"What if I can bring the ghost-willow back to life?"
Luke repeated himself.
Syndra's eyes immediately trembled. "Really?"
Luke calmly replied, "I can't guarantee it, but I do have something we can try. That is, if it's still in the same condition after all these years."
The ghost-willow he had seen in the dream had been barely alive, lingering in a state somewhere between life and death. But several hundred years had passed in reality. Perhaps it had already died completely.
If that was the case, there was probably nothing anyone could do.
"I'll take you to it."
Syndra immediately stood up, a trace of urgency appearing on her normally icy face.
She knew Luke wouldn't lie to her, so she didn't need any guarantee. Even if there were only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, she wanted to try.
After waking up, she had immediately returned to her old village, taken the ghost-willow from there, and transplanted it to the center of the island.
Fae'lor itself looked devoid of vitality now. Everything appeared gray and desolate because Syndra's eruption all those years ago had nearly drained the entire island of its spiritual energy.
It didn't take long for the three of them to reach the center of the island.
Their gazes simultaneously settled upon the solitary, withered ghost-willow.
"I've tried a lot of things," Syndra said. "Infusing it with magic, nourishing it with the finest water I could find, carefully tending to it... None of it worked."
Karma immediately saw the reason.
"Its life force was completely drained. That is essentially the same as losing all of its potential. The fact that it has managed to retain even the faintest spark of life until now is already a miracle."
Although the ghost-willow looked completely withered, it was indeed still alive.
Karma could tell that the Spirit of Ionia had been silently protecting it all this time.
Perhaps this ghost-willow really had possessed tremendous potential once. Seeing what it had become now was deeply unfortunate.
"So all we need to do is restore the life force it lost?" Luke asked Karma.
Karma considered it for a moment.
"In theory, yes. After all, everything follows a balance of exchange. But the life force contained within every creature and plant is different. In other words, according to that same principle, the particular vitality that belonged to this ghost-willow has already been lost."
She couldn't imagine any method capable of accomplishing what Luke wanted.
To revive the tree, they would need life force equivalent to that which originally belonged to the ghost-willow.
But where in the world could they possibly find the very vitality it had already lost?
"What if it were a completely pure life essence that didn't belong to any specific living thing?"
As Luke spoke, he slowly took out a crystalline fruit.
It possessed a gemstone-like luster and glittered brilliantly from within.
The instant it appeared, an enormous amount of life energy radiated from it, extraordinarily pure. Even the energy throughout the surrounding area became noticeably richer.
Karma and Syndra stared at the fruit in surprise.
Both immediately recognized that it was no ordinary object.
"I call it a Sacred Spirit Fruit. I happened to come across it by chance."
Luke gave them a simple explanation.
In reality, it was a reward he had received from a check-in.
The Sacred Spirit Fruit was a peerless-grade sacred treasure. Even the system's description had explicitly stated that it contained an enormous quantity of pure life essence.
"You just... happened to come across it?"
Karma was visibly moved.
Even she found the energy contained within the Sacred Spirit Fruit dazzling.
Was this really something a person could casually stumble upon?
"Anyway, can we use it?"
Luke smiled.
"It may be worth trying," Karma replied.
She couldn't guarantee anything, because even she had never attempted something like this.
"Then I'll have to trouble the Enlightened One."
Without the slightest hesitation, Luke handed the Sacred Spirit Fruit to Karma.
It had only been collecting dust in his system inventory anyway. He might as well see whether it could be useful now.
Karma accepted it almost gingerly, worried that the slightest mishandling might cause a problem. She didn't even have time to criticize Luke for treating something so precious so casually.
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
The two spirit dragons behind her began glowing with divine light.
Then she turned toward the ghost-willow and unleashed her spiritual power.
Brilliant light immediately erupted.
The Sacred Spirit Fruit was lifted into the air by Karma's energy, where it released dazzling beams of light. Life energy flowed from it like streams of a rainbow.
Syndra watched Luke casually hand over something so valuable, and her gaze became somewhat complicated.
