Being Hal's personal apprentice is not all that I expect it would be. Private lessons between student and mentor are all that I had in mind, but not this. He surrounds me with formulas and concepts that no one, much less a 10-year-old, should witness. How can formulas hold such callousness? They're just lines and curves on a blackboard, ideas projected onto matter, that's all. But here, they project their meaning directly into my brain. Their influence on my soul. I'm not learning anything, I'm being brainwashed. Hal's dark eyes and his white fur make complete sense. Somewhere along the way, his fascination with the stars led him to complete corruption. He's not deliberately doing this, he's a puppet to the formulas. They all are. This corruption must have an answer to its nature. The formula is a problem to our collective psyche, our very being. There is an answer. Zaun is a sick and corrupt city, no thanks to the former Piltover counsel. Vander and I are the cure to Zaun's filth. But there must be something within us that made that possible. It allowed me to keep fighting all that time. It's always fighting, the wrongness inside me fights everything to keep me safe. I have to make a choice. As the darkness surrounds me, I need to commit to a choice: let the darkness take hold or allow the wrongness to fight it back. The answer may seem obvious, but the allure of the power that lies within the corruption is the source of knowledge that can lead me to the secrets of the universe. Then there's my family, the people who selflessly took me in. Vander, the man who saw potential in me the very moment we met. And Powder, that blue ball of chaos, hurts me the most. Surviving Vi's assaults are peanuts compared to the whirlwind of emotions Powder puts me through. Despite that, I regret nothing. The relentless pressure of the ominous equations falters as I embrace the decisions I have made with my life. It can take me for all I care, but my mission will always be clear: I will lead Zaun into greatness, into a future where everyone will live in prosperity. Piltover's days of arrogance will come to a close. Zaun will rise to new heights, the likes of which no nation has ever seen or will ever see again. The darkness embraced my very being, suffocating me with its jealous hold. But I will endure. The warmth within me chills, but I am still here. I feel myself hit the ground, a puppet without strings, without a master to pull at my limbs. Hal stands over me, and for the first time, emotions of concern sweep over his face. As I suspected, he'll find a solution to this. He will if he wants me to be his apprentice. This is my gamble: either he allows me to be just another soulless husk, like the rest of his failed apprentices, or he will do everything in his power to save the one who will show him everything.
"You are a wonder of a human." Hal said as he sliced apart the darkness that has consumed me.
Whatever qualifies as air in here stung at my ruined flesh. It filled my lungs, which then set it ablaze with a life that's not my own.
"Oh no, you don't." Hal declared as he laid his clawed hands on my chest. A force unlike anything I've felt before crushed me. Pain woke me out of my stupor.
"Smart...move..." I said as I breathed in hostile air. It's thick with matter that is not meant for living beings to consume. "Where...are...we?"
"You've done it, my boy," he said as his black eyes bore into me. "You brought us here."
As Hal retreats to marvel at the horrid reality that I opened.
"So we have a deal?" I asked as I struggled to stand to my feet.
"A deal? Don't remember the offer, but whatever it is...yes, you have your deal." Hal said with venom in his voice. Although he understood all that he had to gain from our unspoken arrangement, he will always be that spiteful Yordle with secrets. Whatever secrets he greedily harbors, I could care less. My curiosity about the universe trumps his private affairs, as long as they're out of my business.
I crumble to my knees.
"This is the nexus of the beginning." Hal spread his tiny arms wide as he stared into the abyss that consumes and warps countless stars. "It has taken me centuries to get here. Finally, I can begin to see it all."
This is what we all stare up at at night, at day, between twilights, dusks, and every impossible strand of time in between. Beyond our mortal eyes, our infant understanding of creation, lies the soup of beginnings. Cosmic friction sparks the suns that give simple organisms like us our pulse and breath. There is, however, the grand orchestrator of this mass experiment. The first to spark the idea to create. The one that has always been and will always be.
"Hal." I start crawling. "Do you hear that?"
He stopped his childlike wonderment and turned to me. "What? What is it, boy?"
"That sound." It resonates in my skull, threatening to scatter my consciousness across the cosmos. "Song." It beats with my heart, every pulse sends a force that tears apart space itself. "The singing. Whatever it is, do you hear it?" That voice, laughing, screaming, wailing, demanding.
