Kapitel 3: Arcane: A Second Chance/Welcome to the Playground - Part 1
The scene began shrouded in a dense blood-red mist covering a bridge. The air was heavy, laden with tension. A haunting melody echoed through the environment, accompanied by the soft, melancholic voice of a young girl.
"Dear friend on the other side of the river,
My hands are cold and bare,
Dear friend on the other side of the river,
I'll take what you can spare..."
Explosions punctuated the melody as bodies were hurled by the impact, one of them landing near the camera before disappearing into the smoke. The metallic sound of a weapon firing pierced the air, and the silhouette of an Enforcer emerged. He moved like an unyielding machine, striking down a Zaunite citizen with ruthless efficiency.
"I ask you for a penny,
My fortune it will be,
I ask you without envy..."
The melody continued as flashes of light revealed the Enforcer's face, etched with jagged markings that resembled battle scars or signs of madness.
The scene then shifted, showing two young girls. One, older, appeared to be protecting the younger, holding her hand firmly. The younger girl kept singing, her voice laden with pain and hope.
"We do not raise mighty towers,
Our homes are built of stone,
So cross the river,
And find..."
The camera finally focused on the younger girl, revealing that the angelic voice belonged to her. Her song was cut off by her own startled gaze. She looked up at the older girl, who stood with wide eyes, staring at something terrible ahead.
The room fell into complete silence as the screening continued, each word and scene leaving the viewers more tense.
Caitlyn was the first to react, her body tensing the moment she recognized Vi, the older of the two girls. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen, but her mind raced. "If that's Vi, then the younger one must be... Powder. Or rather, Jinx,"she thought, feeling a mix of emotions. She couldn't ignore the fact that the girl who once seemed so innocent was the same person who, in the future, would fire a rocket at the Council building, possibly killing her mother and childhood best friend.
Anger welled up inside her at the thought of what Jinx had done, but something held her back. "This Powder isn't Jinx yet," she reminded herself, watching the innocence in the young girl's eyes. "She's still just a little girl who trusted her sister. A broken child..." Caitlyn then glanced at Vi, noticing that her expression mirrored the same internal struggle.
Vi was no longer looking at the screen but at Powder, who sat across the room. Vi's face was a tapestry of guilt and pain, as though each scene struck her like a direct blow to her heart. Without thinking, Caitlyn reached out and gently squeezed Vi's hand, attempting to offer silent comfort. Vi turned to her, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, and Caitlyn saw the depth of her remorse.
On the other side of the room, Vander watched the pair silently. He hardly blinked, trying to process everything he was witnessing. The connection between Vi and Caitlyn intrigued him, but what truly troubled him was how Silco had managed to get his hands on Powder. Vander clenched his fists, his face dark with regret. "This shouldn't have happened. I should have done more..."
Cassandra Kiramman, however, was less concerned with the scenes on the screen and more with the people in the room. Her gaze shifted between Caitlyn and Vi, her mind teeming with judgments and worries. "This can't be real... My daughter, involved with someone from the Undercity? Impossible. Caitlyn is intelligent, compassionate. She's probably just comforting this Vi because it's the right thing to do. That's all. Nothing more." But even as she told herself this, Cassandra couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that there was more between them than she was willing to admit.
Jayce, seated farther back, tried to ignore the personal dynamics unfolding and instead focused on the events on screen. He couldn't deny that the brutality of the Enforcers was disturbing. Leaning forward with his hands clasped, he pondered how all this connected to the current state of Piltover and Zaun.
"This was the rebellion from a few years ago, wasn't it?" the younger Caitlyn finally asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was hesitant, as if she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Yes, dear," replied Tobias, Caitlyn's father, attempting to maintain his composure. "No one likes to remember those days. They were dark times for all of us."
The Gentleman Nobody observed the room with an enigmatic smile, clearly pleased with the conflicting reactions he had drawn from the audience. His presence felt almost like a conductor orchestrating a symphony of emotions, his satisfaction evident as he stood at the center of the room.
The camera focused on the two girls on the bridge. The younger one followed her older sister's gaze, and the sigh that escaped her lips seemed burdened with premature maturity. The scene before them was desolate: bodies scattered across the ground, the bridge severely damaged, and burning debris casting an orange glow over the chaos.
The older sister squeezed the younger one's hand tightly, as if trying to convey courage. Her eyes darted to two figures fighting in the distance. One man threw the other over his shoulder with brutal force before delivering a powerful punch with his metallic gauntlet. He then turned, revealing a face partially covered in blood and dust, his eyes falling on the two girls.