But at the moment, she cared far more about whether the Sacred Spirit Fruit could truly save the ghost-willow.
Light shone from Karma's eyes as sacred spiritual power enveloped her entire body.
Then she began guiding the life energy flowing from the Sacred Spirit Fruit, slowly channeling it into the withered ghost-willow.
Countless crystalline threads glimmered with mesmerizing radiance.
Time slowly passed.
Although the ghost-willow itself initially showed no reaction, flowers and green grass miraculously began sprouting from the surrounding ground, nourished by the excess life essence spilling into the area.
Suddenly, a soft crack sounded.
Syndra's keen senses immediately caught it.
Her gaze became tense.
The withered outer bark of the ghost-willow suddenly began peeling away like an animal shedding its skin.
Beneath it appeared a vigorous green sprout, radiating the fresh vitality of new life.
Delight flashed through Syndra's eyes.
Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed Luke's sleeve, wanting to share her joy with him.
Then she abruptly remembered the aloof image she was supposed to be maintaining and quickly let go.
Luke noticed.
He deliberately looked toward her, amusement flashing through his eyes.
Syndra immediately turned away and focused on the ghost-willow, even as ripples continued spreading through her heart.
Once, this ghost-willow had been the salvation of her childhood.
That was why it held such an important place in her heart.
Seeing it come back to life filled her with indescribable joy.
Karma also saw that their method was working and became even more focused.
She was astonished by the amount of life essence contained within the Sacred Spirit Fruit.
In the end, she channeled every last trace of it into the ghost-willow.
As the light gradually faded, the tree returned to its previous state, except now a fresh green sprout was growing from its trunk.
"It appears we succeeded."
Karma breathed a sigh of relief.
She was genuinely happy as well.
"It will probably need some time before it grows back to the way it once was. But after absorbing this much life essence, it shouldn't take too long. And as the ghost-willow grows, it should gradually help Fae'lor recover its vitality as well."
Luke smiled.
"In that case, doesn't this count as Syndra doing something enormously beneficial for Ionia?"
"If you say it counts, then it counts."
Karma had no intention of getting involved in whatever complicated history obviously existed between these two.
The Sacred Spirit Fruit had technically come from Luke, but if he wanted to give Syndra the credit, that was none of Karma's concern.
Either way, this truly was an enormous benefit to the land.
Luke then looked toward Syndra.
"I helped you revive the ghost-willow. How about letting go of your anger toward them?"
"Well... since you're putting it that way..."
Syndra's tone suddenly lacked the confidence it had possessed earlier.
She knew she owed Luke for this.
"See? Problem solved."
Luke's smile was bright.
"Now that we've settled your business, it's time for mine."
Both women paused.
Neither had expected Luke to have another objective.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm not plotting anything bad."
Luke had them sit down again before slowly explaining the matter of the Hexgates.
That was the entire reason he had come here in the first place. Naturally, he hadn't forgotten about it.
Now he had revived the ghost-willow, helped Fae'lor begin recovering its vitality, and prevented Syndra from fighting Karma.
Karma owed him quite a favor at this point.
What surprised Luke, however, was that after hearing him out, Karma only considered the matter briefly before saying, "I can support this proposal, and I am willing to speak in favor of it on behalf of the Lasting Altar."
Luke couldn't help asking, "That easily?"
Seeing his surprised expression, Karma smiled.
"To tell you the truth, after experiencing this war, I have already been searching for a path toward change. The old ways are no longer suitable for the Ionia of today. Establishing closer ties with the wider world is indeed one possible direction."
"In that case, it's settled."
Luke believed her.
During Noxus's invasion of Ionia, many immensely powerful people who believed in balance and peace had chosen to remain indifferent to the invasion.
Karma, however, despite representing the Lasting Altar and being the Enlightened One who should have been among the strongest defenders of those old principles, had resolutely chosen to fight.
On that day, she had personally destroyed an entire Noxian fleet.
