Chapter Text
Piltover was known worldwide not through its military might but by the engines of commerce and forward thinking.
For most people, the richest part of the city was Northern Piltover, generally described as being charming with a bright atmosphere. The districts of the North were divided into three.
When one would enter the district of Upper Piltover, an infectious energy that never failed to lift spirits sang to them. Citizens were greeted by a kaleidoscope of colors, white streets lined with star-rod lampposts that warmed everyone, inviting travelers into a world of wonder.
The air was thinner, clearer, and carried the clinking and hissing sounds of machinery creating a symphony of innovation and progress.
Together with the creative world of discovery, Upper Piltover was alluring to everyone by the glamorous food. The sweet fragrance of freshly baked pastries would linger in the air, the storefronts of bakeries boasting fantastical contraptions like clockwork ovens and steam-powered mixers.
Citizens would gather, their conversation interweaving with the bustling cafes that emanated bold aromas of coffee and tea that blended together.
Being so close to the most prestigious academy of Piltover, it was common for professors and students alike to be seen sitting at these food places of Upper Piltover.
Professor Cecil B. Heimerdinger, commonly known as Heimerdinger, was one example. One of the most innovative and respected inventors of Piltover could be seen almost every day after 5 p.m. at the Zinn Café.
"An aeropress coffee with no sugar and a croissant filled with cheese." Said the waitress as she placed the plate and cup in front of the small yordle.
Putting his journal down, he responded while adjusting himself on the chair, "Oh! Thank you, my dear."
"Are you sure that you would not like a coffee, Jayce? I have tried everything on the menu in this place, and I can tell you that all of them—"
"I'm sure, professor. It's late already, and the assignment you handed me last week is done." Jayce responded annoyed.
Sipping at his cup, a second passed long enough for them to stare at each other. The only sound being made was the mixer in the kitchen and the sipping sound of coffee.
Putting his cup back at the table, the professor said in a solemn tone, "Let time take care of itself; you're your—"
Their conversation was interrupted when a loud and explosive sound boomed through the bakery.
Even with the inventions and creations, Piltover was known for its strict research safety laws. Virtually all research in the city had to be approved by the academy or the council. The only way you could bypass the system was by being sponsored by one of Piltover's main families, be they merchants or researchers.
The penalty for unauthorized research was severe. The main changes to the legislation took place after an explosion in the district of New Piltover that killed 30 and left 19 with disabling injuries. That was the main reason why explosions and buildings falling nowadays were very uncommon.
Both men looked to their right, seeing through the window one of the oldest buildings in the district that stood across the street with a hole in its left wall.
Older structures were normally made of a mixture of polished marble, latticework bronze, and shimmering glass. This one, built by the merchant clans as a gift to one of the most prestigious inventors of Piltover, Valentina Zindelo, was no longer open to the public since her mysterious death.
As glass rained through the sky, people ran trying to find shelter. People ran inside workshops, restaurants, and even the bakery they sat.
The once empty bakery was now packed; people squeezed in to hold as many people as possible. Workers directed people and put chairs on the table to make more room.
The perpetual sense of movement that characterized life in the city abruptly changed as people stopped and prayed.
Both Jayce and Heimerdinger kept looking out of the window, while the sound of murmuring echoed around the room, a feeling of unease that could be felt by everyone.
"We should get out of here before this old thing falls—"
Jayce's speech was interrupted by the sound of a huge beam hitting the ground while it crushed a small stall that sold cookies in the street.
Everyone that stood close to the window took a step back. Everyone but Heimerdinger, who ignored the structures that fell from the sky.
"Do you see that, Jayce?!" The small yordle exclaimed while looking above.
"The energy emitted by these explosions is one that I have seen only in one place! It looks too much like—"
Before he could finish talking, a final, huge explosion was heard, with cardinal red smoke sliding down the walls of the building to the ground and hitting the streets.
The windows of the bakery burst with the shock, pushing everyone to the ground.
——
It was dark. I could see nothing, hear nothing.
My heart beat faster as I tried to touch the ground; my feet could not touch it, and my hand could not find any wall. It was like I was floating in an ocean of dry water.
When suddenly, they screamed at me.
Abomination! You are a monster, A MONSTER! YOU! YOU KILLED MY FATHER!
Millions of voices rang through my mind.
I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY!
Then the silence came back.
It did not continue for long. One strong voice interrupted it, "This chain of events, it started with you."
I flickered my eyes trying to find him in the darkness.
"All that remained were fields of dreamless solitudes." He continued.
"Our paths converged long ago, but how if you have never existed?" He asked as if accusing me.
Until they screamed even louder.
You killed six officers, Atlas! WHAT MADNESS WERE YOU THINKING!
If there is something that can be weaponized, we must have it. And you, Atlas, you are the biggest weap—
I tried to ignore them as I hugged my head between my legs and closed my eyes. The voices didn't care; they kept hammering my mind.
Killing is a cycle. One that started long before Vander and me, and it will continue after the three of you.
Close to passing out, the voices gave me a moment of peace. I opened my eyes, looking around, still seeing nothing.
Then a burst of light shed light on the room. Different colors ran across my eyes making me look tiredly around me.
The imagem in front of me, I had seen this before; it was the Hexcore.