back to them, shoulders hunched in quiet conversation.
Ekko noticed. He leaned in slightly. "He's not here to make trouble. Just… ghosts from the past."
"I'm not here to fight ghosts," Cole said. "Just keep mine from coming back."
"Well said," Senna nodded, impressed. "You might actually be built for this gig."
Before he could reply, a voice slid into the circle—smooth, smoky, dark as velvet.
"Built for what gig?"
The group subtly shifted to make space, and Cole turned to see her.
Morgana.
She stood tall, a silhouette of midnight grace. Black corset hugging every curve, thigh-high boots clicking with poise, violet shadows inked up her arms like creeping smoke. Her lipstick was obsidian. Her eyes, fathomless.
"Morgana," Ekko said with a small grin. "This is Cole. K/DA's new manager—the one I mentioned."
"Oh?" Her gaze landed on Cole like a pin through butterfly wings. "The system-marked one?"
Cole's breath caught. "What?"
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing like she was reading more than just his face. "Don't worry. It's faint. A tether... not a brand. Yet."
Ekko quickly stepped in. "She's not nuts. Morgs just… reads people. Aura stuff. Magic."
"Dark magic," Qiyana muttered under her breath.
Morgana didn't spare her a glance. "You've brushed against something bigger. Touched it—whether you remember or not. That's why you're here."
"I thought I was here because K/DA needed a manager," Cole said, managing a half-smile.
Morgana's answering smile was sharp. "That's what they think, too."
Silence hung for a beat.
Then Ekko burst out laughing. "God, I missed this. Morgana freaks someone out, and we all pretend we're not the weirdest crew in Runeterra."
"I like him," Qiyana said unexpectedly. "He's not dumb. Doesn't flinch much either."
Senna nodded. "He listens."
"I'm standing right here," Cole muttered.
"And you're doing great," Ekko said, clapping him on the back.
Ahri returned then, flanked by Kai'Sa and Evelynn. Each scanned the group like performers sensing the shift in tempo.
Morgana's eyes met Ahri's.
The air chilled.
"You're still pretending not to feel things," Morgana said quietly.
Ahri didn't blink. "And you're still pretending not to enjoy causing drama."
Laughter rippled around them, half-nervous.
But Morgana's lips twitched into something almost fond. "You've gotten stronger."
Ahri didn't reply. Instead, her hand found Cole's for the briefest moment.
A silent answer.
"Alright," Ekko raised his glass. "Let's kill the tension before it kills the party. I vote dance floor."
"I vote shots," Qiyana said.
"I vote getting Cole absolutely obliterated," Akali declared, appearing out of nowhere and throwing an arm around his shoulders.
"Hard pass," Cole said dryly. "Someone's gotta drive you all home."
Evelynn purred, "That's why we like you."
As the night stretched, lines blurred—between old friends and new ones, between music and memory. The rooftop pulsed with light and sound. K/DA and True Damage danced, argued, laughed, lived.
In a rare lull, Evelynn found him. The sway of her hips said everything before her fingers even touched him.
She laced her hand in his and pulled him away from the crowd. No words needed.
They slipped into a quieter corner of the club, where the beat was muffled, the energy distant—a pause in the chaos.
"You haven't been spending enough time with me, darling," she whispered against his ear.
Her arms wrapped around his neck. They moved together, slow and close.
He could feel her breath on his skin, warm and deliberate. Then—teeth. Sharp enough to sting, soft enough to leave bruises.
"You're a little feisty tonight," he murmured.
"Someone has to punish you for neglecting poor little me."
He met her gaze—and got lost in it. Hypnotic purple, dark and dazzling.
"You're beautiful."
"I know, darling."
"I want to know more about you."
"Then maybe we should take some time to explore each other."
They were close. Too close. The music dipped low. Their lips closed in for a ki—
"Cole!"
The mood shattered.
Morgana stood at the edge of the room, voice laced with dark amusement. "Akali's on a table. Says she won't get down unless you carry her."
Evelynn sighed, brushing past him. "Next time," she whispered, vanishing into the crowd like smoke.
Cole stepped up to the table where Akali stood like a victorious chaos gremlin.
"Alright, Kali. Let's get down."
"Make me," she grinned, defiant.
He sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
He darted forward and swept her off her feet with ease. She squealed in laughter, head falling back into his shoulder.
"That's enough partying for you."
"Where'd you run off to?" she murmured.
"Evelynn. We were just—"
Her finger pressed to his lips.
"She's hogging you, y'know. And she's never done that before."
His brows lifted slightly. "What do you mean?"
"All I've ever seen are one-night stands. Pretty boys she leaves behind. Nothing more."
He hesitated. "Do you know why—?"
"But tonight's about me and you." Her voice was playful, but her eyes gleamed with something sharper.
She cupped his cheek, leaning in again—
Blegh.
Cole narrowly dodged the incoming wave of vomit. He grabbed tissues from a nearby table.
I'm starting to notice a pattern here.
He gently helped Akali to sit, wiping her mouth and making sure she was stable.
"You good?"
"Yeah. Sorry. That… came outta nowhere. Can we go home?"
"Yeah. I'll get the girls."
Cole pulled the armored black Range Rover around to the front. Ahri and Evelynn emerged supporting a very tipsy Akali. Kai'Sa slid into the passenger seat with arms crossed.
"You have fun?" he asked.
"I did," she said. "But we didn't get much time together. Someone's popular."
"If it makes you feel better, Kali almost puked on me."
She snorted. "That actually does make me feel better."
"I'll make it up to you. Promise."
"Alright," she murmured, and her hand found his in the dark.
He smiled.
Maybe I've finally found my place here.
_____
The floor cracked, fractures spiderwebbing outward as violet light bled through the seams. Then, with a deafening roar, the ground exploded—shards of rubble erupting into the air. From the heart of the destruction, a lone figure rose.
"I sense worthy pray"
_____
Author's note: Hi guys if you want early access to the next chapter, you can join as a free member!
patreon.com/Sakukira
If you enjoyed reading kindly vote or leave a review ♫꒰･‿･๑꒱