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flower-of-zaun · 2 years

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CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2

Silco x Fem!Reader A young woman named Xylia, rises from the depths of The Sump, ready to take down the source of shimmer and liberate Zaun. Her plans go awry and is captured by Silco. Her life is now in his hands, constantly controlled, living a life of servitude.

Will she escape the mighty Eye of Zaun?

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT TRIGGER WARNING: Death, violence, dark themes

This is a rewrite of a story I started last year. Enjoy. AO3 Link

Chapter 1: Bottom of The Pit

“Where the Sump Rats gather, trouble tends to stir.”

That is what my mother used to say before I would go outside into The Lanes to play. She forbade me to go into the lower levels. She tried so hard for me to make friends in the upper levels, even getting me into a pristine school in Piltover. Too bad top-sider’s can smell a rat dressed in cheap clothing. I could never fit in up there, but the people of the fissures, they never judged. Mother tried her best to keep me from the darkest parts of the under-city, but that was all in vain. Once the Lung Blight took her from me, I lost everything.

Just another young Sump Rat, left on her own within the darkest levels of the city and her psyche.

“Where the Sump Rats gather…” I huff as I pull up my mask and adjust my burlap tote on my shoulder.

The fumes coming from the pump station were especially strong tonight; they were in overdrive. The tinny scraping of the large mechanical arms echoed through the fissures. The constant hum of the machines usually kept me awake all night, but tonight it brought me comfort; it would drown out the voices of resentment and keep our plans of rebellion to ourselves.

In this area the only audible thing other than the grinding of the fissure gears was the light splatter of my boots on the damp cobblestone. The green haze that generally lingered was thick and low and just walking through the fog made my clothes damp from the mist. It kept people inside where they could stay warm and away from the worst of the exhaust.

A perfect night to execute our plan.

I made my way to my apartment, walking just faster than I normally would. I fought to keep my breath even, but my heart still beat rapidly in my chest and paranoia crept up the back of my neck the closer I got to my front door.

With a quick turn of my key I swiftly step past the threshold and slam the door closed. I rest my back against it and drop my chin to my chest, taking in one long deep breath. As I exhale, the ringing in my ears fades and the grinding of the fissure machines fill my small home once again.

The gathering is soon.

The last before we finally take action.

I pace from wall to wall, clearing personal items to free up chairs and crates for seats. There were about twenty in our team, each of them sick of Shimmer and how it was affecting everything in the under-city. The drug was flooding the streets like plague, ripping apart the delicate ecosystem of the fissures and its people. We had to survive down here. All of the people had looked out for one another, but now the fight for another glowing purple vial seemed to be more important than the fight for your neighbor.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Something had to be done.

A sudden knock made me jump. With a quick glance over the room, I approach the door to let in my first visitor. I looked through the peephole to see a familiar figure standing in the hallway. I rushed to let them in.

“Ryot! You’re actually on time for once,” I giggle and pull the man in for a hug.

“Wouldn’t miss this for anythin’, Xylia,” he says as he pulls down his mask, “I wanted to get here early, just incase I needed to save ya from gettin’ cold feet,” he grins as he tilts his head forward slightly.

“No need for all that,” I sigh as I push his forehead causing him to smile and stand at full height, “I’m ready, dude,” I reassure him. “Let’s just review the game plan, make sure this is fool-proof.”

I knew I could count on Ryot; he has been there since the beginning. He grew up in The Sump and when it became my permanent home, he was the first one to take me under his wing. He taught me how to fight, to scavenge, to survive in the fissures. He was a long lost brother, gifted to me when I had nothing left, and I was grateful he had my back.

Ryot was also fed up with the Shimmer situation. The both of us had spoken about saving up and getting out of the fissures, climbing to The Lanes, but the drug was working its way up anyway. It was just as bad above us, and that's when we both decided; instead of running away, we would fight the problem at its source.

We would go after The Eye of Zaun.

Walking into the lion’s den seemed like a deathwish, but we had carefully planned the attack. Months of following leads, sleepless nights of reconnaissance work, just to track down The Eye.

