Tarren adjusted the strap of his bag, his footsteps echoing softly in the halls of an apartment building. He stopped in front of a polished oak door, hesitating for a brief moment before knocking.
The door opened almost instantly, revealing Jayce, who looked both eager and slightly apprehensive. "Tarren," he greeted, stepping aside. "Come in."
Tarren entered, taking in the spacious apartment. It was elegant but carried a lived-in charm—papers scattered on the table, a half-eaten sandwich laying around on the counter. The Kirramans had clearly spared no expense in providing for Jayce, with all the decorations and fancy furniture, assuring him a comfortable life.
"You still lived in the academy? The Kirramans haven't provided you with an apartment yet?" Jayce asked casually as he led Tarren toward the main workspace.
Tarren shook his head. "I'm comfortable at the academy. Moving out would be a hassle. Too much stuff I'd rather not pack up."
Jayce chuckled. "Fair point. Sounds like you've got something risky going on there, just like me."
Tarren shrugged. "Not as dangerous as what you're about to show me."
Jayce paused, his casual demeanor slipping. He nodded gravely and gestured for Tarren to follow him to a small room at the end of the hall.
When Jayce opened the door, Tarren stepped inside, his eyes immediately drawn to the workbench. The room was modest, filled with shelves overflowing with scraps of metal, tools, and scattered blueprints. But the centerpiece was a sleek, suitcase resting on the table.
Tarren's gaze flicked to the blueprint spread out beside it. The sketches depicted theoretical machines, their designs hinting at using some kind of new energy source. His eyes settled on the suitcase again, its pristine exterior almost felt out of place.
"This must be it." Tarren remarked.
Jayce approached the table. "This," he began, opening the suitcase, "is what I've discovered so far."
Inside, rows of glowing blue crystals emitted a faint, mesmerizing light. They seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive.
"These are the crystals that I've mentioned," Jayce explained. "I acquired them in Shurima about a year ago. A shady merchant sold them to me after everyone else either refused outright or warned me away. And for good reason—they're dangerously unstable. Even a rough jolt could make them explode."
Jayce picked up his leather wristband and placed it next to the suitcase, pointing to the gemstone embedded in it. "I'm certain that this gemstone and the crystals in the suitcase are the same material. If I can stabilize them like this gemstone, we could unlock their full potential. Imagine it: ordinary people wielding magic. No arcane talent required. This could change everything."
Tarren leaned in, examining the crystals but keeping a safe distance. "Magic isn't something you can just use wantonly. There's always a cost. But you're right—these crystals hold massive potential. Exploiting them, though..." He gestured toward the suitcase. "That's a dangerous game."
"I know," Jayce admitted.
Tarren unslung his bag and pulled out a stack of books, setting them on the table. "From what I've seen, you're trying to stabilize the crystals using runes, correct?"
Jayce nodded. "Exactly. I've seen the rune on my wristband in action before. Someone used it to harness the crystal's power, and I want to replicate that. But I'm still at the beginning of my research."
Tarren flipped through the pages of one of the books. "Then let's get started."
—
Hours later, the two stood before a makeshift setup on the workbench. Jayce had cobbled together a rudimentary device designed to activate the crystal by using certain frequencies and jolting the crystal 'awake'. Meanwhile, Tarren meticulously carved runes onto blank stones, referencing his books as he worked.
"I've got the Rune of Inspiration, the Rune of Precision, and the Rune of Domination," Tarren said, setting the stones down beside the device.
Jayce wiped his brow. "Perfect. Let's see if we're on the right track."
Together, they assembled the device, with the runes on the side facing the center, and one of the crystals at its center. Jayce carefully stepped back, allowing Tarren to press the activation switch.
The machine hummed softly, but the crystal remained inert. The runes showed no reaction.
Tarren frowned. "Disappointing, but expected. We need to be able to control the frequencies that we emit to the crystal. We can start experimenting to get stable resonance from there."
Jayce nodded, already grabbing a stack of papers to start sketching a new design. "You're right. We'll need a more advanced machine. Let's draft something now and figure out what we need to build it."
As Jayce busied himself with the plans, Tarren picked up one of the crystals and walked over to the balcony. The city stretched out below, glittering against the afternoon sky. He held the crystal up to the light, its faint glow illuminating his eyes.
This is it, the item that could allow him to make things that his past self could ever dream of, the one thing that he needed to get. The power contained within the crystal was undeniable, but so was its danger. Tarren's thoughts turned to the original story of the people around him, and the suffering they went through just because of this thing.
He'll find a way to harness this power—without repeating the suffering it caused before.
The sound of Jayce calling his name pulled him back to the present. Tarren turned, slipping the crystal back into the suitcase, and rejoined his new partner at the table. Their work had just begun.
---
A/N: Hello, thanks for reading the first batch of upload for this one. I'll post the rest of arc two in the next couple of days.