Afterward, she inspired the people of Ionia to take up arms against the invaders.
That was also why her reputation had soared and why she was so deeply respected today.
Syndra had listened to the entire explanation with obvious interest.
"Interesting. Build one of those Hexgates here first."
She was actually extremely curious about the outside world now.
She hadn't known much about it to begin with, and after being sealed away for so many centuries, her knowledge of the wider world was even more limited.
She never would have expected someone to invent a device capable of teleportation across such enormous distances.
Luke considered it.
Building a Hexgate in the nearby port city did seem appropriate.
After all, if they were going to build Hexgates, they obviously couldn't build only one.
With Karma's support, implementing the plan should become much easier. That would probably reduce the pressure on Irelia as well.
With the matter settled, Karma prepared to return to the Lasting Altar. She would still need to coordinate with Luke during the construction of the Hexgates.
Naturally, she was willing to trust Luke.
It wasn't merely her own judgment.
At that moment, even the Spirit of Ionia itself had expressed its approval of him.
Before long, Karma departed.
Only Luke and Syndra remained on the island.
Looking out over the empty sea, Luke stood up.
"In that case, I should get going too."
Syndra paused.
Then she turned around and coldly said, "I'm not seeing you off."
She took several steps forward.
Then she actually heard the sound of rowing behind her.
Her footsteps immediately stopped.
She raised one hand, released her magic, and crushed the boat beneath Luke's feet into splinters.
Luke had no choice but to return to shore.
"If you don't want me to leave, you can just say so. Why destroy somebody's boat?"
"Who said I don't want you to leave?"
Syndra snorted.
"That boat was poor quality. It was nothing but a piece of junk. I'll compensate you with another one."
"No need. I'm in a hurry to get home. I'll be going."
Losing his boat obviously wasn't enough to stop Luke.
He could skim across the sea using nothing more than a wooden plank.
This time, however, even the plank was instantly pulverized into sawdust.
Syndra finally turned around.
Her eyes were slightly cold.
"Do you absolutely have to leave?"
Luke looked puzzled.
"We're not close, remember? Why would I stay? And why do you keep stopping me?"
So he really hadn't forgotten those words.
Syndra's gaze flickered.
She looked at him and countered, "If we're not close, then why did you use that fruit to help me?"
"I did it for myself," Luke replied indifferently. "If the two of you started fighting, there was no way I'd get what I came here for."
Seeing his distant attitude suddenly made Syndra's chest feel strangely tight.
She was beginning to regret what she had said earlier.
But she couldn't bring herself to apologize now.
So she stared at him.
"Was that really the only reason?"
"Yes."
Luke casually admitted it, looking at her calmly.
Something about the calmness in his eyes irritated Syndra for no apparent reason.
She could tell he was absolutely doing this on purpose.
He was sulking like an awkward little kid.
She had only said one wrong thing.
Why did he have to keep holding it against her?
"Anyway, I'm not allowing you to leave."
Syndra suddenly became angry too.
With a wave of her hand, the enormous palace floating in the sky abruptly came crashing down.
BOOM!
The impact shook the earth, sending violent tremors through the ground beneath their feet.
Syndra turned and walked toward the palace.
Before entering, she left Luke with one final warning.
"If you dare leave, then I'll... never speak to you again."
Luke hadn't expected Syndra's threat to be so utterly harmless.
He had been expecting something much more terrifying.
Still, he could tell that she desperately wanted him to give her an easy way out of the situation.
Watching her slam the palace doors shut, Luke rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
How had such a perfectly normal girl grown up to become this much of a tsundere?
After thinking about it, he didn't actually leave.
He had been sulking a little, so her assessment wasn't entirely wrong.
Inside the palace, Syndra silently leaned against a wall.
She was beginning to realize that she could no longer clearly separate the dream from reality.
Especially whenever that man appeared before her.
From the moment Luke entered her sight, her heart had never once been truly calm.
It had only been a dream.
And yet, when she closed her eyes and remembered everything that had happened within it, the happiness and joy felt so incredibly real.