The older girl's expression changed immediately, as though something in her memory had been triggered. She placed a protective hand in front of her younger sister, trying to shield her as she locked eyes with the approaching man. A silent exchange occurred between them, and, in response to the unspoken question in the girl's gaze, the man averted his eyes, closing them with a mix of pain and shame.
The two girls followed his gaze, taking a hesitant step forward. When the dust finally settled, it revealed the still body of a woman. The instant recognition hit the older sister like a physical blow. She tried to maintain her composure, but her strength crumbled within seconds. Dropping to her knees, she let out a heartbreaking sob, clutching at the air as her eyes remained fixed on the body before her.
The younger one, even in her innocence, seemed to understand the depth of the loss. She knelt beside her sister, wrapping her arms tightly around her, attempting in vain to provide comfort. Her small frame trembled with the effort to hold back tears, a quiet testament to the overwhelming weight of their shared grief.
The room was steeped in an oppressive silence, broken only by the soft sounds of Violet and Powder's sobs from the past as they clung to each other in the corner. The images had dragged them back to the worst moment of their lives.
Vander leaned forward in his chair, his jaw clenched as he watched Vi's emotional collapse on the screen. He balled his fists tightly, the memories of that day weighing heavily on him. "I should have protected them better... If I'd gotten there sooner..." The burden of guilt was evident in his eyes as he stared at the girls on the screen.
Future Vi remained utterly silent, but her body told another story. Her usually rigid posture was slightly hunched, as though the weight of the memories had physically struck her. A single tear escaped her eyes, tracing a path down her cheek. Caitlyn, seated beside her, noticed but chose not to say anything. Instead, she gently slid her hand over to Vi's, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze.
Past Caitlyn, however, was restless. Her gaze shifted uneasily between the scenes on the screen and the faces in the room. The sight of her older self offering support to Vi left her both intrigued and unsettled. She couldn't fathom how a girl from the Lanes could come to mean so much to her in the future.
Her mother, Cassandra, noticed her daughter's discomfort and gave her a sideways glance. She frowned, a flicker of unease crossing her face. "Why is she so affected by this? It's just an act of charity or duty, surely. It has to be." Yet, despite her insistence, the doubt lingered, gnawing at her as she observed Caitlyn's lingering gaze on Vi and the silent connection between them.
Meanwhile, Jayce from the past was leaning back in his chair, processing the emotional weight of the scene in his own way. He ran a hand through his hair, frowning. "How could things have gone so wrong? How did Piltover let it come to this?" His thoughts were racing, yet he avoided voicing them, sensing that the tension in the room wasn't his to interrupt.
On the other side of the room, the enigmatic figure of Mr. Nobody watched it all with a faint, knowing smile. His gaze flicked between the players in this drama, clearly enjoying the storm of emotions he had orchestrated.
The man looks at his soot- and blood-covered gauntlets, the weight of what he had just done etched into his expression. With a sharp motion, he removes them and throws them to the ground. The impact is so forceful that the stones beneath the gauntlets crack, symbolizing the burden he is momentarily discarding.
He then bends down and lifts the two girls into his arms, holding them tightly, as if the mere act of carrying them could shield them from all the chaos around them. As he walks away from the bridge, each of his steps echoes amidst the destruction, a muffled sound against the distant screams and the crackling of flames.
The older girl, still crying, turns her head to look over her shoulder. Her eyes lock onto the Enforcers approaching the bridge, armed and unyielding. She stares at the scene for a moment, her expression shifting from sorrow to a visceral rage. Her jaw clenches, and her eyes blaze with determination and hatred.
The camera pans out, revealing the stark contrast between the black smoke and the fiery glow of the burning bridge, and the view of Piltover on the horizon—pristine and serene, as if oblivious to the hell unfolding below.
The silence in the room was suffocating, each sound amplified by the weight of the scene they had just witnessed.
Future Caitlyn swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the screen. "That was it..." she began, but her voice faltered. She didn't need to finish her sentence, as Vi beside her already knew what she was about to say. Caitlyn had finally seen, with her own eyes, what Vi had lost on that bridge—not just her childhood but also her faith in the Enforcers and, by extension, in Piltover itself.