The man was an industrialist named Silco. He had been in power since I was a child. He fed the people of the under-city false hopes of being liberated from Piltover while simultaneously crippling them with a steady stream of Shimmer. If we take him out, the empire he built will topple. It seemed so simple, one person’s life to liberate a nation, but that was just talk. Liberating Zaun would take dedication and cunning.

Ryot had lost himself in the blue prints that were scattered across the table.

I could tell he was worried, his thick eyebrows furrowed as he nervously toyed with one of his long locs.

His golden eyes scan the documents, them flickering as he takes in every last detail, talking under his breath as he scribbles notes.

Sitting beside my brother, I put a hand on his shoulder before working to sort out the last of our plans before the others were to arrive.

It didn’t take long until each member of our team was present and there was a low humming of conversation. I step onto my table and suddenly the conversation goes silent and all eyes are on me.

“Tonight we gather to save our people.” I pause for a moment, trying to find the right words. I falter a moment before noticing Ryot close beside me, looking up at me with an encouraging smile before giving me a single nod. With a deep breath I continue, “Shimmer has become an epidemic, ravaging our city and I am tired of Piltover turning a blind eye. Refusing to help us. Instead, we shall be the ones to save our once great nation. Tonight we strike The Eye of Zaun down from his seat of power!”

As the entire room cheers Ryot helps me down from the table and a few people come and embrace me.

“Why should we follow you on this fuckin’ suicide mission, aye?” The moment was cut short once another voice from the back of the room cut through the celebration.

“Excuse me?” Ryot turns toward the source of the voice.

“You heard me,” the voice comes again. It’s grovely, but familiar. The pale skinned half-elf pushes past the few at the back of the room and stops at the center. “I get what we are fightin’ for, but if we step foot in that place…” he says as his gaze moves from Ryot’s eyes to mine. “She’ll get us all killed.”

“Devexian,” Ryot says sternly, taking a single step toward him.

The room is silent as every face looks between the two men for their next move.

Devexian straightens his posture and looks down just slightly to Ryot who takes another step toward him.

“Do you remember when those carts of Shimmer would be hauled through our streets every day?” Ryot says calmly, taking another step toward Devexian. “Do you remember how people would crowd them everyday, waiting for one of His men to take pity on one of them and toss them a vial? Until somebody was fuckin’ dumb enough to try to take from them?” Ryot takes the final step to close the distance between the two men. His head is craned upward to make eye contact.

“Do you remember how many people died that day, Devexian?”

Devexian’s adam’s apple bobs up and down with a loud gulp.

“Do you see those carts around anymore? Hm?” Ryot asks again, but before Devexian could answer Ryot chuckles. “Do you think they just left on their own?”

Devenxian’s silent as his glance shifts over Ryot’s shoulder to me.

“Ahhhh, yes,” Ryot sighs, “You got it,” he encourages before stepping to the side so he is no longer standing between me and Devexian.

“Xylia is why they are gone,” Ryot says in a flat tone, his playful smile gone. “She organized us. She rallied us together and made those Shimmer pushers too scared to use our streets,” he says as he returns to my side.

Devexian nods and looks down before taking a step back.

“My sister is not your enemy,” Ryot says toward him, but then looks around to address the room. “The slimey excuse of a human being that thinks himself big enough to call himself The fuckin’ Eye of Zaun. Is. Our. Enemy.”

The energy in the room spikes. Voices ring in agreement.

Ryot looks toward me with a smile.

“He’s right,” I say and step forward. “We have our target. And our plan. We will fight like we have every single day of our lives down here in the Sump,” I extend an encouraging look toward Devexian and he nods, “and we will win.”

***

The music could be heard outside of The Last Drop, the steady rumble of the bass thumped through the street. Standing beside the entrance, I basked in the glow of the green lights that illuminate the front of the building. I nervously tap my foot to the beat of the music, watching my people slowly enter the bar as I wait for Ryot to join me. He had stayed behind, claiming having to tie up some loose ends and make some last minute preparations, but he was taking longer than expected.