Hal's ears twitch and rotate to catch what should be obvious to anyone with functioning ears. It is the orchestrator of existence itself. It roars with power that allows all that is to be. It whispers the ideas that spark inspiration and curiosity.
"It's alive." I force it out of my mouth before my body gives out and I crash flat on the ground, if this space has a ground.
"I won't lose you." Hal declares as he severs the connection, and I feel the familiar solid surface of the laboratory.
Hasted footsteps approach me. "What have you done?"
Sounds like Errat. I am lifted with gentle hands holding the back of my head.
"You were gone for too long," she chastised.
Opening my eyes, I am in the room where all the professors gather to discuss their theories and formulas. They are all connected mentally, I doubt that they need to be physically present within the same room. Maybe they do so to prevent unworthy eyes from speculating about their vast interests in strange formulas. Errat holds my head, rubbing it with tenderness that I've never experienced from her.
"Ha! Once he continues his lessons, we can live with the stars for decades!" Hal said with passion that nearly changed his voice. In that moment, he sounded like he actually had fun. Regardless, I can't stay on the ground like this for long, I need to get up. Both my body and mind screamed for me to remain still, but I can't afford to show further weakness.
"What are you doing? Stop!" Errat placed her hand on my chest.
"Help me up if you're going to touch me." I demanded.
Errat took my arm over her neck and steadily rose as I gathered my strength under me. Without the world spinning, things felt off. What is this? A balanced equilibrium seems like a silly concept. I need to get away from these people. Their collective minds are warping my natural understanding of reality. Huh, what's real about reality anymore? Wherever that was before, it evolved my senses to a level that felt natural, as if I'd lived that before. It brought back memories that I can no longer recall. Only faint echoes of what once was peace called back to me. Gradually, I almost began to fade from my body, as if being yanked from the physical plane to return to my celestial home. The next instance I blink, the 22 professors, along with myself, are back within the choir of stars, basking within the glory of beginnings. Chaos erupted amongst the professors. Positive and negative dispositions collided in a mass of warring opinions and objectifications. All of their voices overpowered each other, the only silence that could settle was when a few ran out of oxygen to burn.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Hal gasped, lost again in wonderment.
"So this is what you wanted? This entire time?" Errat bellowed. "I thought we were to study the universe, not to dive ignorantly into its heart!"
"Errata." Hal chuckled as he shifted his black eyes in every direction it wasn't meant to. "It's here where all the talking and debating can matter. It's here where our questions can be answered."
No. Focus. I willed my wandering mind to cement itself on Runeterra. We are back on the solid tile floor of the room. The professors battled for space on the blackboard, while Errat and Hal were close to a standoff.
"I'm done for today." I decided as I began walking away, pulling my arm from around Errat's neck. "Thanks for the support."
"Take tomorrow off. I want you fully recovered for normal lessons." Hal yelled as Errat approached him confrontationally.
Stumbling out of the room, I debated whether or not to return to that room, to those obsessed professors. But then I'll have to label myself a hypocrite, as I want the same as they want, all things considered. But there is one thing that I want above it all. One place that I would sacrifice the world to embrace. To bask in the sea of eternity is all that I desire. No more wanting, the needs that can't be ignored, the yearning for strength—I want to wash it all away. I want the fighting to be over. The struggle of collecting tomorrows, protecting them from thieves and destroyers—I want to be done with them all. As I turned the corner, to my surprise, I almost ran into a familiar blue-haired girl.
"Owen? It's rather late, even for bookworms." Kiramman commented with her familiar strange accent.
"I hardly got to read today, Hal likes to flap his gums longer than he should." I grumbled.
Kiramman huffed with a baffled expression.
"Given his age and all, I was thinking, he has to run out of breath eventually." I pressed on.
Kiramman shook her head while trying to restrain her smile. "We should respect our elders, Owen."
"I'm respecting his lung capacity. No one can talk as long as he can without breaks, it's unnatural." It's a crazy skill to flaunt in front of people.
"Is this how you behave all the time?" she asked as she hid her smile.