Vi said nothing. Her gaze was distant, yet the tension in her shoulders spoke volumes. Watching that scene was not just recalling a painful memory; it was reliving the exact moment her life fell apart. She felt Caitlyn's hand squeeze hers again, a silent gesture of support, but this time Vi gently pulled away, unable to accept comfort in that moment.
Vander sat motionless, his hands gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Seeing himself in that scene—carrying the girls away from the destruction—brought back the full weight of his choices that day. He averted his gaze, consumed by guilt for failing to protect everyone when it mattered most.
Future Jayce, observing intently, focused on the gauntlets Vander had discarded on the ground. He immediately recognized them as precursors to the Hextech-powered ones Vi now wielded. The thought of such powerful technology ending up in the hands of someone from the Undercity deeply unsettled him. He glanced sideways at Vi, already considering how he might reclaim that weapon before it became a larger problem.
Past Powder clung tightly to young Vi, quietly sobbing. Seeing her sister cry so uncontrollably only made her more confused and scared. "Why did this happen, Vi?" she asked in a trembling voice. But Vi didn't answer, her eyes still locked on the screen as though trying to imprint every detail of that moment into her memory.
Future Mel, noticing the look of pure hatred young Vi directed at the Enforcers, shifted uncomfortably. "This is what happens when order turns into chaos," she murmured to Jayce. Yet deep down, she couldn't shake a growing unease at the thought that the Enforcers she so staunchly supported might have played a role in such a tragedy.
The screen fades into a vibrant light blue, where the words "Mr. Nobody Presents" emerge in a sleek, metallic style. As the powerful beat of "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons begins to play, flashes of scenes alternate rapidly:
The two sisters appear, standing back-to-back, an invisible line of tension separating them. Jayce holds a pulsating blue sphere, his eyes locked on it as if it holds the key to something monumental. Viktor, leaning on his cane, is absorbed in a book, the flickering light of a candle casting shadows over his weary face. Caitlyn emerges in her Enforcer armor, holding a rifle with perfect precision, the sound of her shot echoing in sync with the music's rhythm.
Heimerdinger appears next, his expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension. Mel Medarda stands tall and commanding, the symbol of her family projected behind her, golden light accentuating every detail of her poised and elegant demeanor.
Vander's image comes into view, with the two girls in the palm of his hand, symbolizing the paternal role he played. But as the camera pulls back, Silco looms behind him, his glowing red eye shining with ominous intensity. The scene cuts to the masked leader of the Firelights, leaping gracefully through the air while wielding a glowing staff.
An older Powder—now Jinx—appears with her long braids swaying in the wind, wielding an oversized machine gun. Vi follows closely, shouting as her gauntlet powers up, crackling with raw energy. The tension builds to a breaking point, culminating in the two sisters fighting, their faces filled with anguish and fury.
As Vi's fist swings forward, the screen shatters into golden fragments, forming the word "ARCANE" in bold, striking letters. The music fades into a haunting echo, leaving the room in a profound silence.
The impact of the opening was profound, and the reactions across the room varied greatly.
Past Viktor was the first to break the silence. "That is... unique," he remarked, his voice low and hesitant, as if grappling with his place in such a grand narrative. He frowned as he saw himself onscreen, leaning on his cane. "I didn't think I'd be significant enough to... appear."
Jayce, standing beside him, reacted differently. "That's not just any Hextech gem," he said, scrutinizing the blue sphere he held in the scene. "It's a more advanced version—enhanced... or dangerous." His eyes sparkled with a mix of excitement and caution. When his Hextech hammer appeared, his face lit up. "Look at that! I made that!"
"A hammer?" Viktor commented with dry sarcasm. "You used magic to power a hammer?"
Feigning indignation, Jayce replied, "Hey, nothing beats a good hammer, my dear Viktor!" Both laughed softly, easing the tension between them.
Cassandra and Tobias Kiramman, however, were visibly uncomfortable. Seeing Caitlyn in her Enforcer uniform deeply unsettled them. Tobias was the first to whisper, "She shouldn't be going down this path. Caitlyn was born to inherit our house, to lead Piltover—not to risk her life."
Cassandra nodded, her expression stern. "She should be preparing for the Council. This... this is an unacceptable deviation."
Meanwhile, past Caitlyn's eyes sparkled with pride as she saw herself living her dream. But knowing her parents' disapproval, she kept her joy to herself.
Past Vi, on the other hand, glanced subtly at her future self after seeing Caitlyn as an Enforcer. "Do I really get that close to an Enforcer?" she wondered, trying to reconcile how such an unlikely connection could form. Though she didn't voice it, she sensed there was something deeper between her and Caitlyn in the future.