“Typical. He shows up early, but fuckin’ late when its time to get shit done.” I grumble, biting my lower lip as I flick the ashes from my cigarette before taking another long drag. As the minutes pass, my anxiety builds. We had a small window of time to attack and every single minute was indispensable.

During our reconnaissance missions we had noticed that over the past few weeks Silco had been on the move; never staying in one spot for too long. It seemed like he was planning something big, we just couldn’t figure out what it was. Shimmer shipments were moving steadily and our inside sources told us he had gotten the rights for a few more mines. That was normal, which made Silco’s off moves even more unsettling.

Looking down at my watch I let out a heavy sigh. Ryot needed to be here fifteen minutes ago. If we are any later, we have to pull our people out and who knows if they’ll even come back, or worse, Silco could be onto our plans and retaliate before we can regroup.

“Yo, Xy!” A familiar voice calls for me.

I could see the silhouette of Ryot in a nearby alleyway, his amber eyes almost glowing in the darkness. I drop my cigarette to the ground and step on it as I quickly walk up to him, already annoyed with his tardiness. “Where the fuck have you been Ry?!” I hissed.

“Like I said, last minute preps, dude.” He says with a grin, pulling a small device from his pocket.

“What’s that?” I ask while starting to reach for it, but he quickly pulls it away.

“Be careful!” He snaps, shaking his finger at me. “I spent the last few minutes rigging some explosives to the bar, just in case shit gets hairy. We’ll have an escape plan for our escape plan.”

My annoyance instantly melted away and I wrapped my arms around him, “You mean a plan B?”

“Yeah, plan B or whatever,” he giggles, playfully pushing me away. “Now c’mon, we don’t got much more time left.”

We both walk toward the entrance of the bar, “It’s now, or never,” I say brazenly.

“Now or never, sis.” Ryot chuckles, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, ushering me inside.

Walking into The Last Drop, we were immediately surrounded by colored smoke; a thick haze that seems to be consuming the whole building. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. The green neon lights illuminated the haze, making the patrons into shadow-like ghosts dancing around the bar.

Ryot breaks away, giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze before he disappears into the fog.

I am still a moment, just watching his silhouette moving between the maze of tables before he finally lowers into a seat. Once I saw that he was in position I took a deep breath and made my way toward the bar. Taking a seat, I wave the bartender down. “Oi! Oi!” I try to yell over the music.

The bartender quickly glides toward me, throwing a hand towel over his shoulder as he says, “Wot can I get cha dearie?”

“Whiskey on the rocks, make it a double,” my voice strains as I try to talk over the music, “and open a tab!”

The man began making my drink. I watched him intently, trying to distract myself from the anxiety that was building in my stomach.

He placed the drink in front of me with a smile and began taking other drink orders from the people around me.

My heart pounds in my ears as I look down at the drink in my hand, the beat of my blood rushing through my veins nearly drowning out the music around me. I knew I had to act now or it would be too late. I took a deep breath as I leaned back against the bar, propping my elbows on the marble countertop. I needed to calm down. Anxiety meant impulsive choices and tonight we couldn’t afford any risks or mistakes.

I was about to take a sip of my drink when something caught my eye; a slender man standing on the upper level of the bar. His eyes scan over the area below as he rests his forearms on the railing until his dual-colored gaze met my own.

I froze.

Silco, the mighty Eye of Zaun, was looking at me. His fiery eye seemed to burn through my soul.

Something told me to run; to call the whole thing off, gather everyone up, and bring them to safety. The tension in my body threatened to snap until that fear began to fade. The shaking in my bones calmed and a snarl creased harder on my face as a different feeling began to bubble to the surface.

Hate.

Hate for the man that caused me and my people so much pain. Even though we are already under the oppressive boot of Piltover, he still managed to profit off our suffering and make our lives even worse. I couldn’t back down now. The Eye of Zaun was here, everyone was in position, and we were ready to fight back. He cocked his head as he looked down at me with a curious grin. Anybody subject to his searing gaze would have turned away in fear by now, but I stood my ground.

