The flow of time in the Spirit Realm is entirely different from the Material Realm. Over the past few years, when Faen noticed that the dark Syndra wasn't attempting to manipulate the young Syndra, he had more or less guessed that she was waiting for an opportunity to save up for one massive push. Looking at it now, this method seemed to be the dark Syndra's plan.
Rather than using obvious tactics like deception, framing, or entrapment to sway the young Syndra's will, the dark Syndra used her own past experiences to amplify the fear and insecurity currently harbored by the young Syndra. This would make the young Syndra believe all these thoughts were her own, ultimately leading her down the exact same path as the dark Syndra.
In the life the dark Syndra had experienced, if the collective abuse during her childhood was the source of her fall, then the second betrayal she suffered during her formative years stemmed from her teacher's deception.
In all fairness, what the dark Syndra's original teacher did wasn't entirely wrong, because across every corner of Runeterra, dark magic capable of emotional infection was universally despised. This was especially true as Syndra grew older. She could more or less sense the formidable and uncontrollable nature of this power, yet she continued to practice diligently. However, after each session, her power seemed to weaken, and her so-called "training" had devolved entirely into meditation and confinement.
Although her teacher later confessed that this was because he lacked the ability to teach her how to truly master darkness, it was already too late. The seeds of darkness had taken root and sprouted, and his unilateral, wishful good intentions had morphed into an unspoken betrayal.
But now, feeling the hesitation and confusion floating in the young Syndra's eyes, Faen chose not to hide anything.
"The power within you originates from the darkness inside every person in Ionia, and the consciousness within this darkness will constantly tempt your thoughts." Looking at the graceful young Syndra, Faen spoke unhurriedly. "Once released, this massive power will severely impact the people and things around you. If possible, I hope to impose a certain degree of restriction on it, so you can gradually master and understand this power bit by bit."
Faen was not in a rush. The reason the dark Syndra—or rather, the Syndra slumbering in the Dreaming Pool in the Material Realm—had gone down the path of extreme desperation was that her teacher had destroyed the hard-won trust she had placed in him.
Any trust must be carefully maintained, especially for people like Syndra, who suffered unfortunate childhoods. Their trust is not only harder to build but also far more fragile. Rather than unilaterally weakening Syndra's power, Faen preferred a gentler method of guidance. Although there were still restrictions, he explained the reasons behind them—letting Syndra know exactly why he was doing this and what his goals were. This reduced Syndra's internal resistance and allowed her to begin developing self-awareness and establishing her true personality.
Now, hearing Faen's explanation, the confusion and bewilderment in the young Syndra's eyes gradually dissipated. Although she was still somewhat anxious about her future training, listening to Faen's meticulous explanation made her realize that the voice in her heart was growing weaker. This made the young Syndra increasingly certain she had just been overthinking things, and she began to look forward to her upcoming training.
"This isn't over."
A voice sounded by Faen's ear. Sensing the chill in the speaker's words, Faen raised an eyebrow, but he paid it absolutely no mind. Instead, he looked at Syndra and said, "Next, we're going to leave this place."
"Leave? Where are we going?" the young Syndra asked curiously.
"Fae'lor," Faen replied peacefully.
The more Faen understood Syndra's condition, the more he understood why the dark Syndra's original teacher had brought her to Fae'lor. As Ionia's port connecting to the outside world, prior to the chaos caused by Syndra's rampage, Fae'lor was absolutely one of the most open, inclusive, and academically vibrant regions in all of Runeterra.
The reason was simple: Fae'lor hosted practitioners from all over the world. There, whether it was widely known forms of power or more obscure, arcane mysteries, they coexisted and exchanged knowledge. Under those circumstances, the techniques for controlling and mastering power from different schools of thought could undoubtedly greatly perfect Syndra's process of mastering her own abilities.
With this in mind, Faen explained why they were going to Fae'lor, as well as its local customs, culture, and history.
Syndra knew very little about Ionia. Seeing that Faen had already decided on their next destination, she had no thought of questioning him; she just nodded enthusiastically. But to be honest, she still harbored some doubts and worries internally. However, as Faen continued to explain, those doubts and worries gradually vanished bit by bit. Before long, when Syndra learned that the island was home to many youths like herself seeking to control their power, those doubts and worries transformed into curiosity and anticipation.
Looking at Syndra's radiant expression, Faen nodded to himself.
Although Syndra had never said it out loud, Faen could feel that she actually hoped to have more peers as friends. The reason she didn't voice this desire was likely just because she was afraid Faen would think she hated him, creating emotional distance between them.
For Syndra, this was clearly unacceptable. After all, prior to this, the only person she had interacted with who wasn't affected by her dark energy was Faen. This naturally made her terrified to take any risks, fearing that this last person who understood her would also leave her.
Since Syndra didn't bring it up, Faen naturally wouldn't mention it deliberately either. He just needed to arrange these things slowly, explain what needed to be done step by step, and respect her thoughts. During this process of communication, many hidden dangers would naturally be eliminated. Generally speaking, for a child like Syndra, who had suffered childhood trauma and leaned toward isolation, talking more, doing more, and communicating more was always the right move.
After arriving in Fae'lor, it only took a few days for Faen to realize just how diverse the passing crowds truly were.
For instance, today, while taking Syndra out for training, Faen encountered a bald, blue-skinned Rune Mage covered in runes, carrying a massive scroll on his back.