"At this point, people just accept it, you are the first to ask." I confessed.
Finally, she allowed the merriment to possess her, only for a moment. Her laughter seems familiar. It scratches at the memories from the future. I suppose I was closer to her than future me remembers.
"Where are you headed, if you don't mind me asking?" she asked.
"Home, finally. He overstimulated me with his cosmic fascination." I stated as I waved towards the way to the front door.
"Are you offering to walk with me?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Only if you feed me." I shot back.
She gave me a bewildered look.
"It's a joke! I'm kidding." I waved dismissively as I began walking.
It didn't take long for Kiramman to catch up with her long legs.
"Where do you stay exactly? Piltover wouldn't allow a child like you to speak like that," she critiqued.
"Tell me about it, you kids over here are about as uptight as the schoolteachers." I replied as I tried to refrain from appearing as dead tired as I felt.
She gasped in offense. "We are not! I have you know we get into as much trouble as Zaun children."
I stopped and smiled at her. "Really?"
She stood taller. "Really."
"Let's cross the bridge then." I challenged as I started walking again.
"WHAT!?" She screamed and held her mouth just in time as we reached the front door.
"Show me how bad you can be." I smirked as I pushed the door open.
I barely had the chance to reach the street before Vi approached me. Her fists were clenched, as usual.
"Where have you—"
I pointed back at the school. "I'm an apprentice now."
Her frown slowly disappeared as she relaxed into a dismissive posture. "And who are you?"
"I'm Caitlyn." I heard her heels clop down the steps. She reached her hand out for Vi to shake.
Vi crossed her arms and glared at me.
"Oh." I softly slap my forehead. "We met yesterday at the park, where Powder and I went after your strong recommendation."
"Oh yeah, I did recommend that, didn't I?" Vi walked up to me and threw her arm around my neck. "You're coming with me."
As we began to walk, I called out to Caitlyn. "Are you coming?"
"Um, wha-?" Caitlyn stumbled and hesitated as she looked between the direction of her house, allegedly, and me waving her to come along. She broke under pressure and followed us.
"Are you serious? Why are you doing this?" Vi hissed into my ear.
"We'll show her a good time, why else? This is how we make friends in high places: turn on the charm." I nudged Vi's side with my elbow.
"Um, how is it over in Zaun, exactly?" Caitlyn's nervousness grows the closer we're embraced by the charming smog of Zaun.
"Do you smell that?" I inhale the fumes. "That lets you know we're just getting warmed up. Wait till 8, and then you can see the fumes flying through the air!"
Vi snickered. "It never gets that bad."
"Don't lie to her like that." I said as we approached the Last Drop. "Business hours?
"Yeah." Vi replied as she looked over to Caitlyn, who was taking in the sights of Zaun.
The reconstruction of Zaun took a complete week, now everything looks more or less normal. But in Caitlyn's eyes, I'm guessing it looks like a run-down dump in comparison to her Piltover upbringing. But in our eyes, it's the people that make Zaun seem more alive than before. The people have changed. Once a violent, hostile, agitated, disgruntled, and desperate people, they are now liberated from despair. Despite the allure and the calling to return to the old ways, the promise of a better life through legitimate hard work inspired people to live an honest life. Former thugs and aspiring gang leaders turned over a new leaf for a better tomorrow, for the most part. The ones that haven't were taken care of, unfortunately.
"Believe me, it was a lot worse before." I commented as we reached the Last Drop and opened the door. It is business hours. The bar is packed with workers and students taking their lunch breaks. There are even a few Piltover patrons here.
"See? Even a few Pilties are drawn to the Zaunite charm." Vi advertised as we took seats in a booth.
I let out a breath as I took in the atmosphere. Wait a minute, this many people? This many students? I didn't see the sun today, it was too cloudy.
"It's noon, isn't it?" I asked.
"Isn't it?" Caitlyn corrected.
"Yes, it is." Vi gave Caitlyn a glare for correcting how I speak. It doesn't seem that Caitlyn caught on to that.
"That's unbelievable." I muttered to myself as I rested my head in my hands.
"Here you three are," an unfamiliar voice said.