I will not live in fear of him anymore.

Suddenly his glance shifts away and he straightens himself before stepping back into the shadows. With a smirk I quickly drink the glass of whiskey. I take a deep breath as its warmth runs down my arms and pools in the pit of my stomach before spreading throughout my body. I hold my drink for a moment, tapping my index finger against the glass, before suddenly slamming it on the ground.

“FOR THE UNDERCITY!” I cry out across the bar. The glass explodes the instant it hits the floor. Conversation immediately stops as nearby patrons turn their attention toward the glass shards at my feet.

“Aye! The fuck ya think your doin’ ya brat?!” The bartender screams.

I reach for the dagger in my belt as I quickly turn on my heel toward the hot breath behind me. In an instant it lodges itself just between his eyes with a sickening crunch, sending the man crumbling to the ground like a rag doll.

Then suddenly, five more bodies drop, their necks cut from ear to ear by Ryot and a few others who had started their movement with the signal of the shattering glass. At that moment, time seemed to slow down.

It was time to tear this place to the ground.

The room explodes into chaos and the two guards that were standing just inside the entrance come hurtling toward me at lightning speed, much faster than they should for how bulky they are. I raise my arms to brace for impact just before Ryot and Devexian collide with the two large men, bringing them to their knees before snapping their necks in one fluid motion.

In one fell swoop Ryot slips a dagger from his waist and tosses it in the air with a little flourish before catching it and extending his arm just as a woman steps close enough to be caught on his blade.

“Aahg!” the woman cries.

“Xylia! Find Silco!” Devexian commands as he raises an arm to block an incoming dagger.

“We got it from here sis! Go!” Ryot barks and takes out his gun. He gives me a reassuring wink before shooting bullets into the other guards.

I proudly smile at him before dashing into the crowd. Bodies and fists are crashing together as people flow through the exits, trying to escape the carnage. As I weave past fighters I duck into a corner near the bottom of a large stairway and turn back toward the destruction.

We are tearing through The Eye of Zaun’s army like paper. With each hit from the opponent, two of them drop. We came with blades and gunpowder and the amount of bodies on the floor proved how unprepared they were for our ambush. Everything is going according to plan. Now was the most crucial step of our plan, a piece that I trusted only with myself; the finishing blow to their leader to end this madness once and for all.

The guards that had been posted at the bottom of the stairs were now bleeding out in the middle of the bar. I take two steps upward, watching behind me to make sure I don’t catch the attention of anybody behind me. With stealth, I make it to the upper level of the bar where it was much darker, but luckily had less of the sickly green haze that made it difficult to see.

Still crouching, I take a moment to adjust to the dim lightning, allowing my irises to relax and further open to let in any and all bits of light. I felt like a predator on the hunt for its prey. With a slow breath in I dash to where I last saw the target, searching for any trace of him.

Searching the area I found a small hallway, barely shielded by thick curtains. Just as I step forward and cautiously bring my hand to the thick velvet…

BOOM

There is a loud blast that vibrates through my rib cage as I fight for balance while the building seems to sway.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” I hiss as I stand from my crouch to turn around, clutching the railing as I look down into the green cloud of dust and debris. How did things go south so quickly? But I had just gotten up here? We had every guard on their ass! We had done everything right!

Pulling my pupils tight again, I focus on the shadows that push and pull the smoke until I recognize Ryot’s glowing golden eyes near the exit.

He looks terrified. Something was wrong, so very wrong.

I fought the urge to run to him as more of Silco’s fighters blocked their retreat.

Only one bomb had been triggered out of the supply Ryot had rigged, so he must still have confidence in the plan? Right?

My grip on the railing tightened as I watched what was left of my team pull back from the exit as Ryot led them to the other end of the bar, but Silco’s followers were close behind.

“They knew we were coming!” An unknown voice shrieked and my heart dropped into my stomach.

No. We had been so careful not to let things slip. Everyone was a long time friend or trusted acquaintance. There was no possible way they could have known we were coming.