Past Powder, seated next to Vander, looked puzzled. "Why am I holding such a big gun?" she asked quietly. Vander didn't answer immediately, his mind preoccupied with another image—Silco, lurking behind him and the girls.
"This isn't right..." Vander murmured, his expression dark. Benzo, noticing his friend's unease, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You've always done what you could, Vander. Don't let the future overshadow that."
Ekko, meanwhile, grinned widely at seeing himself as the leader of the Firelights. "Do I really look that cool?" he joked, though the gravity of the moment didn't escape him.
Future Caitlyn smiled as she watched herself firing with precision. She leaned closer to Vi. "Told you I'm the best shot," she whispered, pride evident in her voice.
Vi let out a short, affectionate laugh. "Oh, I know that, Cupcake," she replied with a wink, her lighthearted tone masking the emotions she felt.
When the scene of the sisters fighting played, future Vi tensed. "That never happened," she said firmly. "I'd remember fighting my own sister."
"Maybe it hasn't happened yet," Ekko suggested, his voice thoughtful. "Mr. Nobody said we'd see a future beyond our own. It could be something that's still to come."
A bandaged hand grips firmly onto a ledge before pulling the pink-haired girl's body up. Vi emerges, balancing herself on the edge, though her foot slips momentarily, causing a brief moment of tension. "We're almost there," she says, determination evident in her voice.
The camera pans down, revealing Powder, Mylo, and Claggor climbing up just behind her. "Man," Claggor groans, his voice laced with effort. Once Vi reaches the rooftop, she collapses onto it for a moment, catching her breath. "Hey, Powder!" she shouts down, encouraging her younger sister.
Powder reaches the top and, upon seeing the breathtaking view of Piltover bathed in sunlight, her eyes widen in awe. "Wow," she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's nice to be above it all, huh?"
The background music swells, matching the camera's pullback to reveal the vast expanse of Piltover. A massive dirigible slowly drifts overhead, casting a shadow over the group. "One day, I'm going to ride one of those things," Powder says with a dreamy smile.
Never missing an opportunity to make a remark, Mylo responds, "And one day, I'm gonna shoot one of them down."
As the scene ends, past Mylo is the first to speak up. "Finally!" he exclaims, his voice full of excitement. "I thought you'd never get the pleasure of seeing my beauty on display."
Claggor, sitting next to him, lets out a short laugh. "What beauty? You dare to say that with that rat face?"
Powder and Ekko, also known as Little Man, burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Hahaha, rat face!" Powder shouts, holding her stomach as she laughs, their laughter echoing in the room. Mylo turns red with anger but can't hide an annoyed smile.
Vi, watching the exchange between them, can't hold back her own laughter. "You guys are impossible," she comments, shaking her head, but clearly enjoying herself.
Past Claggor smiles proudly as he sees himself on screen. "I looked so cool climbing that building. Admit it," he says, crossing his arms and looking at Mylo and Powder.
"Cool? You just looked tired," Mylo teases, provoking more laughter from Powder and Little Man.
Future Vi watches the scene with a nostalgic smile. "We were just kids... No idea what was coming." Her voice had a touch of melancholy but also a genuine warmth as she reminisced about simpler times.
Caitlyn, sitting next to Vi, gently squeezed her hand. "Those memories are important. Even if they're painful, they show who you really are."
Vander, watching the scene, had a distant look in his eyes. "They always had that spirit... that energy," he commented softly, his voice full of pride and sadness. "I just wish they had more time to be kids."
Benzo nodded beside him. "Yeah, Vander. But it also shows how much you prepared them. They're strong."
"One day, Jinx will do both," Ekko thought to himself. Seeing who she was before becoming Jinx was also difficult for him. In recent years, he had accepted that Powder was gone, and only Jinx remained. However, seeing the girl who used to be his best friend brought back memories every time he saw her.
Mylo raises his hands in the shape of finger guns, grinning mischievously. Before he can do anything further, Vi quickly lowers his hands. "Vi, are you... sure about this?" Claggor asks, hesitation clear in his voice.
"Look, if we get caught..." Claggor starts, but Vi interrupts him with unwavering confidence. "We won't get caught. We'll get in and out before anyone notices."