The morning sun cast long beams of light over the well-manicured streets of Piltover's upper district, bathing the ornate facades in a soft golden glow. Caitlyn Kirraman, dressed in a tailored coat and with her polished boots clicking against the stone pavement, arrived at Jayce's apartment. She knocked firmly on the door, her expression cool but her thoughts scattered.
She often visited Jayce at this hour, using the visits as an excuse to escape her family's stifling home. Jayce was a constant in her life—a friend outside the constraints of her family's influence. Ever since they were young, he had been the only person her parents tolerated outside of their tight circle. Whether they saw him as a potential suitor or simply a safe influence, Caitlyn couldn't be sure, but she appreciated his presence nonetheless.
The door creaked open, revealing Jayce's tired face. His hair was disheveled, and there were faint smudges of chalk and grease on his shirt.
"You look like you've been through a war," Caitlyn quipped, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
Jayce groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "It feels like I have." He gestured for her to follow. "Come on. We're in the workshop."
"We?" Caitlyn questioned, but Jayce didn't answer.
The workshop was cluttered with books, tools, and notes scattered across every surface. A blackboard dominated one wall, covered in chalk-drawn schematics and equations. Standing before it was Tarren, furiously scribbling, erasing, and redrawing as though in a trance. His dark circles and messy hair gave him a similar, if not worse, worn-out appearance than Jayce.
"It's been two days," Jayce muttered, gesturing to Tarren. "He doesn't sleep. He eats barely a bite. He's like a machine."
Caitlyn blinked, unsure whether to feel impressed or concerned. "That doesn't sound healthy," she murmured.
Tarren, still oblivious to her presence, stepped back from the blackboard, tilting his head as he analyzed his work. His eyes lit up suddenly. "This is it," he declared. "We can start making the machine."
Jayce groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you, Tarren? We don't have the resources to build something this complex. The academy and the Kirramans can't know about this. It's an independent study, remember?"
Caitlyn cleared her throat, raising an eyebrow. "I'm standing right here, you know."
Jayce turned to her with a dismissive wave. "You don't count."
The comment earned him a scoff, but before Caitlyn could retort, Tarren finally noticed her. "Miss Kirraman? Didn't know you were here." He glanced at the clock. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," Caitlyn replied with a shrug.
"Let's save the introductions for later," Jayce interjected, pointing back at the blackboard. "Look at this. The best I can do is piece together some scraps, but these designs…" He gestured emphatically to the intricate schematics. "They need custom parts, and we can't get those without drawing attention from the academy due to all the orders we're making!"
Tarren waved dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I've got connections back home who can make it."
Jayce froze, his expression shifting to one of unease. "Connections? Back home? You mean…"
"The Undercity," Tarren confirmed casually. He turned to the corner of the room, grabbing his bag. "Speaking of which, I need to head there anyway. There are things I need to fetch."
"You're going now?" Caitlyn asked, startled.
"Why not?" Tarren replied with a shrug. "No time like the present."
Before leaving, he glanced at the crystals on the table. "Mind if I take a few? They'll help test if the machine works."
Jayce's eyes widened in alarm. "Are you insane? Those things are unstable!"
Tarren raised a hand, cutting him off. "I'll be careful."
After a tense pause, Jayce reluctantly relented, taking a small pouch, putting a couple of crystals, and handing Tarren the small pouch. "Fine. But be careful. If one of those explodes—"
"I know, I know," Tarren said, tucking the pouch into his bag. He turned to Caitlyn, offering a polite nod. "Sorry to interrupt your visit, Miss Kirraman. You must've come to see Jayce. I'll leave you to it."
With that, he slipped out the door, leaving Jayce and Caitlyn in silence.
Jayce let out a weary sigh, his eyes drifting back to the blackboard. "He really is something…"
Caitlyn crossed her arms, her gaze lingering on the door. "You're not worried about him going to the Undercity alone?"
Jayce shrugged. "It's his home. And it's not as bad as you've heard, you just need to hide yourself."
Caitlyn's eyes narrowed. "Have you been to the Undercity?"
"Yeah, a couple of times," Jayce admitted.
"And you didn't think to tell me?" Caitlyn sounded more incredulous than angry.
Jayce waved it off. "Didn't seem worth mentioning. Why the sudden interest?"
She hesitated, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "Just curious." She walked over to the blackboard, scanning the intricate drawings. "I don't understand a single thing on here."
"Neither do I," Jayce admitted with a grin. "At least, not all of it. Tarren's operating on a completely different level. I've just been trying to keep up these past two days."
Caitlyn sighed, plopping onto a nearby stool. "So, I'm guessing you don't have time to accompany me today."
"Not really," Jayce said apologetically.
"That's fine," she replied, though her tone betrayed a hint of disappointment. Her gaze drifted to the balcony, the city skyline framed by the window. After a moment, she glanced back at Jayce. "What about Tarren? Do you think he would accompany me around?"
Jayce smirked. "From what I've seen, he doesn't have any friends topside. I'm sure he'd be thrilled."
Caitlyn considered this. "Maybe I'll ask him to go somewhere sometime."
Jayce chuckled, already diving back into the blueprints.
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