Watching everyone try to run away, sent me into a panic. I needed to act fast. If I didn’t get to The Eye of Zaun now, he wouldn’t just send his men after us. He would spend the rest of his days hunting us down like common vermin until the threat was terminated.

Each of us knew the risks. We all understood that whatever happened in the bar was second only to the ultimate goal. For me to make it to Silco and kill him.

Silco would not triumph. We needed to stay in this fight.

With one last look I turn away from the railing, slipping my hands into the slit of the heavy curtains before darting down the hall while doing my best to keep my footsteps quick and nimble. The Eye was within my reach, the blueprint of The Last Drop almost overlapping my vision as I flit to the last door on the left.

I could finally bring this war to an end.

This fight couldn’t be for nothing.

I stand before a dark wooden door, and for a moment I hesitate. I know whatever lies behind this door could either free everyone from the Eye’s oppressive grip on the Under City or kill me. I twist the door handle and the clicks open, the pale green light of the neons shining through the crack. I take a deep breath in before I take out my dagger and-

CRACK!

The feeling of metal hitting the back of my head, caused me to lurch forward, falling to my knees. My vision now hazy, so I turn to look at my attacker.

CRACK!

I do not get the chance, I am plunged into total blackness.

***

A bolt of white hot pain flashes across my chest, my eyes shoot open and I try to scream for Ryot, but all I can manage to do is let out a panicked whimper of pain. I look down to see my top stained red. I try to bring my hand to the cloth to check on the wound underneath, only to struggle against the rusted metal clamps restraining my forearms and the rope that kept my calves tight to the legs of the chair.

“Fuck!” I grunt as I try to pull my arms out of their confines, but even my slim hands can’t be pulled through the steel cylinder. My eyes flash upward. I’m in a small room with a burning torch hung beside the large wooden door. The walls are a mix of stone and metal, dusty and dank. I pull my head as far as I can to my right in an attempt to look over my shoulder and behind me, but just as my chin meets my shoulder my right collar bone cracks. The scream that left my body shook my bones and echoed in the small cellar of a room. I drop my head, panting and trying to stay as still as I can as the fire of my movement dulls to a throbbing ache.

Suddenly the large wooden door swings open and hits the hall behind it, the speed of the movement almost blowing out the torch.

“You’re finally awake,” a deep and grainy voice says as it’s figure ducks under the door frame and lifts the torch from it’s casing on the stone.

“Fuck off!” I spit as far as I can, my loogy making it just in front of the man’s feet. “Where am I!?”

The man closes the door before turning back toward me, his wide gate allowing him to approach me in only two steps. With him closer and holding the torch I can now see his face. His skin is a pale blue and he’s covered in black geometric tattoos. He leans in closer, “The vermin wants to know where she is,” he chuckles and a lighter voice joins behind him.

I gasp and strain against my bindings as another figure comes into view.

They had short dirty blonde hair that went every which way like they went at it with a pair of sheers and no mirror. Their face is dusty and as they approach the larger figure’s side they grin and show they are missing three of their top teeth. “Hello, Dear,” they grin as their eyes flash purple.

“Where am I!?” I demand again, and try again to pull my arms free only to bruise my wrists even further.

“Yonn, the light,” the smaller figure gestures and the one called Yonn steps closer, holding the torch over my head. I try to look up, but my collar bone screams again. I pant as I continue to pull against the clamps as the blonde reaches into their coat.

“You will refer to me as Nastoen,” they say as they slowly pull out a crystal tagger, the length continuing and continuing almost impossibly long for where they kept it until they swiftly adjust their grip to direct it’s tip at my face.

“What the fuck is going on?” I snap.

“It seems there was an attempt on the Eye of Zaun’s life,” they say as they turn away to pace slightly.

I remain quiet, hoping they would give me more information.

“I’ve been asked, due to my… skills,” Nastoen flicks the dagger easily in their fingers, “to acquire information from you-”

I spit again.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Nastoen smiles as they move their blade to deflect my projectile with no effort. Their crystal blade glows like a fiery opal where my saliva touched it. It sizzles slightly as the moisture burns away. Then in one smooth moment they were back in front of me, the tip of their dagger an inch from my neck. “You will tell me who was involved in this failed coup,” the blade moves closer.

