As the cloth gag was sliced away from her mouth, Sirik, the young female leader of the Unspoken, didn't hesitate for a second. She spat directly at Kalan, her brow furrowed with absolute disgust and her words dripping with hatred.
"You traitor!"
Hearing this, Kalan's face showed little emotion. He merely shrugged indifferently, seemingly paying no mind to Sirik's words.
After all, Kalan had long since known and accepted his role. Although it still bothered him at times, now that he had joined Faen's squad, his focus had shifted. Instead of walking the path of darkness blindly just so his children could grow up safely, his goal was now to bring darkness itself back to Ionia, welcoming the coming era of strife.
Kalan didn't know if what Faen was doing was real or a lie—even Shen and the others couldn't be entirely certain. However, Shen and the rest chose to believe because of Faen's words, actions, and Karma's endorsement. Kalan, on the other hand, hoped it was all true.
Looking at the group of Unspoken, Faen nodded thoughtfully.
Under their watchful eyes, he reached out his hand. A moment later, amidst the resentful glares of Sirik and her companions, he pulled out a violently pulsing runestone.
Upon seeing this runestone, both Kalan and Shen's pupils contracted in tension. This was Unstable Essence, also known as a Syndra Stone—a specialty of Fae'lor and its surrounding coastal regions. Just as the name "Syndra" represented chaos and loss of control in Ionia, the energy within these runestones was incredibly volatile. The slightest stimulation could trigger a corresponding elemental explosion.
As Faen brought it out, it was visibly apparent that the elemental essence within the runestone was becoming highly active and volatile. The surface of the core essence had even begun transitioning from a solid crystal state into a liquid one. This meant the elemental activation had started, and an explosion was imminent.
Just as Kalan and the others were about to shout a warning, Faen simply brought his hands together before their eyes. In the next instant, the explosion triggered. Dense water vapor expanded between Faen's fingers. The shockwave of the elemental blast was entirely absorbed into the flowing water, circulating and whirling under Faen's control. The scorching energy formed a searing light surging within the currents. As Faen's palms continued to close, the once-blinding orb dimmed at a staggering speed, finally dissolving into a splash of scattered water droplets with a sharp clap of his hands.
Dusting off the remaining moisture from his hands, Faen turned his gaze to the Unspoken. "Your target is Syndra, isn't it?"
Hearing Faen's words, Sirik and the others didn't respond vocally, but the physiological reactions and spiritual fluctuations his words provoked immediately caught the attention of Kalan, Shen, and the rest.
In the lore of The Dreaming Pool, the goal of these Unspoken of Fae'lor was simple: to exact revenge on the Noxians and prevent Syndra's magical power from being used by them. To achieve this, they decided to carry the runestone into the Dreaming Pool and blow Syndra up directly.
The ultimate result, however, was that Syndra accidentally broke her seal during the process, slaughtered all the Unspoken, and then used her dark power to rip a fortress into the sky, turning it into her floating citadel to cruise across Ionia. Kalan, fulfilling Soraka's prophecy, sank into the Dreaming Pool and willingly stepped into an eternal nightmare.
It could be said that even among Ionians after the war ended, these Unspoken of Fae'lor were the most radical faction. Their methods and goals existed almost entirely for revenge, filled with undisguised hatred and fury toward the Noxians.
Now, hearing Faen's words, although Sirik and the others remained silent, their eyes—burning with indignation—clearly proved their intentions.
Faen remained silent for a moment before manipulating a water blade to slice the ropes binding them.
Meeting their confused gazes, Faen calmly extended his hand, revealing the Mark of the Twin Dragons on the back of it. While the younger Unspoken didn't recognize it, Sirik, as their leader, clearly understood its significance. Her expression shifted from momentary shock to hesitation. However, upon sensing the unforgeable aura radiating from it, her face filled with a mix of awe, doubt, and tension.
"You are..."
"In the name of the Enlightened One, Karma, I have come to release Syndra."
"Release Syndra?!" The Unspoken wore expressions of sheer disbelief. Their duty in the past had been to guard Syndra, preventing her from breaking the seal, leaving the Dreaming Pool, and bringing darkness and chaos back to Ionia.
And now, to proactively release her? Then why had they fought to the death to prevent the Noxians from occupying Fae'lor in the first place?
Faen appeared completely indifferent.
"This is the Enlightened One's command, and it is for the future of all Ionia. Furthermore, it concerns how the future Ionia must respond to the war brought by Noxus."
Hearing Faen's words, the Unspoken, led by Sirik, exchanged glances. After a moment, they nodded in silence. Sirik stood up and said, "If that is the case, we are willing to follow your commands."
For the Unspoken, killing Syndra was one thing, but more importantly, it was about ruining the Noxians' plans and getting revenge. In that context, killing Syndra was merely one method of exacting their vengeance.
Of course, another reason was that their understanding of Ionia's "Path of Balance" was very limited—especially among the younger ones who hadn't yet received tattoos. They always believed that rather than guarding a seal, it would be much better to just cleanly kill Syndra, the source of chaos. This youthful inclination toward violence was one of the primary reasons many Ionian temples, sanctuaries, and sects focused on tempering the minds of new disciples.
Now that they were informed that Syndra's power was closely tied to Ionia's revenge against Noxus, the Unspoken's mindset naturally shifted. Of course, the primary reason was the undeniable persuasive power of Karma's "stamp," the Mark of the Twin Dragons.
In Faen's view, these people of Fae'lor, who had personally experienced the war and felt its visceral pain, would become a crucial component of Ionia's transformation.
Once he ensured everything was properly arranged, Faen entered the cave and began his descent toward the Dreaming Pool.