The Blades and The Gauntlets [Vi x fem!oc]

Chapter VI: The Game

Inside Ravencroft Manor, everything was polished to perfection. The foyer stretched out before them, with high ceilings adorned with chandeliers and gleaming marble floors that reflected the sunlight pouring in through the tall windows. Every piece of furniture looked carefully chosen, each painting on the walls delicately framed. It was all too much.

The man had excused himself for a phone call, while Evelyn led Mila down a long corridor, explaining as they walked, though Mila's mind barely registered the words. Something about rooms, schedules, dinner times. It didn't matter. She wasn't staying here long enough for any of it to matter.

They finally stopped in front of a door at the far end of the hall. Evelyn opened it with a gentle push, revealing Mila's new room.

It was large and clean, with a bed that looked far too soft, a desk by the window, and a wardrobe standing tall in the corner. The walls were painted in soft, muted tones, nothing too bold or overwhelming. It was clearly meant to be calming, comforting.

Mila hated it.

"We've tried to keep it simple," The woman said, her tone light. "If there's anything you need or would like to change, just let us know."

"Thanks." Mila muttered, her voice hollow. She stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room, but it still felt wrong. All of it. Too neat. Too far from the world she knew.

Evelyn smiled again, though she seemed to sense her adoptive daughter's discomfort. "I'll let you settle in. Dinner is at seven," The woman pointed at a clock on the wall. "You're welcome to join us, but if you'd prefer some time alone, that's perfectly fine too."

Mila didn't respond. She stood still as Evelyn gently closed the door behind her, leaving her alone in the silence of the room. Alone with her thoughts.

She stared out of the window at the garden below, watching as the wind blew through the trees. Everything outside seemed so peaceful, so quiet. But that peace felt foreign to her - like something she could never touch. Her world had always been filled with noise, with chaos, with danger. And right now, the only sound that echoed in her mind was the constant thought of Vi.

She had no idea if she was even alive. If she hadn't survived the explosion...

No, Mila couldn't think that way. Vi had to be alive. She was too strong to be taken down like that. She had always been the strongest of them all. The one who fought for them, protected them.

But that didn't stop the doubts from creeping in. The fear that she was gone too, just like the others.

She clenched her fists, feeling the frustration rising in her chest. If she was out there, if she had survived, then why hadn't Vi come for her? Why hadn't she found her yet? The thought sent a sharp pang through her heart, but she pushed it away. She couldn't think about that now.

Mila had to stay focused. She had to find a way out of here, out of Piltover. Back to where her best-friend might be. But how? With the enforcers watching her every move, the Ravencrofts keeping her under their well-meaning care, she was trapped.

And yet, there was a fire inside her that refused to be extinguished. She would find her way out. She would find Vi. And she would make Silco pay for everything.

But first, she had to survive this place.

She pressed her hand against the cool glass, her gaze scanning the walls of the estate. There were gates, and beyond those, she could see glimpses of Piltover's pristine streets. She had thought about running, but even if she managed to get out of the house, there would be enforcers stationed outside, probably watching her every move. She wasn't naïve enough to think she could just walk out.