“I’m not going to tell you anything.”

Nastoen grins and gently slides the edge of the crystal against my neck, the gem glowing as it meets my skin. I cry out, as I feel the strange blade heat up against my skin. Struggling against the chair to try to move away, but my head just hits against the back of the chair as it feels like my throat is being torn apart by molten glass. They pull their blade away and I gasp as I look down, expecting to see my blood pouring onto my lap, but there was none.

“Interesting thing, this crystal,” Nastoen says as they carefully examine the length of the dagger, careful to keep their hand on the stone grip. “Shimmer isn’t the only thing they cultivate in those mines,” they say as they point the top of their tagger at my hand. “There’s a natural crystal down there that when soaked in shimmer, has some interesting properties,” they bite their bottom lip as they rest the tip of the blade on my hand.

I cry out, cursing loudly as opalescent sparks fly from my skin and when they pull away, all that is left is a cauterized gash in my skin. For a moment, I feel like I am going to pass out again, but the blade is suddenly at my cheek and I can feel my skin starting to bubble. “The wounds tend to heal quickly, but I’ve been told the burn,” they say as they push the blade just slightly deeper into my cheek, “is the worst pain one can experience.”

I scream again as Nastoen pushes deeper into my face, making my teeth feel as if they are going to pop out of my skull, before he pulls back again. My head falls forward causing another crack to come from my collar bone, but even now that pain is dwarfed compared to what I had just experienced. “The blade…” I croak.

Nastoen adjusts their shoulders and smirks. “The Sump Rat has something to say?”

“The blade does all the work,” I sigh with a smug smile, I will not let him break me, “You have no skill.”

The last thing I remember is the way their face pulled into a grimace and then the indescribable burn of the blade before everything went black. Each time I came to there were more burns on my hands and arms. I was thrown more questions that I did not answer.

Then darkness, again.

I don’t know how long I was out between each interrogation, but each time my eyes fluttered open the dagger flew to a new portion of my exposed skin until Nastoen started cutting through my clothes to reach the untouched flesh underneath.

“Tell me! Who sent you!!” Nastoen shouts.

So much time had passed that even the torch Yonn still held above me less of a flame and more of a stake that burned like almost dead coal after a fire. I fought to lift my head. I lost count of how many times the crystal blade was held to my skin and how many time’s the world had gone black because of it.

“You know, you really suck at talking to women.” I say through nearly gritted teeth, the pain of talking is almost too much to bear.

“You smart mouthed brat! If you don’t want to talk I’ll just-” Nastoen’s nostrils flared as they lifted their dagger into the air.

I wince, preparing for the searing burn of the blade to cause me to fade away again.

“That’s enough.”

I opened my eyes to see Nastoen still standing with their arm held high, panting as they looked down at me with wild eyes. They slowly lower their arm, never losing their grip of their dagger, prepared to maim in an instant.

The dim light from the torch moved as Yonn left my side and moved away with Nastoen.

“You are quite the survivor,” the voice speaks again as he takes a step closer to me. “Amazing you still haven’t spilled any of your secrets.”

With Yonn’s torch now behind the figure, all I could see was the slim silhouette of a man approaching me. “There are no secrets to tell.” I groan, my throat burning from the deep wound across the middle of my neck.

“That is just fine, darling. Those friends of yours didn’t put up nearly as much of a fight.”

“Don’t you dare touch them!” I growl.

“There’s just a bit more information I am seeking, and I think you can help me.”

“Fuck you.” I seeth.

“Ah, I think you may change your mind. See, I have something that Nastoen here does not. Much more persuasive than a charming little dagger,” the shadow says playfully.

Suddenly a figure is thrown to the floor beside the man; the shadow coughs.

My blood instantly runs cold, it’s Ryot.

“Xy- don’t tell ‘em anyth-” Ryot starts until Yonn’s boot comes down on his back.

Tears well in my eyes as I look back toward the figure. “Who are you?” I demand.