Vi looks over the roof, assessing the path ahead. "Alright, guys, follow me. Just don't look down," she instructs before sliding down the slanted ledge with agility. She leaps to grab the railing of a balcony, quickly balancing herself before jumping to the roof on the other side of the street.
She looks back to make sure the others are following. Mylo, ever confident, snaps his fingers and tries to copy Vi's movements exactly. However, as he lands, he jumps at the loud sound of Claggor landing behind him. Claggor, unconcerned, shoves a piece of stolen cupcake into his mouth, chewing contentedly as he casually looks around.
The silence in the room was broken by Vander, who was massaging his temples and sighed deeply. "Vi... tell me I'm wrong and that you're not doing what I think you're doing."
Past Vi glanced to the side, avoiding Vander's gaze. With a nervous smile, she replied, "Of course, we're not doing what you think we're doing."
"This can't be a joke," Vander muttered, now rubbing his eyes, as if trying to erase the image of the scene he had just watched.
Benzo, sitting beside him, let out a short laugh and placed a hand on Vander's shoulder. "You can't say anything, my friend. We were just like them when we were young."
"We weren't that reckless," Vander retorted, crossing his arms.
"Oh, yes, we were," Benzo corrected, with a nostalgic smile. "Remember the time we climbed the control tower just to impress some girls?"
While the two adults bickered, Vi seemed a bit embarrassed next to Caitlyn. "We were really good at not getting caught... most of the time," she murmured, trying to justify her actions.
Caitlyn, sitting next to Future Vi, raised an eyebrow. "You guys were a bunch of delinquents," she whispered, a mix of surprise and mild disapproval in her voice.
Future Vi, always with a teasing smile, leaned discreetly toward Caitlyn while the general conversation in the room continued about the scene being shown. In a low, husky voice, she whispered in Caitlyn's ear, "Are you sure about that? Because I was pretty sure this was something you love about me."
Caitlyn felt a shiver run down her spine and spread throughout her body. She straightened her posture, struggling to maintain her composure in the same room where her parents, her younger self, and others were present. With her cheeks slightly flushed, she stammered, "I-I... don't know what you're talking about."
Vi, clearly pleased with the reaction, simply gave a sly smile and walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving Caitlyn still trying to regain control of her emotions.
Cassandra Kiramman, though involved in the conversation with Vander and Benzo, couldn't help but notice the slight blush on her eldest daughter's face. "Caitlyn, are you okay, dear?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.
"Yes, mom!" Caitlyn quickly replied, perhaps a little too loudly, adjusting her posture and trying to appear completely normal.
Past Violet, sitting next to Little Man, raised an eyebrow as she observed the interaction between Future Vi and Caitlyn. "What was that?" she asked no one in particular, but her curiosity was evident.
"I don't know," Little Man responded, chewing on a piece of cookie he'd found somewhere. "But it seemed suspicious."
Past Powder whispered to Mylo, "Do you think Vi's dating that Enforcer?!" She made a dramatic face. "I can't believe she fell for that."
Mylo rolled his eyes. "Please, Vi would never do that. She hates Enforcers."
"Would she?" Claggor murmured, watching the relaxed and satisfied expression on Future Vi's face.
Future Ekko, observing Caitlyn trying to recover, approached with a supportive smile. "Hey, Caitlyn, relax. Vi likes making you nervous."
Caitlyn looked at him with an exasperated expression. "I noticed, thanks," she said, crossing her arms, but couldn't hide a small smile.
The room soon fell back into the anticipation of what would happen next, but not without a few furtive glances from Caitlyn toward Vi, who, in turn, pretended not to notice.
"Couldn't we at least have walked there?"
"We have to stay out of sight for that," Vi replies.
Powder is staring off into the distance, afraid.
"I already said," Mylo exclaims. "This is on you, Vi."
Vi sighs.
"I'll get her," Claggor says, trying to stop the argument.
"No," Vi says, before shouting at Powder, "Powder, look at me. What did I tell you?"
"That," Powder exhales, "I'm ready."
"That's right, now what?" Vi says expectantly.
Powder takes a deep breath before following her sister's steps. When she lands, her momentum carries her backward, and she's about to fall. Vi extends her hand to grab her arm, pulling her back onto the roof.
"Thanks," Powder says as she grabs her arm.
A shot shows the four kids walking along the edge of a rooftop.
"What if Vander finds out we're up here?" Claggor asks worriedly.
