Arcane: The Gods Want Me to Pick a Route-Chapter 164: Orianna

Stillwater Lake—unlike Ahri, who was always teasing him—Kindred greeted Logan the moment they sensed his presence.

"Logan, you're here~"

Wolf circled Logan in loops, practically overflowing with enthusiasm.

No real mystery there. Lamb had been delighted with the gift Logan brought in, and when Lamb was happy, Wolf was happy too.

Naturally, Wolf had become even fonder of Logan.

"Logan," Lamb's voice sounded from behind him, "Orianna's soul has been repaired. Do you want to speak with her?"

Logan turned and saw Lamb stepping lightly onto the lake's surface, balanced on the tips of her hooves like a proper lady, her body so light it barely seemed to touch the water.

"She can talk to me now?" Logan asked.

"Yes." Lamb's voice stayed calm. "Her soul now belongs half to the Spirit Blossom, while the other half still remains in the material realm. It hasn't fully separated from her body. Her case is special—normally, a soul like hers wouldn't be able to exist in the Spirit Blossom at all."

"But the fox intervened. She preserved Orianna's memories and created a special environment to hold her soul. So Orianna doesn't need to go through the same trials as other souls to gradually awaken."

"Hah—!" Wolf cackled. "And the fox got punished pretty good for that. She hid in her cave for months!"

Logan's expression tightened instantly. "Is Ahri okay?"

Lamb answered evenly, "She's fine. Wolf exaggerates. No matter what she does, this world won't truly blame her—because she's this world's core."

Among the many gods within the Spirit Blossom, only Ahri and Thresh stood at the very top. And even Thresh was helpless against Ahri—if Ahri got angry, he'd be the one hiding from her.

Because Ahri was this world's child—its favored one. If something ever truly went wrong between the gods, the Spirit Blossom's own will would take Ahri's side.

In this world, she was untouchable.

Thankfully, she was kind by nature—bright and lively—just so energetic and mischievous that she could be a headache.

"I really need to thank Ahri properly…" Logan exhaled.

"She never told me it would affect her," Logan said seriously. "The more I owe her, the more it feels like it just keeps piling up."

He was about to keep talking—planning to ask Kindred to take him to Ahri—when a playful voice popped up behind him.

"I owe you more and more? No, Logan. Aren't we just doing normal trades?"

Logan turned and saw a fluffy head suddenly appear. A pair of soft, pink-white paws rested on a cracked tear in the space barrier as Ahri peeked out cautiously, sneaking around like a little cat burglar—like she was hiding from something.

Logan had been ready to spill out all the gratitude in his stomach the moment he heard her voice.

But when he actually turned around, he froze.

Because Ahri looked… extremely suspicious.

"Why are you acting weird?" Logan asked.

"I'm hiding from it." Ahri lifted one paw upward and said sternly, "It's looking for trouble with me."

"The Spirit Blossom's will?"

"Yeah. I made a decision on my own to keep a soul that doesn't belong here—and I even revived her. It's not happy about that."

Seeing the worry on Logan's face, Ahri immediately added, "What's with that look? It's fine. It can't do anything to me. At worst it yanks my fur or zaps me with lightning. It's not like it can actually punish me for real."

"Alright, Logan, stop making that face." She grinned. "Did you bring me a gift this time?"

Logan shook his head. "I came out too fast and didn't prepare anything. But next time I come in, I'll bring a whole pile of things you like."

"Deal." Ahri nodded, then looked to Lamb. "Alright, Lamb—I'm taking him to see that soul~"

"I wanna go too!" Wolf shouted, already trying to squeeze into the rift Ahri had created.

But Lamb reached out and grabbed Wolf by the tail.

Wolf looked over, instantly offended and pitiful, but Lamb—mask on—shook her head gently.

"No."

"Not even to watch?"

"No, Wolf," Lamb said softly. "You have to learn to give people space."

"You never used to care about that! We don't even have our old memories!"