There’s a low chuckle and a small movement before a light that is glowing purple, is pulled from the man’s coat. Suddenly his body is illuminated by the vial of shimmer and my breath catches in my throat as I see him lifting the vial, a soft, purple glow revealing his scarred face and corrupted eye.

Silco.

I gasp, but before I can speak, the sound of another person being dragged into the small room catches my attention. “Please, please just let us go-” Devexian cries as his body hits the floor.

I fight to hold back the tears, but they suddenly fall down my cheeks. They are all alive, they somehow lived through whatever happened at the bar. I was relieved to see them unharmed, but I knew that would not last long if I didn’t act fast. “It was me!” I yell, a jolt of pain surging through me when I do, “All me!” I cough, trying to keep my voice strong.

Two more large men enter the room with lit torches and toss another body onto the ground, and another. They were piling my friends on top of each other and I blinked through my tears as I scanned over their bodies for any sign of movement. Some of their hands twitched and some of them groaned, but half of them didn’t move at all.

“Please! I talked them into it! I- I told them I’d pay them if they helped me fight,” I lied, trying to keep my voice as even as I can.

“Xylia-don’t do this.” Ryot mumbles from the floor.

I quickly cut him off, “Please let them go. Please,” I pull at my restraints again, but they still don’t budge.

Silco’s posture straightens before he tosses the vial of shimmer to Yonn, I could hear him chuckle, “Good riddance.” before leaving the room with Nastoen.

I watch as Silco steps over a limp body toward Devexian. Tears stream down my cheeks as I flex against my bindings over and over with no success in breaking them. He grabs the hair at the back of his head and yanks backward, craning it back to expose his neck. “I can't have people who are so easily swayed toward violence with just a bit of coin, running in the streets,” Silco says as he reaches into his coat again, but this time pulling out a dagger.

“We can come to an agreement! Stop!” I cry, my eyes flashing between the dagger at Devexian’s neck and Ryot, nearly lifeless on the floor next to him.

Devexian weakly brings a hand to Silco’s.

“A band of assassins isn't safe for Zaun,” he says calmly as he effortlessly drags the blade through Devexian’s neck.

“No!” I scream, watching his blood pour into the stone floor.

Silco keeps his grip on Devexian’s hair for a moment, watching as his blood pumps onto the ground with the last few beats of his heart, before dropping him back into the pool of thick crimson. He steps over his body and kneels beside Ryot, doing the same; yanking his hair to crane his head back to expose his neck.

“It was me! It was me! It was all me!” I sob.

Ryot’s golden eyes meet mine.

“I paid them off! I talked them into it!”

“The city is safer this way,” Silco says, dragging his dagger through Ryot’s throat.

The glowing ember of Ryot’s eyes fades to a dull yellow.

“You fucking monster!” I scream as I watch the growing puddle of blood under Ryot’s body.

Silco stands, wipes his blade on a handkerchief, and pockets his dagger. “Kill the rest,” he demands, cold and emotionless.

He walks out of the room as his henchmen reveal their own daggers and knives, walking to each body, even those already dead, pulling their blades through flesh over and over again until the smell of iron fills the small room.

“Stop!” I beg, choking on my tears, “Please! Stop!”

With blood still dripping from their knife, one of the large men steps toward me, leaning in close enough that their musty breath fans over my face as they chuckle.

I throw my head toward his, the crack of his skull echoes, calling attention to the other henchmen as they kick the bodies of my crew to the walls and off of the main floor.

Just as their eyes meet mine I pull my arm once more and with a final crunch of my wrist, my arm is free.

In the instant they start stomping toward me I reach for the knife that had clattered to the floor and cut my legs free. I stand and spin, swinging the wooden chair into the closest body coming for me. They crumple to the ground as the chair breaks into pieces, leaving the metal cuff on my forearm, but overall, I am free.

I refuse to die without a fight.

Three of Silco’s men stand before me, readying themselves for me to strike.