Vander shook his head. Part of him was happy that Vi was keeping Powder involved, but this was something far too dangerous for the young girl. He gave Violet a critical look, which she only shrugged off. She knew her sister was capable of handling it, and it was about time they trusted her with a more dangerous job.
Vi looks around, pointing to the view of the city. "Look around," she says, her eyes shining with determination. "Do you think anyone up there is starving? Living like us? Besides, this is exactly the kind of job Vander would have done when he was our age."
Claggor scratches his head, hesitating. "Vander's going to kill us."
"Yeah, only if we mess up," Vi responds with a confident smile. "So, don't screw it up."
Vi approaches the edge of the roof and grabs the ledge below her. Without hesitation, she swings to a balcony. Upon landing, she surveys the surroundings before shouting to the others, "All clear!"
The rest of the group follows. Mylo jumps with a small, unnecessary acrobatic flourish, while Claggor descends with a heavy thud, chewing the last remnants of a cupcake he found on a balcony.
"Who locks a balcony?" Mylo mutters as he tries to open the locked door.
He crouches to pick the lock, furrowing his brow in concentration. Claggor, looking down, shakes his head in concern. "There are tons of Enforcers down there."
"That means we're in the right place," Vi responds without hesitation.
"Are you going to open that door soon?" Vi asks impatiently, crossing her arms.
"Working on it," Mylo retorts, not looking at her. "Seeing as I'm the only one who knows how to pick locks..."
Before he can finish the sentence, Vi kicks the door hard, and it opens with a loud creak.
"Animals," Mylo mutters with an irritated expression.
The group enters the room, their eyes widening as they take in the shiny artifacts and inventions around them. Vi picks up a small metal piece and whistles quietly.
Past Jayce furrows his brow, leaning forward on the couch. "This room..." he murmurs. "I know this place."
Future Jayce, sitting beside him, had already recognized the environment. "My old workshop," he says, his voice heavy with surprise and a hint of resentment.
Heimerdinger, who had been observing everything intently, leaned forward slightly. "If my memory serves me correctly, and I know it does, this is your private workshop, young Jayce?"
"Absolutely correct, Professor," both Jayses answered in unison, causing an awkward moment of crossed glances between their past and future versions.
Caitlyn from the future, in turn, pressed her lips together, diverting her gaze from Vi to the screen. She knew that the revelation of Vi being one of the culprits behind the incident would be shocking for everyone in the room, especially for Jayce.
Vi, feeling Caitlyn's gaze, turns. "What? What's with that look?"
"Vi," Caitlyn responds, her voice controlled but tense, "I think we're going to have a lot to talk about later."
"That explains a lot," Future Jayce says, crossing his arms. "How my workshop was broken into and... destroyed. But I never thought it would be you."
"Destroyed?" Past Vi repeats, sounding confused. "Look, we just went in to grab a few things. It's not like we blew the place up... right?"
Vander lets out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. "They broke into an inventor's workshop in Piltover. That's not just bold, that's a death sentence."
Benzo lets out a short, sarcastic laugh. "Exactly how we were, Vander. I admit, maybe even worse."
Mylo, watching his past self on the screen, seemed torn between pride and embarrassment. "I told you it was a bad idea," he said, pointing to himself. "But of course, no one listens to me."
Claggor looked uneasy. "So this is where everything started going wrong..."
Future Vi, now visibly uncomfortable, glanced at Caitlyn again. "Cait, seriously. What did I do?"
Caitlyn took a deep breath. "You didn't just break into Jayce's workshop, Vi. You blew something up that almost destroyed his reputation. That led to his banishment from the Academy."
Vi feigned surprise. "We... blew something up?" She knew by the look Caitlyn gave her that it didn't work.
"You know, Claggor," Mylo says, "for the first time, you're right. We definitely shouldn't be here."
"You could say that again," Jay murmurs softly. Caitlyn looks at Vi, who at least has the decency to look embarrassed.
Past Caitlyn couldn't figure out what was going on between her and the future version of herself, but they seemed to be 'good friends.' She was surprised that she could get along with someone who would break into Jayce's workshop.
While the others were upset, Jayce was indignant. They were stealing from him. They were the ones who exposed what he was doing and nearly ruined his life. They blew up his workshop just to escape! He already held a grudge against Vi after the events in which they shut down the shimmer manufacturing factory, but looking at her sitting next to Caitlyn, he wondered how the hell Vi had gotten Caitlyn to trust her. He clenched his fist, wanting to stand up and confront her, but logic stopped him. He wouldn't be able to confront her because not everyone knew this was his apartment. He wondered if Caitlyn knew or if she was figuring it out too. Judging by the sudden distance between them, he assumed it was the latter.