I look up to see a dark-skinned girl with dreads setting three tall glasses of juice in front of us. As she turned around to leave, Mylo was seated in a booth ahead of me, stealing glances at her with adoring eyes.
"Huh, when did she start working here?" I asked as I took the glass in my hand.
"Oh, her? Just this morning." Vi answered as she began drinking.
"Mylo has his mind set on her, how much do you want to bet he'll muck it up?" I asked as I eyed both of them.
Caitlyn raised a brow in surprise and looked over at the new waitress, and Vi snorted, almost spitting out her drink.
"Who is Mylo?" Caitlyn asks as she sips her drink.
"Oh, you'll love him, he's the kind of guy you would want at a... repossessing business." I hinted.
Vi nudged my leg under the table.
"A property inspector." I pitched as I glanced at Vi.
She glared intensely at me and nudged my leg again.
Caitlyn caught onto the humor and giggled into her hand, Vi noticed.
"A home security consultant, last offer." I direct it mostly at Vi.
She planted her face in her hand and shook her head. Caitlyn let out an audible laugh, and Vi glanced over at her and laughed along.
"I had no idea it was like that over here. We are hardly ever told the truth of Zaun's affairs." Caitlyn confessed as she wiped the condensation from the glass.
"That doesn't surprise me." Vi replied with a hint of animosity in her voice. "But things are better now. We have one of us on the council."
"I believe her name is Sevika, right?" Caitlyn recalled after she sipped her drink.
"Yeah, she clashed with Vander sometimes, but she came through for us when it mattered." Vi explained with relief in her voice.
"She seems like a stern and duty-bound woman. Grayson was like that once." Caitlyn stated as her face shifted in disappointment.
I can watch people talk all day. The way they wear emotion on their faces, and they carry that emotion in their speech as well. I am in paradise just watching it all in action.
"You say that as if Grayson was a different person, if so, what made her change?" I asked as I looked for tips on Caitlyn's face.
"I don't know." Her shoulders fell slightly. "She seemed to be under more pressure than usual. It never bothered her before, but for a while, she seemed hesitant to make decisions. Her shooting suffered as a result. She was a wonder behind a rifle." She explained as her face told me all I needed to know about that situation.
"Well, I hope she learned her lesson and gets back on track." I said as I finished my drink and placed two coins on the table. "Going back to the academy?"
"Ugh, yeah? We have to." Vi gave me the "obviously" look.
"Well, great, because I don't." I declared as I leaned back.
"What?" they both asked simultaneously.
"Yep, apprentice privilege." I explained proudly.
"Well, I guess you earned it, smarty pants." Vi said with a hint of pride in her voice.
"Oh! I almost forgot. I want to ask you to allow Hal to have us study together." Caitlyn excitedly requested.
"I'm sure you don't have to ask either one of us. He would gladly talk your ears off about numbers and formulas. But I'll let him know that you're dying to study with me." I informed my eager colleague.
"I—that's not what I—oh, very well." She shook her head with a grin and finished her drink.
"Well, it's time for us to head back." Vi finished her drink and slipped out of the booth.
"You two play nice now." I wave at them.
They looked at each other and blushed as they walked out of the bar. Well, hopefully, they'll develop a wonderful and unbreakable bond. And this time, Caitlyn will resist filling Vi's head with bullets. Those memories are stuck with me now, just another burden. Stop. Look around you. Things are on the right track. The Zaun you are seeing now is growing into a better future all because of you. Take pride in that, but don't you dare become arrogant. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and looked back at Mylo, who was still drooling after the waitress. Don't change too much, buddy. I walked towards the door to the basement and made my way down to the bottom. Upon seeing my bed, my body prepares itself to release all the tension it had built up from today. As I laid my broken self down on the pile of boxes, I couldn't help but feel blessed. Gratitude fills my very being. It is due to the stack of personal clothes that the others provided that I can sleep peacefully. I owe them everything and more. I love them beyond my ability to express, but I won't stop trying. As soon as my mind and body recover, I'll set to work on giving them the gift that they deserve. A grand city of splendor.
