Although the Mark of the Twin Dragons represented the will of Karma, not everyone was privy to its existence. However, in this magical world, letting others know how lofty and sublime an object's origins were was not a difficult task.
For instance, right now. The moment Syndra's mother placed her palm on Faen's, numerous visions surfaced in her mind, and she quickly realized just how exalted Faen's identity was.
It was the recognition of the Spirit of Ionia itself—a sublimity that no Ionian could sense without feeling an irresistible urge to bow. Likewise, it was a mark that was absolutely impossible to forge.
As Faen released his hand, Syndra's mother snapped out of the vision and instantly fell to her knees with a heavy thud. She looked up at Faen in disbelief, then stared at the back of his hand, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.
"The Enlightened One... is it the Enlightened One?"
"Yes." Faen gave a thumbs-up, unceremoniously accepting the title.
As a pragmatist, Faen had always felt that while Karma's Twin Dragon Mark was merely an honorary title meant to facilitate his movements in Ionia, the actual experience of wielding it was countless times more effective than any reputation he held in other regions.
Because in this land of myriad spirits, the Twin Dragon Mark was backed by millennia of Karma's prestige. Even if he wanted to do something outrageous or completely unreasonable, simply flashing the mark would easily earn people's recognition and obedience. In fact, it wasn't just humans; even the various spirits, animals, and plants in nature would step up to assist.
At dusk, Syndra's father returned from farming. After hearing what happened with Faen and Syndra, a look of sudden realization dawned in his eyes, though he clearly struggled to fully comprehend the situation. For a simple rural farmer like him, trying to explain the various manifestations of Spirit Realm energy would undoubtedly be a huge hassle. So, Faen simply repeated his trick. After feeling the imprint of the Twin Dragon Mark just like his wife had, Syndra's father fully acknowledged Faen's identity. Thus, that very night, Syndra formally and successfully took Faen as her master.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, authoritarianism actually ran much deeper in Ionia than in any other region of Runeterra.
Early the next morning, Faen opened his eyes. He had been ready to get out of bed, pack up, and help Syndra begin her path of cultivation. But to his surprise, when he opened his eyes, what met his sight was a vast, pale space.
Yes, pale, not pure white. Within that endless expanse of white, Faen could clearly sense a faint, lingering desolation mixed in. It made the flawless white look like a cheap phone screen displaying a white image—there was always a faint, irritating hue of grayish-white.
Faen paused briefly, but his face didn't show much tension. After all, ever since he heard that barely audible tch sound yesterday, he had more or less guessed what was going on. And now...
"Since you've already come here, why don't we have a proper chat? Syndra."
Hearing Faen's words, the surrounding space rippled. Immediately after, the space in front of Faen twisted abruptly. A massive amount of black substance spilled out from it, twisted again, and formed a tall, slender silhouette.
Floating in mid-air, her posture was tall and arrogant. Her pale, long hair danced in unseen currents, the tips glowing with a spectral purple halo. Her face was cold and stunning, her jawline sharp, her eyebrows arching fiercely. The most intimidating feature was her massive eyes—they had no pupils, only swirling galaxies and shadows constantly dancing within.
Her flawless, pale skin revealed the glowing magical leylines beneath. Her deep purple battle armor merely accentuated the fullness of her breasts and her slender waist. Her long legs were slightly curled, yet they still clearly conveyed a sense of near-perfect purity. Three dark spheres orbited her like planets, casting an eerie glow. While making people marvel at her stunning beauty, they also made them clearly and profoundly sense the terrifying power she wielded.
Staring at the Syndra before him, Faen fell silent for a moment before asking: "Should I call you Syndra, or should I call you the Darkness of Ionia?"
Hearing Faen's words, the adult Syndra smiled dismissively, then said with total indifference: "Syndra is me, and the Darkness of Ionia is also me. We have long since become inseparable. Or perhaps you'd prefer to hear some other titles? Like Out-of-Control Chaos, Calamity, or the Star of Disaster?"
"Whoa, whoa, there's no need for that. If we're counting titles like that, I'm not exactly a saint either." As he spoke, Faen casually showed his Seven-Hand Curse Mark. Ordinary people might not understand it, and even Syndra herself might not fully grasp it, but the Darkness of Ionia had clearly heard of it. Upon seeing the Seven-Hand Curse Mark on Faen's arm, she showed a brief flash of shock, before sneering:
"Haha! Karma is actually giving the Twin Dragon Mark to an apostle of a Primordial Demon now? It seems the destruction of Ionia is truly at hand!"
Listening to the hatred toward Karma dripping from Syndra's words, Faen didn't take it to heart. In all fairness, if someone had sealed Faen at the bottom of a pool in a continuous nightmare for hundreds of years with no way to break free, he would definitely hate that person to the bone too—regardless of the reason why he was sealed.
But situations change—
"While I completely understand where you're coming from, I still have to say it: the Karma of this era is actually pretty great."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
Syndra sneered, then continued: "But compared to that, I'm more curious as to why you entered the Dreaming Pool. If you wanted to kill me, it might be difficult for others, but for you, standing on the shore and killing me shouldn't be much of a challenge."
Although the Dreaming Pool sealed Syndra, she was only sealed within a dream. When someone with malicious intent approached, Syndra's true body would sense it. And when the physical sensations from the Material Realm transferred to the Spirit Realm, Syndra would gain an opportunity to shatter the seal. For example, in the short story The Dreaming Pool, the reason Syndra was able to break free was precisely because Sirik and the others entered the pool and startled her awake.
"The Darkness of Ionia will never disappear." Hearing this, Faen shook his head and said: "In fact, I've always felt that some of those old relics in the Temple of the Long-Standing are worth more dead than alive. That is why I am here."