As though those events had truly happened to her.
She really was beginning to lose track of the difference.
Syndra had believed she would never form an emotional bond with anyone again.
She had never imagined her defenses could be shattered so easily.
That girl wasn't her.
But... was she really not her?
If she wasn't, why had the dream, which should have ended that day, continued for several more months?
In reality, Syndra had been sealed beneath the earth by the Spirit of Ionia on the very same day she confronted Konigen.
Apart from her body and magic continuing to grow, her emotional development and memories had effectively remained frozen on that day.
After breaking free of the seal, she refused to trust anyone again.
She put on an icy mask and met everything in the world with rejection.
Yet now she realized something.
Among all the people she refused to trust, Luke somehow wasn't included.
Just then, a delicious aroma drifted in through the window and entered her nose.
She knew that smell all too well.
Unable to resist, Syndra stood and looked outside.
She saw Luke sitting beside a campfire with his back toward her, leisurely grilling fish.
An overwhelming sense of déjà vu washed over her.
At that moment, the dream and reality seemed to merge together.
Sensing her gaze behind him, Luke turned around and smiled.
"It's almost ready. Come sit down."
Syndra's eyes trembled slightly.
The uncertainty in her heart disappeared.
The two sat beside the campfire.
Syndra looked down at the grilled fish in her hands, but still stubbornly said, "First, I need to make something clear."
"I'm me, and she's her. She was only a reflection of who I used to be. I've changed a long time ago."
"Don't confuse the two of us."
"Okay."
Luke nodded.
"And also..."
Syndra lowered her head and gently bit into the fish.
The familiar flavor spread through her mouth.
She quietly muttered, "Forget those stupid things I said earlier."
Under the glow of the fire, her face seemed faintly red.
Luke pretended not to hear clearly.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
Syndra's icy, aloof expression returned in an instant.
Yet the way she ate her grilled fish still looked exactly like that girl from the dream.
In truth, she had already figured it out.
Dream or reality, she was still herself.
After they finished eating, Syndra brought Luke into the palace and gave him a tour.
The palace had originally been built by the Noxians and awarded to a warlord.
Unfortunately for him, he had never even gotten the chance to move in before the newly awakened Syndra crushed him.
Naturally, the palace became Syndra's property.
The interior was extremely luxurious.
After a brief tour, Syndra brought Luke into her lavish bedroom.
"Then let's begin."
Luke paused.
"Begin what?"
Syndra gave him a strange look.
With a wave of her hand, a chessboard made of magic appeared between them.
"Five-in-a-row, obviously."
Right now, she felt terrifyingly powerful.
With herself in this condition, she might actually be able to beat Luke.
Luke naturally accepted her challenge.
The game began.
Syndra immediately displayed an extremely aggressive style, perfectly matching her current personality and overflowing with offensive intent.
Unfortunately, five-in-a-row wasn't a game you could win through sheer intimidation.
Luke had already taught more than one girl that lesson.
Syndra had indeed improved extremely quickly, and her current skill was already quite respectable.
But Luke had always been holding plenty back.
Now that he brought out some of his hidden tricks, it was still more than enough to completely crush her.
Before long, Syndra's composure had been thoroughly shattered.
She abandoned the board and refused to keep playing.
Luke discovered that after growing up, she had also become ridiculously stubborn.
She had been utterly demolished, yet she still refused to admit defeat.
By the time they noticed, darkness had already fallen outside.
Luke didn't know exactly how long he had been asleep, but it probably hadn't been very long.
Otherwise, Akali and Ahri would have come looking for him by now.
He stretched and prepared to say goodbye.
"It's getting late. I should head back."
Syndra said nothing.
But the instant Luke stood up, the bedroom's two doors suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang.
At the exact same moment, every window closed as well.
The room plunged into darkness and complete silence.
In the darkness, Luke suddenly felt an invisible force throw him onto the bed.
Then, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, a soft body pressed closely against him.
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