Their laughter filled my mind and brought me out of my slumber. My eyes open to a scene that I want to last forever. Ekko is being taught how to throw a decent punch by Vi. Powder is outside the ring cheering him on. Claggor is working with Mylo on his prototype of a chamber that looks awfully familiar. It has that yellow flower inside. I wonder what he intends to do with that. Whatever it is, the flower hasn't wilted at all. Even from this distance, I can see that it's healthy at least. Taking a moment to stretch, my body feels somewhat free from the stress of that room and the cosmic pressure that threatened to scatter in all directions of the void. Looking over to the workbench, I see the chamber of my design is still there. It's now or never. Steadily, I drew my feet to the floor and made my way over to the workbench. Each step I took towards my chamber brought that feeling back. That pressure that makes my heart pound against my chest. My hands graze over the chamber. I trust in Powder's observations and fine-tuning. This thing can work, it has to. All I need next is an instant charge of pure energy. I'll be damned if I use a crank or a treadmill to generate kinetic energy. Although in theory it is possible, it will take a tremendous amount of patience and time to generate energy for use, and I have neither to spare now. Grabbing hold of the chamber, I brainstorm on how to get the energy I need. Electricity is the best source of energy to harvest. But to obtain it is tricky. Zaun needs every bit of electricity it can get, and I don't want to jeopardize Zaunites of their current supply of energy. I could steal some from Piltover. No doubt they have something in their laboratories that will give me all the energy I will ever need. However, something that valuable will undoubtedly be well guarded. Pacing from my bed to the opposite side of the room, I'm trying to think of a way to harvest raw energy. Then it comes to me. It's cloudy today, it might rain, and there might be a storm. It's so risky. It may or may not happen at all. I look over to my bed and walk over and kneel beside it. The two journals are still there. Running my fingers through every paragraph, I search for the equation that hints at calling down lightning. It's a whisper of a suggestion, but I hope that it's possible. And there it is. Grabbing a pencil and paper, I write the equation down and try to find a solution to calling down a bolt of lightning.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice slowed my thinking and brought warmth to my chest.
I look up to see Powder with a concerned face. "There you are! Come down here and look at this."
She cautiously knelt beside me and looked at the paper. "What am I looking at?"
"The equation that will give us power." I cackled. "Well, energy...lightning to be exact. What do you think?"
She looks between the paper and me. "I think you need to sleep a bit longer."
That sent me into a cackling fit. "Powder! You are too much!" I wipe a tear from my eye. "When did you get good at timing your act?"
She frowns slightly. "I'm serious. Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm feeling." I shake my head in search to describe my emotions. "Ecstatic!" My own pun, that only I understand, sent me further into a laughing fit. It was so intense that I nearly passed out. Powder held me up by the chest and tried to guide me back to the bed. However, my body almost began to convulse due to my ability to laugh at my own jokes. My vision blurs as tears begin falling from my eyes. My lungs are getting a workout of a lifetime, as well as my abs. Powder managed to lay me back on the bed with the assistance of another kind soul. By wiping my eyes, I see that it's Ekko, with Vi behind him. All three are looking at each other in confusion and concern. It bothered me enough for my laughing fit to wear off.
"Oh." I took a deep breath as I pulled at my suspender to let out the heat. "You shouldn't have." I tried to get off the bed, but all three of them reached their hands out.
"Hey, just relax, okay? You've had a long day, just relax." Vi ordered with a gentle voice that seems so motherly, I always knew she had it in her.
"So that's what happens when you're Hal's apprentice? Glad he didn't choose me." Ekko stated as he took the chamber and inspected it. Good, I was meaning for him to take a look at it anyhow. Actually, I won't go forward without his opinion.
"Hal?" Powder's eyes searched for answers as she stared into nothing, then locked eyes with me. "What is he doing to you?"
"He's helping me, us, build Zaun." I didn't lie.
She looks at me with a glare that will bring out any truth.
"You remember that future that I spoke about?" I look at Vi next. "Right?"
She shifts on her feet. "Yeah, I do."
"That's what I want. Not the nightmare, but the future that all of you deserve." Mylo and Claggor approached closer. "You all deserve that Zaun, the city that will put Piltover to shame."
"Whoa, man, that's great and all, but look at you." Mylo said as he walked closer, and Vi made way for him. "You are starting to look like your old self."