The group looks around, picking up items they think are expensive before tossing them into a bag. Looking at a blackboard full of equations and diagrams, Vi determines, "Must be an inventor, huh."
"Wow," Powder softly exclaims. "I think this is a real Valdiani." As she opens it, soft music plays.
"Oh, yes, how about this?" Mylo says while holding up a portable device. "It's a nose hair trimmer." Powder responds bluntly.
Laughter fills the room as Mylo blushes and looks down. Even Vander manages to laugh, despite his disapproval of what his children were doing.
"Keep an eye out for anything that looks valuable, Powder. Before Mylo fills the bag with junk," Vi gives Mylo a suspicious look as he rummages through the room.
Mylo, with a look of fascination, holds up a glowing blue stone. "Uh... guys?" He approaches the others, the stone gleaming in his hand.
"Wait, Vi, how the hell did we find this place?" Claggor asks, still suspicious, looking around, trying to figure out how they ended up here.
"It was a tip from Little Man," Vi answers without hesitation, as if that was an obvious explanation.
"Little Man?" Mylo asks, clearly surprised and skeptical.
"Never mind," Vi quickly responds, brushing off any further questions. She then looks at Powder, who's already heading into another room. "Alright, guys. Stay alert."
Powder, with her curious gaze, enters a separate room and starts exploring. Meanwhile, Vi smiles at the group, saying, "How can someone have so much stuff?"
"Simple," she responds with a mischievous grin. "Just be born lucky."
Cassandra, watching the scene, couldn't help but smile ironically. "Well, I admit it was by chance that I found Jayce and decided to fund his research, whatever it was. So yes, there was a bit of luck involved." She leaned back in the chair, watching the unfolding events on the screen.
Jayce from the past, upon seeing Powder enter the room with the Hextech crystals, immediately tensed up. His eyes narrowed as he watched the young girl, worried about what might happen. "No, no, Powder... If she touches the Hextech crystals without knowing what she's doing..." He began to sweat with concern. "If she mishandles them, something horrible could happen."
The future version of Jayce watched the scene with a growing sense of guilt. He knew exactly what would happen if Jinx, like Powder, tried to mess with the crystals without proper care. "That's what caused the explosion," Jayce murmured to himself. "Back then, I was the only one who knew how to handle them safely. When Jinx tried to steal them, she must've caused all the destruction..." He looked at the screen, his face tense, as if he were reliving the tragedy again.
Caitlyn from the future, watching it all, remained silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the screen. She felt a mix of sadness and shame. She never imagined the people of the Undercity could feel so desperate. She looked at Vi beside her, feeling a deeper connection to her than she had ever imagined. "I... I never knew people from the Undercity felt like this," Caitlyn began, her voice soft, almost regretful. "Well, I never really talked to anyone from the Undercity before you. I thought all they needed was to work harder to get out of that situation, or at least, that's what my mom always told me..." She paused and took a deep breath. "But now... Now I'm starting to realize that maybe you didn't have a choice."
Vi looked at Caitlyn, her gaze warm but also concerned. She knew that the reality of the Undercity could easily be ignored.
Powder, with curious eyes, opens an old door, taking a cautious step inside the room. Her gaze fixes on a book on a table, but she quickly ignores it and, with a small smile, looks at a sandwich resting on a shelf. She grabs the sandwich and takes a bite, savoring the moment of calm.
As she chews, she notices a chest in the corner of the room. Without thinking much, she approaches and opens it. Inside, the chest is filled with blue stones that faintly glow in the dim light of the room. Intrigued, she picks one up and examines it carefully, her mind full of questions.
Meanwhile, in the room next door, Vi, Mylo, and Claggor continue rummaging through the place. Mylo tosses a metal orb to Vi, who catches it effortlessly and examines it briefly before hearing a noise coming from outside the main door.
Her gaze locks on the shadow beginning to move through the crack in the door, followed by the jingling sound of the doorknob starting to turn.
Viktor, seeing the crystals on the screen, began to speak, trying to understand what was happening: "These are...?" His question hung in the air as he watched the crystals, completely absorbed by their glow.
But it was Jayce who interrupted his attempt at analysis, with a quick yet tense explanation. "I call them Hextech crystals," Jayce explained in a serious tone. "And, well, all my research on magic through science centers around them. They are the key to my work."
