“Thechildisgone.Thekillerremains.”

    ~Kayn

    Noxianbybirth，ShiedaKaynandotherslikehimwereconscriptedaschildsoldiers，acruelpracticeemployedbyonlythemostdeviouscommandersinBoramDarkwill’sempire.FollowingthedisastrousbattleatthePlacidiumofNavori，theinvasionwasdeliberatelyreformulatedintoaprotractedwarofattrition.Ioniancompassionwasaweaknesstobeexploited—theirwarriorswouldhesitatebeforestrikingdownasupposedinnocent.Thus，barelyabletoliftthebladehehadbeengiven，Kayn’sfirstdayinbattlewasalsoexpectedtobehislast

    StrikingagainsttheprovinceofBahrl，NoxianforceslandedatthemouthoftheEpoolRiver.Kaynandtheotherswereareluctantvanguard，facingdisorganizedbandsoflocalsdefendingtheirhomefromthesereturninginvaders.Whilehisyoungcomradeswerecutdownorfledthebattlefield，Kaynshowednofear.Hedroppedhisheavyswordandsnatchedupafallensickle，turningtofacetheshockedIoniansjustastheNoxianregularssweptinfromtheflank

    Thecarnagewasstaggering.Farmers，hunters—evenahandfulofvastaya—allwerebutcheredwithoutceremony

    Twodayslater，afterwordhadspreadthroughoutthesouthernprovinces，theOrderofShadowcameuponthegrislyscene.Theirleader，Zed，knewthisareahadnotacticalsignificance.Thismassacrewasintendedasamessage.Noxuswouldshownomercy

    Aflickeringglintofsteelcaughthiseye.Achildofnomorethantenlayinthemud，levelinghisbrokensickleatthemasterassassin，bloodyknucklesstrainingwhite.Theboy’seyesharboredapainthatbeliedhisage，yetstillburnedwithallthefuryofahardenedwarrior.Thistenacitywasnotsomethingthatcouldbetaught.Zedsawinthischild，thisabandonedNoxiansurvivor，aweaponthatcouldbeturnedagainstthosewhohadsenthimheretodie.TheassassinheldouthishandandwelcomedKaynintotheOrderofShadow

    Acolytestraditionallyspentyearstrainingwithasingleweaponoftheirchoosing，butKaynmasteredthemall—tohim，theyweremeretools，andhewastheweapon.Armorheviewedasacumbersomeburden，insteadcloakinghimselfinshadowsandslayinghisenemieswithquicknessandstealth.Theseswiftexecutionsinstilledfearintheheartsofthosefortunateenoughtobespared

    AndasKayn’slegendgrew，sodidhisarrogance.HetrulybelievedthatonedayhispowerwouldeclipseeventhatofZedhimself

    ThishubrisledKayntoembracehisfinaltest:toseekoutadarkinweaponrecentlyunearthedinNoxus，andpreventitfromeverbeingusedagainstthewearydefendersofIonia.Heacceptedwithouthesitation，neverquestioningwhyhehadbeenchosenforthistask.Indeed，whereanyotheracolytewouldhavedestroyedthelivingscytheknownasRhaast，Kayntookitforhimself

    Thecorruptiontookholdthemomenthisfingersclosedaroundtheweapon，lockingthembothinafatefulstruggle.Rhaasthaslongawaitedtheperfecthostinordertorejoinitsdarkinbrethrenandlaywastetotheworld，butKaynwillnotbeeasilydominated.HereturnstoIoniaintriumph，convincedthatZedwillnamehimthenewleaderoftheOrderofShadow