I shook my head. "How? I'm eating, I'm sleeping better."
"It's how you look." Claggor cleared his throat. "You look old."
That silenced me. I can't, I feel fine. I laid back down, with confusion apparent on my face.
"We can start your experiment tomorrow, okay?" Powder looks me in my eyes and nods her head. "After Ekko and I look over your chamber one more time, then we'll do your experiment, okay?"
I don't want to worry them. "Okay, sure."
Maybe they are right. I've worked myself up over this. To march into this experiment full of zeal will expose all of my possible mistakes. This has to work on the first try, mistakes are unacceptable. Powder and Ekko decided to sit next to my bed. Claggor, Mylo, and Vi retreated towards the couch and sat down. They began discussing it in a low tone. Congratulations, you are worrying them.
I reach my hand out to them. "I'm sorry, I don't want any of you to worry. I'm fine."
"Just rest," Powder said as she patted my chest.
"Hey." Ekko called out as his eyes were glued to the chamber. "Where did you get the glass for this?"
"I used the formulas to bring it into existence." I answered as I laid my head back.
"Uh huh." Ekko said as he kept his eyes on the chamber, turning it around to analyze its dimensions.
"Wait." Powder's eyes narrowed. "You used magic?"
"No, I used formulas." I pointed down. "It's all in the two journals."
Powder looked down to the floor and grabbed the journals. She began flipping through the pages, her frown deepening with every page turned.
"The first journal is important, you've seen it, right? Yeah, you've seen it." I recalled.
Powder closed the journal. "Owen, listen to me."
I turn to her with a smile. "I'm listening."
"I know you want to do good, but you don't need this," she explained.
I don't know what to say.
"Can't we just use salt and water to get power?" Ekko suggested.
I nod slowly. "That is possible, boring, but possible."
"Boring is safe, but this." She lifts the journals. "It isn't safe, and neither is Hal."
And the rest of the professors, but I'm pretty sure she knows that by now.
She looks down at the journals. "They are all like Hal, aren't they?"
She's so smart.
I let out a sigh. "Yeah, they are. They were all his apprentices at one point in time."
Powder turned to me with wide eyes. "And you kept going back?"
"For Zaun, yes." I said with finality building in my chest.
We stare at each other, clearly making Ekko uncomfortable.
"I'm doing this, Powder. I know the risks, I know the game, I will win, and I will cheat to win it all." I declared.
Powder held eye contact with me and didn't blink for a moment, quite creepy. "Ekko."
"Good luck, man." Ekko said as he got up and left for the workbench.
"If you keep going back to them," she began to say and shook her head. "I mean, just look at you. How long will this go on before you..."
"I'm not going anywhere." I held my hand out. And Powder just looks at it. "Please, Powder, I need you through this."
She grabbed it. "I will always be here for you. But this has got to stop, understand?"
I nod slowly. "When we capture lightning in that chamber. I will sever ties with Hal."
She brought my hand to her mouth. "What about the rest of the professors?"
"They are failed apprentices in his eyes. Once he falls, the rest will scatter." I said with confidence.
Powder nods, then squeezes my hand. "Wait, WHAT!?"
"What?" I asked in surprise.
"I didn't mean to." She looked behind her and then back at me. "To kill him."
"Oh." I simply replied. Powder's eyes grew angry. "Oh! My bad! I just...I thought...okay, I'll just request to transfer to a new professor."
"That's it?" she asked as she tried to squeeze my hand harder but lacked the grip strength.
"I guess I should tell the council." I said dejectedly.
Powder gave up. "That's a start. But you'll need to hand over the journals as proof of their ties to magic."
I nod. "Piss off a cult of magic users. That'll be fun."
"Ugh, you're right." Her shoulders fell at the thought of everything going wrong.
I sit up. "I guess I should tell Vander of the situation, he'll love it."
Powder snickered. "Yeah, right. He'll grow more grey hair than he already has."
Standing to my feet, the thought of Vander growing grey hair at the mention of a possible mage cult in Piltover is an event I can't pass up.
"You know what—" I bolt to the stairs.
"OWEN! STOP!" Powder follows me, as if I'm doing something nefarious.