My body aches as I step before them, muscles weighed down by grief and fear. I look down at my boots leaving prints in the layer of blood that had flooded over the stone. Then, the blood fades away. The bodies fade away. I see red as I lift the knife in front of me. The first guard smirks and as they lunge toward me, I easily duck below the swipe of their massive arm, before lodging the knife into their thigh and pulling with all of my strength causing the blade to slice through their femoral artery. They are brought to their knees with a garbled scream, before they fall over, smacking into the wet floor.

The second and third charge at me at the same time. I dodge a punch on the right and deflect a blade with the cuff still on my forearm. Using that moment of their surprise, I thrust my arm upward, lodging the full length of my dagger under their chin. They instantly fall, and as I’m pulling back my arm, I spin and force my knife into the last guard’s gut with all the strength I can muster. Blood spattering into my face as he coughs, before falling to the ground.

Adrenaline is coursing through my veins as I look over my hands, bright red with fresh blood. Then I remember…my brother.

I run to Ryot, kneeling in the pool of blood that surrounds him. I push his shoulder and he rolls onto his back. I hope to see his comforting expression he always has, but his face is pale and cold to the touch.

“Ryot… Ryot please…” I say as I hold his cheeks, his dim eyes staring up at me. “Ryot wake up.” I cry, my tears falling onto him. “Ryot!” I shake his limp body, searching for any sign of life. Pressing my head to his blood soaked chest, I listen for a heartbeat, but I am met with nothing. I let out deep heavy sobs, clinging to his cold body.

I couldn’t hear the steps over my painful cries. Suddenly, I feel a sharp pinch between my shoulder blades before I collapse even further onto the floor. My vision blurs as I look up to the figure of a large woman looming over me. Here

“Sevika?” I groan as I try to lift myself from the ground. “What the fuck did you do to me?”

“A little somethin’ to keep you in check.” She smirks, before picking me off the ground and tossing me onto her shoulder.

I try to struggle against her, but my limbs feel heavy again. She kicks Ryot’s corpse out of her way before carrying me out of the room, I fight to keep my eyes open as I sway with each of her steps. The woman stops for a moment, I come to for a moment, trying to stay hyper vigilant of my surroundings.

“What do you want me to do with this one, Boss?” Sevika’s voice is low.

There isn’t a reply at first, all I can hear are footsteps that stop behind Sevika. I turn my head toward the sound and wince as my tired muscles scream at me. I am met with the sight of Silco standing before the both of us.

“Hmm,” Silco hums in thought.

He’s so close. If only I could just move my fucking arms, I could get him.

I could feel the drug taking effect, making my already worn out body feel even more exhausted. My entire body feels like lead and as blood rushes to my fingertips, I can’t seem to move my arms anymore at all. With the strike of his lighter he looks at me with a humored grin. He lights his cigar and takes a long draw in before exhaling into my face. “She’s got some fight in her, maybe she can be of use to us.”

“You fucking monster.” I manage to growl.

He lifts his hand and gently grabs my face.

“And she has a smart mouth, too,” he pauses, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “She will come back with us. Maybe she’ll be of use…” his cold gaze meets mine again, “or not, we shall leave that up to her.”

I strain against the weight of my body while Sevika begins to walk out of the building. As she carries me down the street, the sun begins to peek over the edge of the cliffs, warming my skin. I fight to stay awake but the warmth of the rising sun and the rocking of Sevika’s steps lull me to sleep.

I do not know where Silco is taking me, but even as I drift into a fitful rest, fear of what will happen next overtakes me. Last night, this man had taken so much from me, now he threatens to take what little freedom I have left.

*** READ CHAPTER 2 ***

Thank you for reading! For story updates and artwork follow my twitter: @flower_of_zaun Story will be update weekly/biweekly

#silco #silco fanfic #silco x oc #silco x reader #yandere!silco #tagged xreader bc it is in first person #tagged xreader bc there is little discription of MC #xylia arcane #silco x xylia #stockholm!oc #stockholm!reader #stockholm syndrome #stockholm fic #silco arcane #arcane fic #arcane fanfic #flower of zaun #flower-of-zaun

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