Mel, hearing Jayce's words and noticing the nervousness in his expression, raised an eyebrow. "From the look of your nerves, I take it they're not the safest thing in the world," she commented, noticing the sweat on Jayce's brow as he appeared visibly uneasy.
Jayce, swallowing hard, responded with a slight nervous smile, trying to calm everyone down but without much success. "Let's just say you need to handle them in a very specific way to avoid anything going wrong. If you do it the wrong way, the consequences can be... catastrophic."
Vi points urgently at Mylo. "Mylo!" He immediately understands what she wants and quickly runs to the chair he's sitting on. He slides it across the room and places it under the doorknob. The person outside tries to open the door but can't. The sound of the doorknob turning unsuccessfully echoes through the room.
Vi, now more tense, looks at Powder, who is still rummaging through the chest. "Powder, we have to go, now!" she says, her voice filled with urgency.
Reluctantly, Powder begins to stuff the remaining crystals into the bag, but one slips from her hands and falls to the floor with a sharp clink.
"Hello? Is someone there?" The man's voice sounds curious but also cautious, as if he's sensed something unusual.
Powder hesitates for a moment. Vi gives her a quick glance. "Let's go, Powder!" Vi whispers as the sound of footsteps approaches from the other side of the door.
The two Jayce's, now deeply immersed in the scene, both flinched slightly, feeling the pressure of the moment. They knew exactly what would happen next. Jayce looked at the screen, closing his eyes for a brief moment, trying to control himself. He knew what those crystals could do, and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to get hurt again.
"This isn't going to end well," past Jayce said, watching what was about to happen. He knew that the situation would escalate quickly, and deep down, there wasn't much that could be done now.
Jayce, though still angry with the group for stealing from him, took a deep breath. He wasn't sure whether to be mad or relieved. At least now he knew they hadn't intended to cause the damage that occurred. It was an accident, no doubt—an accident that happened in the heat of the moment when they were trying to escape and do something they didn't fully understand.
The stone falls to the ground and begins to emit crackling energy, shooting blue sparks as it rolls across the room. The sound of the energy reverberating through the space creates a rising tension. The man on the other side of the door starts banging furiously, trying to force his way in. Mylo, watching the chaos unfold, urgently calls to the two girls.
"Come on, get in here!" he shouts as the cracks spread across the stone.
Vi, quickly grabbing the bag with the loot, responds to Mylo with a firm tone. "We'll be fine. Just get back to the roof." Her voice betrays no fear, though the concern is clear in her eyes.
Suddenly, the Hextech crystal strikes the wall with force, and the room falls silent for a brief moment. Then, a blue explosion erupts, causing the walls to shake. The impact is so strong that Vi is thrown toward the balcony, while Mylo, Claggor, and Powder are knocked to the ground by the force of the shockwave. The balcony begins to crack, chunks of concrete falling into the street below, while the sound of glass shattering and the cracking of walls being destroyed echoes throughout the room.
For a brief moment, everything was silent. The shock of the explosion was still settling in, and it felt as though time had stopped. But that silence lasted only five seconds before it was broken by a deafening scream.
"What the HELL?!" Mylo shouted, his voice filled with panic and disbelief. He was staring at the screen, stunned by the sudden destruction. "What kind of damn stone explodes like that?! Powder, look what you did!"
Powder, visibly frightened, took a step back and raised her hands in defense. "Me? How was I supposed to know it could explode?!" She responded with a mix of desperation and anger, knowing that none of this would have happened if she had understood the true power of the stone.
Vander, watching closely, tensed up, his eyes fixed on the screen. "VI! Is she okay? What happened to her?" He asked, his heart tight as he saw Vi still inside the apartment. He was ready to jump into the screen, as if he could somehow intervene.
Benzo, standing next to Vander, tried to calm him down, noticing his friend's distress. "Relax, Vander. You can see she was just thrown onto the balcony. She's far from the explosion." He said, trying to offer a sense of calm, though the concern in his voice was palpable.
Meanwhile, the room was filled with murmurs and shouts of surprise, with everyone trying to process the chaotic scene. Jayce was wide-eyed, the impact of the explosion still leaving him speechless. Viktor, standing next to him, was equally shocked, but his scientific mind immediately began analyzing the aftermath of the explosion, trying to understand how it happened so quickly.
The others, unsure of what to do, watched, knowing that this was just the beginning of something even more dangerous.
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein