Ethereal

No matter what realm, Zed always seems to find her.

Deep within the Shadow Isles, the spirit once known as Katarina stalked through the mist. She knew that she was being followed. A smirk appeared on her ghostly pale face when the air became cold. She already felt his shadows shifting under her feet. Katarina glanced down, seeing the slithering black essence shoot behind her. She glanced down at her nails, pretending that she didn't notice his presence. Yet, she couldn't help but chuckle when she heard the sounds of lost souls fleeing away. It was him. She was sure of it.

"Why is it that when I'm alone… you're always near?" She asked.

"We have unfinished business." A dark voice answered. Katarina looked over her shoulder, seeing him manifesting from the mist. His clawed gauntlets unsheathed, showing the spirit they were there.

"Just confess, Zed." Katarina smirked, "We both know what you thought of me when we were living." As she gazed at the shape of the former mortal, she scoffed. "I'll bet those mortal emotions are still floating around in that former body." Even if he was dead, Zed still retained that intimidating stature. His essence shaped itself into muscles in his armor.

"I hated you."

"Hated?" She blinked behind him, pressing her blade to his armored mask. With the tip of her dagger, she lead his face to his. Even in death, she felt how cold the ghoul was. Her dark lips came close to his ear, "What do you feel now?"

"Nothing."

He felt her pull away. Zed kept his gaze straight but he could see her ethereal hair floating around him. He remembered her once crimson locks like it was minutes ago but no longer. In death, she kept her beauty. However, Zed still felt nothing. There was no fluttering heartbeat like before. No sweating palms. No lingering scents. There was only death and the longing for blood.

"Then why are you always following me?" The spirit's long nails raked over his old armor, "Do you want to relive the old days?" They both knew that it was no longer possible to dabble in the delights of mortals. Their bodies were meant for killing not love.

"I want to kill you." He answered coldly.

"You can't kill what's already dead, Zed. I've tried."

"Perhaps, you weren't trying hard enough."

Katarina laughed as she leaped a good distance away from Zed. She readied her blades, silently challenging him. He answered her by letting his shadow clones surround her. It was always like this. It had been like this for centuries and it will always be like this. In life, Katarina and Zed were the masters of death. Now, they served it. Yet, they always seemed to find themselves in between the realms. No matter where she was, Zed always found her.

When they had lives, Katarina was the general of the Crimson Elite. She was one of the deadliest assassins in Noxus— and she had the kill count to prove it. When her clan was wiped out from the nobility of Noxus, Katarina had nothing else to live for. So, she pledged herself to Death.

Zed was the Master of Shadows and founded the Order of Shadow. He grew old and passed down his legacy to his student, a boy named Kayn.

Even if they were from different parts of the globe, their paths always crossed. The Crimson Elite had brought Katarina to Ionia. She slayed anything and everything that came across her. Except for one. Zed had gotten word of the lone assassin's arrival and challenged her on the banks of an Ionian beach. Their quarrel lasted days. It was invigorating. They don't know how it happened but it did. Zed had lead the assassin to his temple. Behind his bedroom door, there was a different kind of fight.

"You liked it," Katarina said. She knew that she had back then. The spirit knew the feeling but she couldn't imagine it now. Those feelings were wiped away when she died. There was apart of her that wanted to remember. She too felt nothing. There was no blushing cheeks. There was no lust. There was no love. There was before but not now. Not ever again. If Katarina could feel regret, it would be now.

"I'll admit to a mortal's desires but I don't feel that anymore."

"How did I taste? Do you remember that?"

"Ethereal…"

Notes: Ever wonder why Katarina always has Zed in her splash arts? Me too. I think Riot ships them. And I do too.