"I learned it from a book."

Logan couldn't help laughing at that, then stepped forward and slipped into Ahri's space tear.

He'd assumed he'd end up in the Spirit Blossom's core region like before, but after passing through the rift, he appeared directly inside Ahri's cave.

The cave was cool and comfortable. Ahri swayed her little hips as she walked on all fours ahead of him, then hopped lightly onto a big stone covered in fur pelts. She raised a paw and pointed toward a blue figure hovering over the cave's small lake.

"Orianna's right there. Come on."

Logan walked up and looked at the blue silhouette above the water.

It was about four-foot-seven, give or take. Because it was a soul, her whole form was tinted blue—so even Orianna's golden hair looked blue now. Her facial features were blurred and indistinct, but her proportions were clearly elegant and well-formed.

"Want me to wake her up?" Ahri asked.

Logan nodded. "Yeah."

Ahri didn't waste time. She touched the lake with her paw. Her eyes closed, her fox mouth opened slightly, and she spoke a few short syllables.

A flash of light pulsed.

In the next instant, the blue glow above the lake's center shattered like glass. Then a white, semi-transparent figure formed—Ahri even thoughtfully wrapped Orianna in a veil of light so she wouldn't wake up completely exposed.

"Done," Ahri said.

As her words fell, Orianna's soul dropped into the water's surface—then a pair of eyes, bright as sapphires, snapped open.

"Where… am I?"

"Dad? Are you there? Dad?!"

Orianna thrashed in the lake, long arms slapping the water, panicked and desperate.

Ahri lifted a paw toward her.

"I forgot—she isn't like the other souls here. Sorry~" Ahri said, sticking out her tongue.

Logan stepped closer. "Orianna?"

"Y-you—" Orianna was still stunned that she suddenly felt herself rising, flustered and unsteady. But when she saw Logan, she went blank for a moment—then her eyes widened.

"Wait… I remember you. I saw you beside my father back then!"

Logan blinked, startled. "Wait—you were already awake back then?"

Orianna meant… the time Logan had asked Ahri for help?

"Awake?" Orianna looked confused again.

Time kept moving, but for Orianna, it had been frozen.

While Singed preserved her body's youth, he'd also left her mind stuck at the age she'd been—still in her teens. So for her, her last memory might honestly be… sleeping.

Then waking up and seeing Singed and Logan.

Then seeing herself inside a nutrient tank.

So now she was dizzy, trying to piece everything together, with no idea what had happened.

"Looks like there's a lot I need to explain," Logan said. "But we've got a little over half an hour to talk. I'll answer your questions. Don't worry."

"You can trust me—because you and I are the same. We're both Zaunites."

"Zaunites?" Orianna blinked at him. "But I'm from Piltover."

Logan paused—then smiled. "No. You're a Zaunite now. Your father—Dr. Corin Reveck—has joined Zaun and received Zaun citizenship. And that means you have it too."

"He'll probably arrive in Ionia tomorrow or the day after. Then you'll be able to see him." Logan hesitated, then added, "Though for you… it'll probably feel like another ten days or so."

"You've probably noticed already—where you are now isn't the same world you were in before."

Orianna nodded. She looked at Logan, then at Ahri, and bowed politely, sincere and composed.

"I understand. You saved me, didn't you?"

"Thank you," Orianna said with careful courtesy. "And… thank you too."

"I love this kid!" Ahri popped upright on two legs and pointed at Orianna as she spoke to Logan.

Orianna's soul wasn't like Logan's—Logan's soul gave off a sound that delighted even gods.

But Orianna's soul-song still sounded good.

Friendly. Just. Warm.

Exactly the kind of soul Ahri liked helping.

And Orianna's behavior right now made Ahri like her even more.

Because she had manners!

Unlike Logan!

Logan was always thinking about inappropriate stuff!

Even when he was facing her—a mighty god—he still let his mind wander to nonsense like that!

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